Posts Tagged ‘Flaxseed Oil’
Because every dog is unique, it’s sometimes very difficult to determine what causes food-related allergies and what doesn’t. Common pet food culprits include wheat, corn and soy. Various proteins also create their share of problems in certain dogs. I was shocked to learn that some dogs are allergic to chicken, while I know from first-hand experience that my Jack Russell Terrier Lucy used to be allergic to beef. Here’s an approach worth trying if your dog is exessively itching and scratching.
If excessive itching and scratching are the problems, that may simply be the lack of Omega 3,6 and 9 fatty acids in your dog’s diet that’s making their skin and coat dry. Winter indoor heating may also be exacerbating the condition. Adding simple food additives to your dog’s food may be the key without switching diets. Supplements like Mrs. Allen’s Shed Stop, Flaxseed Oil, Pet Botanics Skin & Coat supplement, Royal Coat from Ark Naturals or Health & Shine from Dr. Harvey’s are all viable solutions for supplementing your dog’s diet with the needed Omegas that dog’s and cats need to lubricate their skin and coats.
Excessive and compulsive foot licking, or chewing and biting other parts of the body, are generally a sign that allergies are to blame.
Assuming it’s food allergies and not environmental, many vets and pet nutritionists recommend substituting a protein source that your dog doesn’t normally eat. Lamb is often used for this purpose, because it’s not as common a dog food ingredient. Lamb, in and of itself, is not “non-allergic”, but it’s less common than chicken and beef so it enables you to introduce something new into your dog’s diet, in effect, starting with a clean slate.
Some vets sell expensive “allergy free formulas” but there are ways to figure this out on your own and a lot less expensively. Increasingly, pet owners who have dogs with food allergies are feeding various pet food mixes like Dr. Harvey’s, Solid Gold Holistique Blendz or The Honest Kitchen’s FORCE formula, which is grain free, or Sojourner Farms’ new grain free Europa formula.
Mixes, while a bit more work, allow you to more closely control what your dog is eating by beginning with a good “base” that contains the proper nutrients and vitamins especially formulated for dogs. Then, you can experiment by introducing your own protein sources (whether raw or cooked) and seeing how your dog reacts over the next few days.
Because The Honest Kitchen FORCE Formula is grain free but chicken-based, I would stick to the Dr. Harveys or the Europa which have no protein or grain sources. The Solid Gold Holistique Blendz formula is also a good choice but that already contains fish protein. Because fish-based protein is an unlikely protein source for your dog to begin with, it’s unlikely that it will cause allergy problems now — same theory with the lamb or any other uncommon protein like venison or buffalo or rabbit. If later you find that chicken is ok, I would give The Honest Kitchen FORCE Formula a second look, too.
Beginning with one of these neutral, grain-free formulas, try adding chicken for a week. If that goes well, than your dog is probably ok with chicken. Then try beef. Then lamb. Try, fish, too. If that goes well, than it was probably one or more of the grains.
Now a picture is starting to form. Your dog’s allergies have improved with a grain free diet that includes certain proteins.
As we mentioned before, the point of introducing a different protein source to test your dog’s tolerance is because if your dog is suffering some type of food-related reaction, common sense tells you it’s something she’s already eating. Can’t be having reactions to something she never had yet, right?
Please note that when switching a dog’s food, do it gradually over 5 to 6 days. Begin a 4 to 1 ration, old to new food, than 3 to 2 on day 2, than half and half on day 3, than 2 to 3 on day 4 and 1 to 4 on day 5. Day six, you’re switched over completely. Than the real allergy testing can begin in earnest by sticking with the new protein source for a week and than introducing a new one every week taking note of your dog’s reaction or, hopefully, lack of one.
As you’ve probably figured out by now, there’s no one answer or “Silver Bullet” that will miraculously solve all your dog’s allergy problems overnight. You have to break the cycle by moving your dog to a neutral, grain-free food and begin experimenting with different proteins. Once you find a protein or combination of proteins that work, try slowly introducing grain formulas back into the diet to see if there’s a reaction or not. Using this gradual, common sense method combined with a good quality dog food should have your dog on the road to a happy, itch-free life.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
Gene Sower is the publisher of the DOG BYTES newsletter and owner of www.naturalpetsworld.com, a site devoted to offering a huge selection of natural pet foods at discount prices.
There is much more to feeding a dog than buying a bag or can of dog food. If you want your dog to be healthy and have a long life, then you need to put as much care into choosing what to feed your dog as you would do for yourself.
To maintain a dog’s healthy coat, eyes, teeth, and overall well being he needs to be fed good quality all natural dog food. The food that you choose to give your dog can affect his life in many ways. One of the first things that you should do is check the ingredients on the label. Dogs are carnivores and eat meat so all natural dog food should contain some type of meat.
Chicken, beef, liver, and lamb are all popular choices in many bags of dry food and canned foods. The meat should not come from a by-product. For example, some dog foods claim to have meat by adding hooves, skin, feathers, eyes, beaks, and other animal parts. It is also a good idea to make sure that the food does not contain soy. Soy is a common cause of allergies in dogs. Allergies can lead to skin conditions which are very hard to clear up.
If you are looking to add shine to your dog’s coat, then you should look for foods with healthy fats. Omega 6 is a great way to help your pet have a healthy coat. Vegetable oils are one way for a dog to gain Omega 6 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil and fish oil are good ways to help soothe irritated and troubled coats with Omega 3 fatty acids. Many vet offices and pet stores also have supplements that dogs can be given to increase the healthiness of their hair.
Proteins and carbohydrates are the best sources to give your dog for energy. These are very important to look for when feeding young or working dogs that burn many calories during the day. Older, less active dogs can benefit from healthy weight formulas that contain fewer calories. In general at least 10% of the diet should be protein while 5.5% is fat or fatty acids.
In addition to his all natural dog food diet, your dog should also be given crunchy bones. The crunchy, abrasiveness of the bones helps to keep your dog’s teeth clean and the gums healthy. Be careful when giving your pet toys or foods that are harder than his teeth, as they could cause tooth breakage.
All natural dog food will give your dog all of the benefits that he needs to be healthy, energized, and looking good. Remember this type of dog food has easy to digest, high quality proteins as well as complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Giving your dog all natural dog food will ensure you are also giving him an enhanced lifestyle and ultimately a longer life.
There is much more to feeding a dog than buying a bag or can of dog food. If you want your dog to be healthy and have a long life, then you need to put as much care into choosing what to feed your dog as you would do for yourself.
To maintain a dog’s healthy coat, eyes, teeth, and overall well being he needs to be fed good quality all natural dog food. The food that you choose to give your dog can affect his life in many ways. One of the first things that you should do is check the ingredients on the label. Dogs are carnivores and eat meat so all natural dog food should contain some type of meat.
Chicken, beef, liver, and lamb are all popular choices in many bags of dry food and canned foods. The meat should not come from a by-product. For example, some dog foods claim to have meat by adding hooves, skin, feathers, eyes, beaks, and other animal parts. It is also a good idea to make sure that the food does not contain soy. Soy is a common cause of allergies in dogs. Allergies can lead to skin conditions which are very hard to clear up.
If you are looking to add shine to your dog’s coat, then you should look for foods with healthy fats. Omega 6 is a great way to help your pet have a healthy coat. Vegetable oils are one way for a dog to gain Omega 6 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil and fish oil are good ways to help soothe irritated and troubled coats with Omega 3 fatty acids. Many vet offices and pet stores also have supplements that dogs can be given to increase the healthiness of their hair.
Proteins and carbohydrates are the best sources to give your dog for energy. These are very important to look for when feeding young or working dogs that burn many calories during the day. Older, less active dogs can benefit from healthy weight formulas that contain fewer calories. In general at least 10% of the diet should be protein while 5.5% is fat or fatty acids.
In addition to his all natural dog food diet, your dog should also be given crunchy bones. The crunchy, abrasiveness of the bones helps to keep your dog’s teeth clean and the gums healthy. Be careful when giving your pet toys or foods that are harder than his teeth, as they could cause tooth breakage.
All natural dog food will give your dog all of the benefits that he needs to be healthy, energized, and looking good. Remember this type of dog food has easy to digest, high quality proteins as well as complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Giving your dog all natural dog food will ensure you are also giving him an enhanced lifestyle and ultimately a longer life.
Article Source: http://www.articlewarehouse.com
For further research into what to feed your dog read this review All Natural Dog Food
Ingredients that your shih tzu may be allergic to include beef and beef by-products, milk, yeast, yeast-containing foods, brewer’s yeast (as given to shih tzu for supposed flea protection), corn and corn oil, pork, turkey, eggs, particularly the whites. Never give eggs raw. You can try a hard boiled egg. I have given my shih tzu hard boiled eggs without seeing an allergic reaction. Other ingredients might be fish and fish oils. To provide omega-3 fatty acids, which are very beneficial, you should look for foods prepared with flaxseed oil. Shih tzu may be allergic to foods containing wheat and wheat by-products (when in combination with other allergens) and soybeans.
Healthy shih tzu may not have trouble eating most foods, however, if you feed the same food daily for years, there is a potential for intolerance to develop. Any shih tzu can become allergic to any food. It might be a protein source, a fruit, a vegetable and just a small amount of the offending food could cause reactions. Food allergies may present with symptoms of intestinal upset such as vomiting or loose stools.
The best food I have ever used for my lines of shih tzu has been HealthyPetNet Life’s Abundance which is fomulated by a holistic vet. I have definitely seen healthier puppies as a result of using Life’s Abundance in pregnant, nursing moms and weaning puppies. I have witnessed a total “stop” to loose stools and no stomach upsets in the way of “vomiting.” I have concluded my lines of shih tzu must have been allergic to some of the ingredients in the foods I was feeding before. Of course, you might have one shih tzu allergic to wheat and another shih tzu never to have a reaction.
The first three ingredients on the label usually make up most of the contents. Avoid any kind of dog food that contains chemical additives, artificial colors, artificial flavors, sweeteners, chemical preservatives and stabilizers. All these types of ingredients have the potential to cause problems for your shih tzu and give them nothing in the way of adequate nutrition.
I believe a daily supplement is needed for optimum health. Not all shih tzu are created equally, just as not all people are the same. A deficiency in one vitamin or mineral may leave your shih tzu vulnerable to disease. A shih tzu’s demand for certain nutrients fluctuate for many reasons. During times of stress, Vitamin B is great support to the body. HealthyPetNet produces a daily dog food and supplement, which I think is well worth using if you feel your shih tzu is not getting optimum nutrition from the food you are feeding now.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
Connie Limon publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts on shih tzu puppies are offered to subscribers. Current available puppies. Sign up at www.stainglassshihtzus.com