Dogs Need Good Food

A dogs' nutritional needs differs from humans. What we believe as healthy for us often is not sufficient or appropriate for dogs. To ensure your dog receives the best nutrition you need to understand a dog's specific needs and how to address these needs. Taking care of man's best friend does take a little preparation and know-how.

There are essential nutrients needed to grow, go and glow. If your dog does not receive correct nutrients it will possibly result in poor health, stunted growth in puppies, lethargy and a shortened life span.

The one thing about dogs they are your very best friend. Every time you walk through the door your dog is so happy to see you that he wags his tail and virtually smiles at you. How can you show you're pet how much they mean to you? Well, one way is to think about that smile for your pet. Did you know that your dog's diet can influence their oral health and teeth?

Humans need to brush and floss their teeth regularly to keep their teeth, tongue, and gums in good condition. Research has recently shown a link between good oral health in humans and a lower risk of heart disease. If good oral health can have such a profound affect on people, then it only makes sense to consider the impact it can have on man's best friend.

Dogs react to allergies differently than humans. Dog allergy symptoms are itchy skin and other skin related problems. Mast cells are where the allergy reactions occur. In humans they are concentrated in the respiratory tract, but in dogs (and cats) the majority are located in the skin areas. So itchy, red, and inflamed areas can develop on your dog.

The same type of irritants that affect humans can affect dogs. Airborne or inhalant particles like household dust, plant pollen, and molds can cause the same discomfort. Usually the skin problems develop in the front areas around the face, head, and front legs.

Dogs are also susceptible to food allergies. Some food items that are often used in commercial dog foods like dyes, by products, and artificial chemical additives can cause allergy symptoms too. These food irritants are worse since they are ingested.

A trip to the vet’s clinic is always an adventure for both you and your pet. Just imagine all the sights, sounds, and smells that greet your pet the moment you step into the vet’s waiting room. And just wait until the 10 other pets in the room get excited or in some cases agitated.

Without proper training and control, the vet’s waiting room might fall into utter chaos as the pets compete for space and attention. Good thing you can always make the visit less stressful, for you, the vet, and for your pet.

           Inbreeding can be defined as the mating of two relatives, such as a mother and son or father and daughter from the same litter. We know that acquiring that perfect trait in a breed is hard. Breeders may mate the same relatives together because they see a specific trait in an adult dog and they try to carry that exact same trait onto the newborn puppies. Another reason owners mate relatives is to save money because the process is less expensive. If a male and female of a certain breed had a litter and the owner wanted to continue the reproduction cycle and sale more dogs, the owner would inbreed to turn a profit,  rather than having to buy more dogs. Inbreeding for this purpose is highly illegal in many countries. This is a well-known practice that many dog owners are mastering these days. The problem is that it can be life threatening to the litter itself.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to investigate potential Salmonella contamination of peanut butter and paste made at the Blakely, Georgia facility of Peanut Corporation of American (PCA), and is informing pet owners that the recall also includes some pet food products.

Many companies that received peanut butter or peanut paste from PCA have in turn issued recalls. A searchable list of all products being recalled can be found at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm
which includes a separate category of pet food product recalls .  As the investigation continues and new information becomes available, FDA will update its list of recalled products.

The perfect holiday.  Family, friends, holiday music, good food and drink.  What about Fido?  Holidays can be a dangerous time for your pets. Houseguests, decorations and foods can pose a serious danger to your pets.
 
Xylitol a sweetener found in sugar free chewing gum and candies, and even chocolate can be poisonous dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause lack of coordination, depression, seizures and liver failure. Chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity and increased thirst and urination, as well as abnormal heart rate/rhythm and seizures. Dark chocolate and bakers chocolate contain higher levels of theobromine than milk chocolate and are more toxic if ingested in similar amounts. Sometimes the wrappers are eaten with the candies and they can pose intestinal blockage problems.

The new millennium is an exciting time for the sport of dogs. More dogs participate in athletic events now than at any other time in history. Dogs and owners alike enjoy preparing for and participating in a variety of new performance events.

In the past several years the AKC alone has more than doubled the number of sponsored events. Retrievers, pointers, setters and spaniels can now enter non-competitive hunting tests at a variety of levels of difficulty, sighthounds can try their paws at lure coursing, herding breeds can work sheep in herding tests, terriers can test their mettle by going to ground, and dogs of all breeds can participate in agility, an exciting sport that tests the timing, coordination, and athleticism of dog and handler alike. Additional organized canine performance events include flyball, sledding, draft dog tests, coonhound trials, free-style heeling, weight-pulling competitions, Schutzhund, water rescue and more.

Choosing the right goodies for your companion

Think of pet treats and many of us envision those highly-processed, highly-flavored morsels in the shape of fishes or mailmen. They might be fun to buy and give to your dog and cat, and your animal might love eating them, but at best all they do is add empty calories to his diet. Most also contain all kinds of risky ingredients, including artificial colorings, sugars and fillers. Just like people who are always snacking on candy and cookies, animals that eat too many treats can become prone to obesity, diabetes and other health issues.

Here’s a look at the different types of pet treats you can buy and the pros and cons of each.