Posts Tagged ‘Proper Nutrition’
With so much in the news about contaminated commercial dog food, I have started making home made dog food for my two beloved girls, Lady and Lola. Of course the number one natural ingredient in healthy safe dog food is meat.
Did you know dogs need and enjoy the fresh addition of vegetables to their daily diet? My dogs love mashed carrots in there freshly cooked meat as it is naturally sweet.
Rice or pasta mixed in with the meat and vegetables every day is not just used as filler and in proper proportion makes a healthy nutritious diet. Proper nutrition is a healthy mix of meat, vegetables and grain every day, made with fresh healthy food that your or I would eat. There are many resorses available on the internet for more information and healthy dog food recipes.
We have been told that feeding dogs our food is bad for them for so long that it has become an unsubstantiated part of our beliefs. We have actually come to believe and trust that commercial dog food with additives, toxins and all sorts of preservatives is better than home made healthy dog food. There is startling and upsetting information in the news on what we have been really feeding our beloved pets.
Before you start making healthy, home made dog food you must be aware that there are certain human foods that are toxic and can make your dog sick or worse, Most people know about chocolate being bad, but did you know that onions and raisins or grapes can harm you pet.
Always check with your vet before starting your pet on a completely new diet. Slowly introduce new food to your pet, and always make sure your know how much they require according to their size. You can ask your vet for the proper feeding schedule.
By making home made treats you can control the calories and reduces obesity in your pet, and he/she will not even know they are on a diet because the treats are so delicious. Your dog will live longer. Your pet will become healthier and this will show in the gleaming coat and fresher breath. Because you are not adding sugar, salt and fat to your home cooked recipes, you can help an overweight pet lose weight.
A chemical free diet can be nothing but an improvement over what we now know is being put in a lot of the commercial dog food. I know I have seen major changes in my two special girls and you will also with a healthy diet fed regularly to your pet.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
Check out my main site at : www.recipes4gourmetdogs.com to see what my pets favorite recipes are. I also have special treat recipes that are healthy, nutritious, and easy to make.
It is not enough for dogs to have a full stomach after every meal. Besides a non-sedentary lifestyle, pets need proper nutrition in order to be healthy, happy and their coats soft and glossy. The cost of dog food and its brand is only important if dogs can read or pay for his meal. The easiest and best way to find out which food is best for man’s best friend is to observe how their response is to the chow they take in.
The following are tips that one should remember in feeding dog any kibbles, nibbles or whatever kinds of treats.
• Chocolate is lethal to dogs.
Specifically, the dark chocolate kind. The major components methylxanthine alkaloids and theobromine in regular chocolate is digested & excreted by humans in as little as 3 hours but the same compounds when ingested by dogs stays inside them for 18 hours. This has been proven to be fatal. Symptoms of chocolate dog poisoning include vomiting, excessive urination, hyperactivity, diarrhea, followed by seizure, coma, and death.
• Read the label.
Dogs should have a diet rich in meat protein. When purchasing canned foods, look for chicken, turkey meat, pork or other animal by products as these keep the dog’s coat smooth and healthy. Dogs prefer foods which contain high vegetable protein levels because these are easily digestible and are a great source of energy.
• Don’t give a dog a bone!
Contrary to the popular nursery song, feeding bones to dogs is not a good idea. Small soft bones gnawed and eaten by dogs feel like splinters inside their throat causing them to choke. Remember, dogs have short digestive tracts. They also have no saliva amylase, an enzyme that is used to pre-digest starch.
• Dog food supplements are unnecessary…
…only if one is sure that their dog receives a regular intake of complete and balanced food nutrients. Good sources of carbohydrates include rice, corn, oatmeal, wheat. However, a highly specialized nutrition is only necessary if dogs do not get enough physical activity or are currently undergoing a stressful routine change.
• Raw fish and eggs are a no-no.
Consistent consumption of raw eggs make a dog’s skin breakout. In canine terms – since eggs diminish the biotin available in their body – dermatitis and hair loss are its usual effects. Raw fish meanwhile results in thiamine-deficiency in a dog. Its effects usually are loss of appetite, abnormal posture, weakness and in some cases death.
Feed your dog a healthy diet and he will return the favor with a beautiful coat and many years of companionship!
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
For tips on beagle training and beagles puppies, visit the About Beagles website.
So you’ve found this article and you want it to give you some guidance as to the effectiveness and healthfulness of giving supplements for pitbulls. It is, if nothing else, very interesting debates because there are people that are on both sides of the fence for, as well as against the supplements for pitbulls.
There are many myths and fables that surround this controversial issue however with this article, we will try to put some of that to rest. There is an overall theme by pro supplemental users as well as those who oppose it and the general theme is in your goal in giving supplements to pitbulls, just be responsible.
The Myth Surrounding Supplements for Pitbulls
Many people who are ignorant in the way of pitbulls and believe they should be banned do not quite understand or embrace this rare animal. It is a dog and there is no proof of this dog attacking more young children or adults than any other breed of dog. This is one myth that should be put to rest or intensely studied to discover the truths surrounding it.
However, the supplements for pitbulls are often cause for alarm because they have been picked up and used against owners in the mistreatment of pitbulls. This is because there are many owners who will give the pitbull the equivalent of steroids to pump him up as many people use the pitbulls in weight pulling and want the dog beefed up and extremely strong.
Steroids in pitbulls have the same terrible effect that they have on humans and cause many anger as well as behavioral problems. Dogs, like humans are not trustworthy when they are on this type of powerful body and mind-altering drug however, when supplements for pitbulls are used properly and there is no mixture of steroids, the supplement usually consists of vitamins and creatine. The cheap dog foods don’t provide, much like our human food, the proper nutrition for a dog and therefore supplements for pitbulls can provide what the standard diet doesn’t.
Supplements for Pitbulls: Yes?
Supplements for pitbulls have shown dramatic increase in the joints and bones of these dogs as well as mentioned above, adding needed nutritional value to the meals that are generally missing from the regular dog food diet such as kibbles.
There is a huge problem with today’s food for humans and dogs in that the manufacturers are adding more chemicals and preservatives and in the way there are many nutritional factors that are lost and rendered useless in the foods containing so many additives. Supplements for pitbulls should be used especially if you are feeding grocery store brand dog foods.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
If you want to learn more about American Pitbulls please visit our site which is free to the public. You’ll find the best tips on everything to do with Pitbulls
All dog lovers want the best for their companion, and starting with proper nutrition you will give your pet the basis for a long healthy life. There is no one best dog food on the market today, but many extremely ultra premium or high quality organic dog foods that are excellent choices. Also beware that there are more really bad, low quality, low nutrition, and chemical filled commercial dog foods. The cheaper brands are generally available in the grocery store. The better organic dog foods are usually ordered directly through the company, or offered at high end pet stores.
Increasing your dog’s life span is easily achieved by feeding a properly balanced healthy organic dog food or high premium diet from puppy hood. An all natural healthy diet is as beneficial for your dog as it is for yourself. Improper or poor nutrition can cause diseases, allergies, obesity, and shortened life spans in your dogs.
There are many commercial grade dog food products available at the grocery store, and care must be taken when choosing one. Becoming more diligent in all facets of our lives is quickly becoming the norm, and we should include our pets in our education and improvement of lifestyle.
Here are a few general guidelines to follow when looking at the ingredients on a dog food bag:
Choose a food with high meat content. The first ingredient must be a specified meat. Another one or two meats or meat meal listed in the top 5 ingredients is a bonus, but not necessary. (Meat meal is meat with the moisture removed.)
If the same grain ingredient is used two or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. “ground brown rice”, brewer’s rice”, “rice flour”, are all the same grain), this is not a well balanced, nutritious product. It is loaded with “filler” and made to look like it is healthy by separating the one ingredient into sub categories, but rice is rice so it should be listed once.
Using high quality grains has become the standard for the premium quality dog food manufacturers, such as barley, brown rice and oatmeal. If the grains are organic, then all the better. Wheat and corn are inferior and useless as a nutritional element in dog food, and used as filler only. Dogs are known to be highly allergic to wheat and corn.
If there are any by-products at all on the ingredient list, pass this dog food by.
There should not be any fillers.
Carcinogenic preservatives do not need to be used, and if they are don’t buy the product. (They will be listed as BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin.)
Artificial colorings are also cancer causing, and completely unnecessary. You’ll be surprised to see how many products still contain this dangerous ingredient. The dyes will be marked as such – e.g. Red, Blue and Yellow dyes.
No added sugars or corn syrup should be in the ingredient list.
The more organic ingredients listed, the better.
Added glucosamine, chondroitin, pro and prebiotics, flax seed oil, barley, oats or oatmeal, and sunflower oil, are a good thing.
Slowly baked, not extruded, retains the minerals, vitamins and essential goodness of the food.
Hormone free, antibiotic free, pesticide and herbicide free, chemical and preservative free would indicate a high quality premium organic dog food.
And finally, no mystery meats should be in the list. Mystery meat will be listed as simply meat or poultry, rather than chicken or venison. The mystery meat will probably be some horrible rotten road kill, old euthanized animals, and parts of animals that are not edible.
Although the higher quality food might seem more expensive initially, it will work itself out and become cheaper in the long run. The savings in vet bills alone over the life of your pet will pay for the food.
I use a lazy homemade dog food tactic of using a high end organic dog food, and add just a few ounces of poached chicken, or broiled venison every day. The best of both worlds is then achieved for my dogs.
Always be aware, educate yourself and know that the big business of dog food manufacturing is in it for the profit, not the health and welfare of our pets. That is up to us. Just do the absolute best you can for your pet and it will be returned with more doggie love, which is never a bad thing.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
This dog food rating scale will help you determine if your dog food is nutrtionally acceptable, or possibly dangerous to your pet. Try it here, it is enlightening!
Many dog owners treat their pets as though they are their own children. They play with them, let them live inside and sit on the furniture, and even sometimes sleep in their beds. There is no denying the love most dog owners have for their pets, but sometimes they unwittingly cause health problems by feeding their canine pals table scraps rather than dog food.
While the occasion table scraps as treats probably won’t hurt one’s furry friends, what a pet dog really needs for proper nutrition is dog food. It’s true that the ancestors of today’s dogs hunted and ate meat. And feeding a dog the occasional meat hunk or carcass probably won’t hurt. But today’s dogs are thoroughly domesticated and are different creatures. Constant table food can cause obesity and even a form of diabetes in dogs.
Dog food is designed with the necessary proteins and other vitamins and minerals dogs need to be healthy. Just like humans, dogs can experience clogged arteries and heart attacks. It’s important to include dog food in the diet in order to keep man’s best friend in prime health.
There are many types of dog food. There are many scientifically designed varieties meant to address different aspects of canine health. Some dog food targets the coat, some target joints. There is a type of dog food for nearly any dog. There are even breed-specific foods, as well as foods designed for the different ages of dogs.
Proper care of one’s dog can result in years of pleasant companionship and beautiful memories. The therapeutic effects owning a pet are well documented. Pets can help teach children responsibility. However, not taking care of this fellow creature can result in heartbreak and regret. Dogs need regular exercise, lots of love, and minimal access to table scraps. What the healthy dog really needs to eat is dog food.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at www.dog-food-central.info