Doggy Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘natural dog food’

Poodles are members of our house, and they need special care in the affairs of food. There are many advantages of feeding organic foods to dogs. All natural dog food is very heavy in vitamin E and C, which is very significant for their body. Vitamin E retains their coat beaming and vitamin C is beneficial for their bones. All of these vitamins have the same affect as in the human body. The vitamin beta-caroten is helpful in eliminating free radical toxins from the body.

Animals normally each meat which can cause the body to gain toxic material in the body.  If this material is not removed, there is a chance of them getting infected with heart and lung disease. It is beneficial to give supplements of all natural organic food daily to keep their metabolic system free from disease.

Natural dog foods are a great source of fiber. Some of the natural food contains manganese, phosphorous, calcium and potassium.  All of these vitamins and minerals are necessary in their diet. There are many vegetables rich in antioxidants such as, dark green and bright orange.
There are many name brand foods available for your dog.

All dog owners want their dog to have bright eyes, a shiny coat, clean teeth and nice breath. To get this the pet should have a good supply of quality all natural food.  This complete diet will allow all of this for your pet.

Common veterinary disease can be prevented by providing nutrition rich food to your pet. It is suggested to give holistic food to your pet because home made food will keep artificial ingredients away.

Foods conatining high amounts of food supplements and oil should be avoided. This type of food leads to digestive problems.

Natural dog food has an advantage of being recommended by many doctors for  your pet. Natural dog food can also make your dog more active and playful.

So feed your dogs with all natural dog food to keep them healthier.

Is there really a difference in quality between “wet” (canned) and dry dog foods? Of course you know that wet food usually costs more than an equivalent amount of dry food, but are you really paying for better ingredients when you purchase wet food for your pet? Or is wet food simply a marketing gimmick?

As an owner, you obviously want to find the dog food you need to best look after your dog.

There are owners who believe, sometimes wrongfully so, that the wet foods are better in quality due to their expensive price tag. Seeing wet foods as “gourmet” does not mean that it is better in a dietary sense. So what are the advantages of one over the other?
Dry food works best for people who leave their food down all the time (free choice) because it won’t dry out when left sitting for long periods. It’s also less expensive per meal than canned, too. But, hey, some pets can be really picky eaters. Some will only eat certain flavors or brands of food. Others will eat only dry food, and still others will eat only wet food. By the way, unless your dog is a self-regulator (meaning he only eats to feel full and then quits), free choice isn’t a great idea as it often leads to obesity.

Most dry dog foods are corn, soybean or rice based. Some of the better brands, however, have meat or fish meal as the first listed ingredient(s). Although higher priced, nutritionally speaking, they are worth checking out.

Dry dog foods have greater caloric density – meaning there is less water in a cup of food as compared to a purely canned food diet. This isn’t really an issue for smaller dogs, but your larger dog will have a problem eating enough volume of canned food to fulfill their caloric needs because there is also a lot of water in the food. Generally speaking, larger dogs, meaning those that weigh over 30 pounds (13.60 kg), should be fed a dry or semi-moist food.

Usually the only difference between the dry and canned versions of food is generally the water content. Another advantage of canned food is that it is very digestible and most do not contain preservatives. Dry food is very good for the teeth, but does not get rid of tartar. For that, you brush their teeth and offer your dog acceptable things to chew on.

It may become necessary to switch from canned dog food to dry dog food. Whether finances, medical conditions, or other factors are the reason, it is important to do the switch in a smart and responsible manner.

Canned food is drastically different from dry food in many ways aside from the texture. Often times, pets will resist the change and respond by acting out or just not eating the new food. This is why it is so important to change their food in a manner that is not stressful. Most owners will slowly add dry food to the bowl and bit by bit reduce the amount of wet food present until the dog is eating only the dry food. This is usually the best method as it slowly introduces your pet to the new food. The same can be done when switching from dry food to wet food.

If your dog is eating around the newly introduced food then you may need to switch brands. And if all else fails, a hungry dog will eat; just make sure that your dog is healthy enough for such a drastic measure. It is best to consult with your veterinarian before attempting to switch food.

Keep a close eye on your dog during any transitions in foods. Improperly switching foods can lead to several side effects like the ones discussed above. A change in bowel movements and temperaments may also be a sign that the switch in foods is not agreeing with your dog. If this should happen, consult with your veterinarian.

Your choice of wet of dry food should be based not on those mouthwatering pictures on the cans or pouches of wet food, which make it look as if the ingredients could be popped into the microwave, heated and served with a salad and corn bread for a satisfying family meal. You should choose food which will give your dog an adequate amount of calories in a single serving, while providing all the nutrients he or she needs to remain happy and healthy!

That’s it for this newsletter folks. Hope this was helpful to you.

The massive pet food recall of 2007 had millions of dog owners terrified that they had unwittingly been poisoning their beloved pets. If you and your dog survived that frightening time, you have undoubtedly been more careful in your choice of dog food reviews ever since.

But how is the average dog owner to know what’s really going into your pets dish? One way to know for sure is to make your pet’s food at home, but that can be very time-consuming. The other option is to know which commercial foods are both safe and nutritious.

The question of what to feed your dog is a sensitive one as there are many different camps advocating many different ideas, facts, and theories. For many owners, the question is answered by finances.

To put is simply, if the owner can afford the dog food then that type and brand is going to go into the food bowl. While this approach may seem sensible, especially when the monthly budget is taken into consideration, it may not be best. Why feed the dog sub-par ingredients and face vet bills later on that may have been avoided in the first place by choosing the right food?

The dog foods found on most grocery store shelves, the generic or store brand ones, are not usually considered among the best foods for your pet. More often than not, these brands are full of ingredients that are lower in quality and inexpensive. While these brands provide a cheaper alternative to the other brands, they are generally not recommended. A quick glance at the ingredients can provide an example of lower quality food.

Generic meat ingredients without a specific species named is not a good thing to feed a dog. Avoid phrases such as “meat byproducts” or “meat and bone meal”. Look for brands that list the animal that they use as an ingredient, for example “chicken meal” or “beef”.

Also, avoid any brands that have corn listed as their main ingredient. You are feeding a dog, after all, not a pig or a cow.

But, you say, Fido is delighted with the store brand food, which retails for half of what the brand names do? That’s because Fido’s been tricked. Chemicals have been added to that food, creating a pleasing color and aroma which Fido finds irresistible. These chemicals are easy enough to find if you know what to look for. Coloring agents, drying agents, and texturizers are just some of the tell-tale ingredients that should cause you to sit up and take notice.

There are, of course, premium commercial dog foods which provide the highest grade ingredients free of harmful additives, and in another newsletter we’ll explore how to find them. But they will cost a premium price, and if you are a hands-on dog owner, you might be more interested in preparing your pet’s food yourself.

This option of making pet food at home has become more and more popular over the past few years as it allows owners to choose directly what is going into their dog’s bowl. Feeding your dog homemade food, however, does not mean allowing him or her to dine on the family’s leftovers.

It means researching the proper balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats for your dog, and finding the food which will provide them in an easily digestible form. One of the best known homemade diets for the canine set is the BARF diet.

And now–what does BARF stand for? Seems you can say it stands for a couple of things, but the most often cited explanation is Bones And Raw Food. The other one floating around on the Internet is Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which is attributed to Dr. Ian Billinghurst, one of the original Barfers.

The BARF Diet is suitable for many dogs but it takes time and dedication on the owner’s part. While there are noticeable differences between the BARF diet and a diet based on commercial dog foods, the purpose of both diets is to provide the dog with the best nutrients possible.

BARF is about feeding a biologically appropriate diet for a dog that is made up of raw whole foods like those eaten by their ancestors. This would include muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat and vegetable materials and any other foods that mimic what the wild ancestors ate.

The BARF diet, however, is not neccesarily the best method of feeding your dog and it takes a great amount of time to prepare and research the foods.

On the other hand, commercial brand dog foods have undergone several tests to insure that they are compatible with the dietary needs of the dog. Basically, a dog will receive just about the same benefits of the BARF diet if he remains on a commercial diet and may even receive more nutrients that way.

The important thing you, as a dog owner, should know is that commercial dog food is not all the same. You can learn much more about what is in each can, pouch, or bag of dog food by becoming profficient label reading, and the AAFCO standards. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what’s right for your pet.