Posts Tagged ‘Puppies’
Every owner these days seems to have their own ideas on what constitutes a healthy balanced diet for their dog. How many of them are reliably imformed though? The following questions are designed to critically assess your dogs diet. Please read them, for your dogs sake.
1) How many times a day do you feed your dog?
There is no set rule for adult dogs but the general consensus is that twice a day is a sensible amount. Some owners feed once a day, some three times a day. How much your dog is fed is far more important than how often really, but it is useful to set guidelines nevertheless. The reason many experts suggest twice a day rather than once a day is that once a day feeding encourages the dog to gorge his or her food as he or she is so hungry, having last had a meal a full 24 hours ago. Eating too quickly can cause reflex regurgitation or vomiting. Also it has been theorized that deep chested large breed dogs are more likely to suffer from a twisted stomach (gastric dilatation and volvulus), a life threatening condition, if they are fed one large meal daily rather than two smaller meals.
Clearly more active dogs will burn far more calories than others but these variables are best reflected in portion size rather than frequency. Some dogs with medical conditions may benefit from multiple meals of smaller portions, for example those recovering from gastroenteritis. Puppies must be fed more often than adult dogs as they have a higher metabolic rate, around 4 times a day from weaning to around 5 months old, then drop down to 3 times a day until 7 months old, then down to twice a day thereafter.
2) Is your dogs diet manufactured specifically for dogs or do you give human food or food from the butchers?
There is a misconception around that human food is higher quality than dog food, and therefore better for them. This is by and large nonsense. Reputable dog foods are formulated after extensive trials by pet food companies to provide the mixture of protein, carbohydrate and fat that suits canine physiology best. Dogs on balanced dog food diets do not get nutritional deficiencies but dogs on human food do. Certain human titbits can play havoc with your dogs digestive tract, chocolate being a prime example.
Your dog need ingest nothing other than a complete dog food and water to have a complete and balanced diet. Remember, dogs do not need variety in their diet! They are perfectly happy having the same boring looking meal every day! So keep it simple and safe, feed your dog either a complete dog food (dry or tinned, dry is better for their teeth) or standard dog biscuits and tinned dog meat together. Of course human leftovers every now and again or a bit of tripe or heart from the butcher is fine, but do not make it the day to day diet.
3) Which is the best dog food to choose?
There are so many different brands of dog food on the market, the best one is basically a matter of opinion. Certainly palatability is a factor, there is no point in purchasing a particular food if your dog cannot stand it, although this is occasionally a necessity in dogs with food allergies, for example. Rather than recommending you a specific brand, we suggest that you choose one which adheres to the criteria below.
Dog foods labeled as complete and balanced must meet standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), either by meeting a nutrient profile or by passing a feeding trial. There are now two separate nutrient profiles for dogs – one for growth (puppies) and one for maintenance (adults). Maximum levels of intake of some nutrients have been established for the first time because of the concern that overnutrition, rather than undernutrition, is a bigger problem with many pet foods today. The standards include recommendations on protein, fat, fat soluble vitamins, water soluble vitamins, and mineral content of foods. If you are prepared to get technical, you should choose a food that comes closest to AAFCO recommendations.
In summary, consider the following points.
Choose a food that suits your dogs age, breed and overall health. Most big pet food companies will have different foods for small vs large breeds, and puppies vs adults. Dogs with medical conditions may be recommended special prescription diets.
Choose a food that come closest to AAFCO recommendations.
The ingredients contains the truth about a particular food. Everything else is there only for marketing purposes.
There are no legal and scientific definitions for the terms premium, super premium, quality, or natural.
Use dry matter numbers to evaluate and compare foods.
The source of ingredients (e.g. animal vs vegetable) does not matter, except in the case of food allergies.
Avoid supplementation. All commercial dog foods have more than enough protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Too many minerals can lead to severe skeletal problems in growing dogs.
Feeding your dog a good food incorrectly can lead to significant problems. For example, overfeeding puppies can lead to serious skeletal problems. Neutered dogs require portions 20% smaller than unneutered dogs or they will put on weight.
4) How many times a day do you give your dog treats?
It is hard to resist those puppy dog eyes begging you for a little piece of what you are eating. Indeed treats promote a special bond between you and your dog and it gives such pleasure when they have a delicious morsel to savor. The key word is MODERATION. If you are giving your dog regular treats, you must subtract this amount from the portion given at meal time to maintain a appropriate calorie intake. As a rule of thumb the amount of treats should never exceed 10% of your dogs daily food intake. It is far easier to make your dog obedient if you reserve treats for rewarding good behavior rather than just giving them willy nilly, where they become meaningless.
5) What do your dogs treats consist of?
Quality dog treats are usually far healthier and lower in calories than table scraps. Many dogs are fed scraps habitually from the table while families are eating, particularly by children. This only encourages further begging and feeding with often unsuitable high calorie treats which are forgotten about when it comes to measuring the dogs daily portion(s).
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
Dr Matthew Homfray is one of the veterinary pet experts at www.WhyDoesMyPet.com. Our dedicated community of caring pet experts are waiting to offer you advice, second opinions and support.
Dog food is essential to your dog’s health care. You have several choices on the shelves in pet stores as well as feeding them with natural foods. The choice of what to feed them is going to be determined partly by the health problems they can exhibit in life. You will also want to determine the dog food you feed your dog on the nutritional value of the ingredients. There are four types of dog food you can give your pet. These include dry food, canned food, semi moist, and raw food. Your vet or dog breeder can tell you what they prefer to use and help you find a brand that has the essential ingredients for both puppies and adults.
Dry food is one of the best choices you will have. Some of the dry food may be high in carbohydrates and processed foods, but you will find overall they contain the most nutrients you will need to provide your dog. Dry food only contains 10% of water in the ingredients making it hard to chew for some older dogs. However the nutrients provided in the dry food is best even for older dogs. You can wet the food down just a little to make it easier. You will also find that the many types of dog foods available include all natural from several vendors like Purina. They have a cheaper line that is not as healthy, but cost effective for the consumer and then they have the all natural ingredients. You will be the deciding factor for health in your pet so keep that in mind.
Semi moist food tends to taste better to your dog, but it would take twice the amount of food you supply with dry food to find the proper ingredients. Semi moist food contains about 30% water along with turkey, chicken, other meat, and vegetables in the processing. The semi food, though not as nutrient rich is often easier for older dogs to eat. It provides a soft material they don’t have to chew as much. You will also find the semi moist dog food is a little more expensive, but not outrageous.
Canned food is the worst food you can supply your dog. It is made with 75% water and the rest is natural ingredients. Like semi moist it takes at least a double dose of the food to provide proper nutrition. You may find your dog prefers the taste and texture, but you are holding back essential nutrients and vitamins they need to be healthy. You can always supply one can of food or semi moist food for a special treat, but for over all healthiness in a dog you should head towards dry food or raw foods.
Raw foods need to be handled with special care. They need to be checked just like our food for problems before feeding it to the dog. Keep in mind that raw food is not going to be cooked like we do to kill some of the bacteria. So you can also be harming the dog if not supplied with top quality raw products. You will need to incorporate vegetables and raw meat in the food dish. You can grind the food into a paste for wet food or just serve the meat. If you are choosing the raw meat option you should talk it over with a vet before doing so. They will be able to help you determine what potential dangers exist from raw meat and vegetables regarding diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Some times your vet will even ask that you change to raw foods for their health.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
Gerry Ronson is a writer for the websites Dog Collars. Dog Treats and Dog Accessories.
What your dog’s diet consists of is very important. Your dog’s overall health and well being is fueled by excellent food and resources. Did you know that your dog’s diet should be following a feeding schedule?
Occasionally, some low-quality dog foods will increase the need for extra supplementation. Your vet may recommend that you give your dog’s diet a little boost. Consider supplementing your dog’s diet with a hard boiled egg a couple of days per week. This simple step will add extra amounts of vitamins A and D to your dog’s diet. Such vitamins help to maintain good bone structure and healthy eyes.
If you have decided to personalize your dog’s diet by customizing a raw diet, cooking at home for your pet, or just want to make sure your dog’s diet is at its best, you will want to know about the benefits of other supplements. Your dog’s diet can be supplemented with whole grains, green vegetables, and nuts. These items will increase your dog’s intake of vitamin B. Other ways to supplement your dog’s diet to increase the amount of vitamin B take in beans, yeast, and liver. Your dog needs vitamin B in a healthy, balanced diet to support healthy skin and muscles.
Puppies require more mealtimes throughout the course of the day. Nursing pups should be permitted to nurse on demand. As you alter your puppy dog’s diet from milk to dog food, you will need to offer food four or five times per day. Once the puppy has become weaned and used to the new diet, you may reduce the feeding times to three occasions during the day.
Do not be surprised if your dog starts getting antsy at 5:45 in the morning in anticipation of breakfast. Your dog’s diet is important to him and he is anxiously awaiting its arrival.
Establishing a feeding schedule helps to keep your dog’s diet on track. It is easy to get in the habit of feeding your dog regularly. Plus, scheduled feeding times will help to predict your dog’s elimination schedule. When you are potty training a puppy or housebreaking an adult, it can be helpful to have an idea of when your dog needs to go out. Maintaining a healthy diet and feeding schedule will make your job much easier. This is also very useful when traveling with your pet. If you know to expect your dog’s elimination schedule, you will be able to plan appropriate potty stops. In addition, you will know if your dog is feeling stress by changes to his schedule. Try to maintain normalcy and routine as much as possible.
What your dog’s diet consists of is very important. Your dog’s overall health and well being is fueled by excellent food and resources. Did you know that your dog’s diet should be following a feeding schedule?
Occasionally, some low-quality dog foods will increase the need for extra supplementation. Your vet may recommend that you give your dog’s diet a little boost. Consider supplementing your dog’s diet with a hard boiled egg a couple of days per week. This simple step will add extra amounts of vitamins A and D to your dog’s diet. Such vitamins help to maintain good bone structure and healthy eyes.
If you have decided to personalize your dog’s diet by customizing a raw diet, cooking at home for your pet, or just want to make sure your dog’s diet is at its best, you will want to know about the benefits of other supplements. Your dog’s diet can be supplemented with whole grains, green vegetables, and nuts. These items will increase your dog’s intake of vitamin B. Other ways to supplement your dog’s diet to increase the amount of vitamin B take in beans, yeast, and liver. Your dog needs vitamin B in a healthy, balanced diet to support healthy skin and muscles.
Puppies require more mealtimes throughout the course of the day. Nursing pups should be permitted to nurse on demand. As you alter your puppy dog’s diet from milk to dog food, you will need to offer food four or five times per day. Once the puppy has become weaned and used to the new diet, you may reduce the feeding times to three occasions during the day.
Do not be surprised if your dog starts getting antsy at 5:45 in the morning in anticipation of breakfast. Your dog’s diet is important to him and he is anxiously awaiting its arrival.
Establishing a feeding schedule helps to keep your dog’s diet on track. It is easy to get in the habit of feeding your dog regularly. Plus, scheduled feeding times will help to predict your dog’s elimination schedule. When you are potty training a puppy or housebreaking an adult, it can be helpful to have an idea of when your dog needs to go out. Maintaining a healthy diet and feeding schedule will make your job much easier. This is also very useful when traveling with your pet. If you know to expect your dog’s elimination schedule, you will be able to plan appropriate potty stops. In addition, you will know if your dog is feeling stress by changes to his schedule. Try to maintain normalcy and routine as much as possible.
Article Source: http://www.articlewarehouse.com
Learn Dog Training Hand Signals Make it fun! Dog Training Hand Signals
The most natural choice dog food currently is commercial dog food. That’s as far as a dog ‘owner’ is concerned. If it was up to your dog, that wouldn’t be the case. How would your dog choose?
I believe dogs are inherently intelligent and know, on a deep level, what is good and healthy for them. This natural ability is often upset, just as in humans, by the daily consumption of junk food, year in, year out. Your dog can become addicted.
But if your dog had the freedom to a natural choice dog food from a puppy, what would you see?
I had just that experience, when a dog came into my home, for the first time since becoming an adult.
I was by then, feeding my cats raw meat and bones, having made the conversion a couple of years before.
I hadn’t expected to get a dog, she catapulted into my life, so I was unprepared. I didn’t know what to feed her. Here was this abandoned, energetic puppy, about eight weeks old, who had made it very clear to me that I was the chosen one. She intended to live with me, so I’d better just get used to the idea.
Still racking my brains for a clue as to her diet, I decided to purchase a couple of tins, while I tried to work it out. After all, they were supposed to be ‘balanced’, ‘nutritionally complete’, ‘recommended by top vets’ weren’t they?
My dog knew better.
Even though I was feeding her separately from the cats, she knew what I was feeding them.
And she didn’t like what I was offering her.
Abandoned dogs have often suffered a lack in regular or sufficient food. Even so, she left her food and raced to where the cats were, whining and leaping about as only puppies can, desperately trying to tell me that THIS was her natural choice dog food.
I ended up throwing away a tin and a half of dog food. I capitulated and fed her the same as the cats, just more of it, until I could be sure of the correct amount and type.
She remained fit, energetic and healthy up to about eleven years of age, with absolutely no veterinary intervention of any sort except sterilisation at about six months. She kept her figure, was always interested in everything going on, had a lovely glossy coat.
Her natural choice dog food was raw meat and bones. She chose it. She never had any other type of dog food.
It was me who was the barrier to try initially. I had to sort out my prejudices, my beliefs, my ingrained ideas of healthy dog food that I had gained over the years, from childhood, through advertisements. That was my biggest hurdle to allowing my dog her right for her natural choice dog food.
The most natural choice dog food currently is commercial dog food. That’s as far as a dog ‘owner’ is concerned. If it was up to your dog, that wouldn’t be the case. How would your dog choose?
I believe dogs are inherently intelligent and know, on a deep level, what is good and healthy for them. This natural ability is often upset, just as in humans, by the daily consumption of junk food, year in, year out. Your dog can become addicted.
But if your dog had the freedom to a natural choice dog food from a puppy, what would you see?
I had just that experience, when a dog came into my home, for the first time since becoming an adult.
I was by then, feeding my cats raw meat and bones, having made the conversion a couple of years before.
I hadn’t expected to get a dog, she catapulted into my life, so I was unprepared. I didn’t know what to feed her. Here was this abandoned, energetic puppy, about eight weeks old, who had made it very clear to me that I was the chosen one. She intended to live with me, so I’d better just get used to the idea.
Still racking my brains for a clue as to her diet, I decided to purchase a couple of tins, while I tried to work it out. After all, they were supposed to be ‘balanced’, ‘nutritionally complete’, ‘recommended by top vets’ weren’t they?
My dog knew better.
Even though I was feeding her separately from the cats, she knew what I was feeding them.
And she didn’t like what I was offering her.
Abandoned dogs have often suffered a lack in regular or sufficient food. Even so, she left her food and raced to where the cats were, whining and leaping about as only puppies can, desperately trying to tell me that THIS was her natural choice dog food.
I ended up throwing away a tin and a half of dog food. I capitulated and fed her the same as the cats, just more of it, until I could be sure of the correct amount and type.
She remained fit, energetic and healthy up to about eleven years of age, with absolutely no veterinary intervention of any sort except sterilisation at about six months. She kept her figure, was always interested in everything going on, had a lovely glossy coat.
Her natural choice dog food was raw meat and bones. She chose it. She never had any other type of dog food.
It was me who was the barrier to try initially. I had to sort out my prejudices, my beliefs, my ingrained ideas of healthy dog food that I had gained over the years, from childhood, through advertisements. That was my biggest hurdle to allowing my dog her right for her natural choice dog food.
Article Source: http://www.articlewarehouse.com
Madeleine Innocent is a practicing homeopath, a specialised modality of natural health care. She treats both people and animals in her busy West Australian practice. Madeleine loves to spread the good work of homeopathy and other areas of natural health care and writes extensively on the subject. For a complimentary ebook on how to have a healthy dog, starting today, visit naturallyhealthydogs.com or www.bestdoghealth.blogspot.com
The right dog bowls for your dogs are important. If your dog has a hard time while at the eating zone in your home, many problems may arise. Spilling, over eating or even skidding th bowl across your floor may occur.
You’ll want to prevent this by looking at a bowl’s dimensions and figuring out which size bowl is right for your dog. For a large dog, you’ll want a bowl around 10-12 inches in diameter. A small dog needs a bowl between 4-6 inches in diameter and a mid sized dog should fall in the middle of the other two.
Many times if the dog is too large for any given bowl they begin the scoot the dish across the kitchen floor which can lead to skidding. A solution to this problem is first, by a larger bowl for your dog. This allows your pet more access to the food in the container and he or she isn’t having to force their snout to the bottom of the bowl to eat. Secondly consider buying a non skid dog bowl. These heavy bowls help prevent the dog from moving the dish and often times contain small pads on the bottom of the dog bowl to further increase its staying power.
Another significant issue that can occur when feeding your dog, is the bowl tipping. Bowl tipping can be a very irritating problem. Basically, while your dog begins eating the end up tipping the bowl over. A very nice solution to this problem is to buy a non-tip dog bowl, which as you may have guessed will prevent your dog from tipping the bowl over. This will solve two problems, you’ll be happier and your pet won’t be running all over trying to pick up the pieces of food it just tipped over.
Another problem when dog bowl selecting is buying bowls if you have multiple puppies. This can get expensive so an easy solution is to buy a flying saucer style of the bowl. The flying saucer bowls usually come in stainless steel and can be accessed from all sides. In the middle of the bowl is a raised nose which makes this dog bowl look similar to a bunt cake pan. This type of dog bowl allows your puppies access to the food from every side, making this the perfect bowl for multiple pets. You may also consider using a double diner dog bowl when you have more than one small dog or puppy. Double diners sit into a small platform and are two bowls in either side of each other. The double diner allows your dogs to eat side by side at dinner time, which is great for tiny dogs.
If you are going away on vacation for a few days or prefer to fill up your dog bowl and not have to deal with refilling it every other day then this next dog bowl may be perfect for you. Twenty-four hour dog feeders are ideal for owners who have trouble feeding their dog every single day or just prefer not to. You fill the dispenser with dog food and food is automatically refilled into the dog’s dish. This also helps dogs who eat fast to keep from eating so quickly. As the food flows slowly into the bowl. Decorative designer dog bowls also exist for anyone who prefers their house and dog dish have style together. Often times designer dog bowls are made of stoneware or ceramics. However, these types of dog bowls can be purchased in many different shapes, styles and sizes.
In the future if you are shopping for a dog bowl keep these tips in mind. Finding the perfect bowl for your dog will also benefit you and the needs of your household. Most dog bowls are inexpensive and replaceable quickly.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
Mike Brown More about dogs bowls. Order Dog Bowls Online Buy Stainless Steel Dog Bowls
How you should be feeding your puppy is perhaps one of the first concerns of the new puppy owner. After all, you want the little guy to grow up big and strong, or at least as big as he will grow. So just how will this puppy feeding be carried out?
First off, realize that your puppy is not just a miniature version of an adult dog. He has his own nutritional requirements that go into puppy feeding. Pound for pound a puppy needs about twice the nutrition of the adult dog. What the requirements are for feeding an adult dog varies with breed, size, activity level, etc.
And although you may have thought dogs were carnivores, understand that they are really omnivores just like us. This means they can and will eat more than just meat. In fact to have a balanced diet, they require more than just meat. So, first off, don’t begin your puppy feeding with just meat. (Have I repeated that enough?)
Dogs, like humans to some extent, require protein, fat, minerals and vitamins. Studies have shown that dogs seem to have no need for carbohydrates although many prepared dog foods and puppy foods may be up to 50% or more carbohydrates. This is why it is very important to read puppy food and dog food labels.
When feeding puppy, realize he usually requires about 28 – 30% protein in his diet. Protein can, and should, come from more sources than just meat. Include milk, eggs and cheese along with meat when feeding your puppy.
When considering feeding fat to your dog, the amount you feed varies by the requirements of the dog. An inactive dog may only need 5% fat. A very active working dog may need up to 20% fat. Going with puppies needing generally twice what adults need, you can see you need quite a bit of fat when feeding your puppy but it does vary. Best thing to do when adding fat to your puppy food is to keep an eye on your puppy. Don’t let him start getting fat.
Just like with humans, too many carbohydrates can be bad for your puppy. Usually carbs are used to bulk up a prepared dog food with 50% or more of the food coming from inexpensive carbohydrate, and especially starchy, sources. This is not necessary for dogs and studies have found that dogs do not need carbs as an essential part of their diets.
Reading puppy and dog food labels you may find carbohydrate sources such as grains, potatoes, rice, milk and even sugar in some form. As these usually have been cooked, a dog can digest them somewhat. Give a dog a raw potato or whole grains and you will find a dog that will not be able to handle these. In other words, you will have a dog with an upset digestive system. Some uncooked starches cause diarrhea and some, such as whole grains, pass right through untouched by his digestive system. Not a good thing when puppy feeding.
So read your dog food labels and make sure the puppy food or dog food you buy has these elements within it. Don’t buy anything with too much carbohydates in it as dogs just don’t need it. But do buy puppy food and dog food with protein sources, fat and vitamins and minerals. Some green vegetables in the mix won’t hurt at all.
copyright 2005. Sandra Dinkins-Wilson
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Visit our Puppy Training website at ezpuppytraining.com/ for a free course on “Welcoming Your New Puppy Home and Puppy Training”. Find more puppy training and care tips at our website ezpuppytraining.com.
There is much to recommend feeding your dog homemade dog food if you have the time to prepare it, and make sure you have recipes that give the correct ratio of nutrients, as well as the vitamins and supplements you’ll need to add. These can be mixed up in a bag, stored, and sprinkled in every meal.
Dogs should have a minimum of 18% protein for maintenance when they are adults, and 22% for reproduction and growth. Fat should be a minimum of 5% for adult dogs, and 8% for reproduction and growth. But the more fat that is in the diet, the more protein there should be. Fat makes dogs, as well as people, eat less by making them feel fuller. If they eat less, and there are less of other essential nutrients like protein and vitamins and minerals, the dog will not get the nourishment it needs.
Generally, commercial pet food is made according to the appropriate guidelines, but care should be taken if significant amounts of other food is added to the diet, and it is high in fat.
But whether you’re feeding your dog commercial dog food, or home made dog food, there are a few things to keep in mind so you don’t end up with a fussy dog:
* dogs should be fed once a day once they are no longer puppies, or two small meals, no more. Feeding your dog too frequently when he is older can turn him appear like a fussy eater, when he is actually full.
* feeding your dog too regularly can get him into the routine of expecting to eat at those times, too, and may lead to weight gain. Letting him get hungry, and feeding sensibly, will not harm him. In the wild, dogs would eat for once a day until they were completely full.
* Don’t stand and stare at your dog waiting for him to eat. He will likely think something is wrong, or something else is coming, and won’t eat.
* Don’t give into your dog and give him something else straight away if he refuses his meal, as he’s effectively training you and not the other way around!
* There’s nothing wrong with feeding your dog a varied diet, but don’t keep changing the food because he seems fussy and won’t eat it. Make sure nothing is wrong with him physically first, then if he is healthy, take charge of the situation. Put his food down, leave him to it, and then 30 minutes later go and check to see whether it’s been eaten. If it hasn’t, take it away, then at the end of the day put down some fresh food. Repeat the process, and take it away 30 minutes later if it still isn’t eaten. This way you’ll train your dog to eat his food, and not reinforce his behaviour.
Brian Kilcommons has a very interesting method for teaching dogs to eat their food. When the above fails, he prepared the dog food in front of the dog, making lots of ‘yummy’ noises whilst he did it. He made it slowly, and when the dog still wasn’t interested, he put it down in front of his face, then took it straight away and threw it out. He did this first at breakfast, then at dinner. At dinner, the dog in question was more interested, but he still threw it out after putting it in front of him. The next morning, the dog was jumping up and down whilst the food was being prepared. He put it down, pulled it away, then looked at him for about a minute, then left it for him to eat. That dog now eats anything put down for him.
* If your dog suddenly goes off his food, it could be because he has dental problems, or a stomach problem. Get him checked out by the vet.
* Some dogs do actually prefer a certain type of food, just as people do. Try your dog with a variety of foods, and if he only eats one type, and will starve himself if he doesn’t get it, the best solution can simply be to feed him that type of food.
* Don’t feed your dog a high fat diet, or junk food, including chocolate. It’s not good for them.
References: Brian Kilcommons, Good Owners, Great Dogs
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For more information on feeding your dog a natural dog food diet, see this article. For information on commercial v’s non commercial dog food that might shock you, see this article.