Best Food For Dogs

Tag: Good Nutrition

  • Dog Allergies and Your Dog’s Food : Why It is Important to Remove Corn

    If you are experiencing dog allergies, and your dog’s skin is itchy, red, and sore, you can easily find a solution by feeding food that does not offer one main ingredient : Corn.  Dog allergies can result in a large amount of symptoms, but the main problem that you will experience is a lack of a resolution to these symptoms.  The problem is that often dog allergies are related to nutritional levels, and a lack of good nutrition.

    The Dog Food Industry and Dog Allergies

    The dog food industry began in the 1940s with Purina’s invention of Dog Chow.  The company began to create all kinds of animal and husbandry food for farmers, and when farmers started buying the food, it was great food for dogs.  The food was often dried protein based food, that was the scrap or end points of the meat industry.  The best part of this kind of food was that corn was not the main part of the food, but just a stabilizer.  Today, we have many people researching how to treat dog allergies, but the reason is the problem is growing is there is more and more dog food that has moved from nutrition.  The dog food that a majority of dogs are fed, has a key ingredient that supports a long shelf life, and is inexpensive.  This ingredient is corn, and it is not the same corn as a hundred years ago.  The kernel is mostly starch now, and is a white fluffy sugar that can be easily dried and mixed with a small amount of protein for consumption.

    The corn addition has added great profit for the dog food industry.  Dog food mixed with only a small fraction of protein, needs a stabilizer, and corn is the most inexpensive option.  Most grocery and big box super food stores offer only dog food that is shelf life resistant for 2 or 3 years.  It is important that they purchase large palates of the food, and then that they stay on the shelf until purchase, and stay fresh.  The problem with this idea, is that the vitamins and minerals that may have existed at the time of manufacture actually are now inert.  The vitamins and minerals do not last for the time frame that corn lasts, and the protein in this shelf stable product, is actually oxidized easily over a few months, which is a perfect storm to create dog allergies.

    Dog Allergies can Be Solved with Nutrition

    Buy a dog food that has a short shelf life, and one that has no corn, and your dog will find that dog allergies are a thing of the past.  The nutrition solution can be the real solution, but it takes time to see the results.  Over a dog’s life, eating bad and shelf stable dog food, can offer some solutions for stores to see a profit, but it creates a really toxic situation in your dog’s cells and tissues.  When you offer new nutrition, and remove the corn based food, you are going to see a change in your dog, and sometimes the dog allergies will actually get worse.  This is really common, and do not stop your new dog food regime.

    Dog Allergies can Get Worse With Good Nutrition

    The reason your dog may see better nutrition cause more dog allergies, is the fact that your dog’s body will now release all the toxic elements that it was storing over the years.  Often when a new nutrition is offered, new vitamins and minerals will be so welcome to your dog’s system, that it releases all the stored meager value it was storing for a rainy day, and this release, will send out toxic stored chemicals as well.  It is not unusual for a few months of dog allergies to erupt during a new nutrition program.

  • Why Organic Food is So Important

    If you are feeding a puppy for the first time, are searching for great dog food,  search no further than a organic or holistic dog food choice.  The fact that they take the time to certify the ingredients of the product will, create a better result for nutrition.

    Great Dog Food is Often Organic Dog Food

    The reason that organic dog food holds good nutrition, is that the ingredients are certified to be labeled organic, and this creates more of a valid reason for the food to be controlled and safe.  In the pet food world, the dog and cat food industry is largely unregulated, but, if it is labeled organic, there are a series of rules that a company must follow to use this label.

    The rules are very strict, and are properly regulated by the USDA, and the FDA.  The uniform standards for labeling and processing of organic foods, have a series of rules that they must follow to use the label.

    • No genetic altering or radiation
    • No fertilizer
    • No Synthetic Fertilizer
    • No Pesticides in producing the product, or in the process of organic produce

     

    As well, some products can be labeled in the following manner:

    • 100% Organic is all organic in ingredients
    • Organic on the label is at least 95% organic
    • Made with Organic Ingredients must be at least 70% organic
    • Anything less than 70% organic can not have organic on the package, but may use the organic ingredients in the label ingredient list

    This means you must use the term organic as a true indicator of properly controlled items, and it will be important to rely on the label for good nutrition information.  If you use the list as shown above, you should be able to come up with some good options for your dog food choices, and bring great results to your dog’s food choices.

  • Dog Nutrition ? The Do’s and Don’ts of Feeding your Dog

    You need to understand that appropriate dog nutrition is not the same for all sizes, ages and breeds. Every breed of dog has its own dietary recommendation and also the suggested number of feedings for each day. The recommended feedings can be customized to suit the size and age group of your pet. Although, there are a couple of general guidelines that you can follow so as to provide good nutrition for your dog using a balanced diet.

     

    Your dog’s protein intake really depends on his/her age. You need to understand that your pet will not need more than 25% if he/she is still a puppy or over 22% for a dog that gets moderate exercise, please note that older dogs will need more protein. You will need to consult your vet so as to come up with a proper protein intake for your pet. A lot of do foods contain a pretty high amount of salt. Ensure that you carefully read the label on your dog’s food in order to make sure that your dog is not getting too much salt because it can lead to heart disease.

     

    A lot of dog owners feed their dogs twice a day, some dogs prefer to eat just once in a day. Your pet will naturally display to you which he/she prefers by simply refusing to eat during one of his/her feedings. Although puppies need to be fed three to four times each day so as to develop bone growth.

     

    Under no circumstances should you feed your dog table scraps! If your pet has been prescribed special diet by the vet, which will require that you cook your dog’s food, make sure that you place the food into your dog’s bowl directly. You should avoid feeding your pet directly from the dining table – your pet is not only going to develop obesity but this will definitely encourage begging.

     

    One thing that you need to know about dogs is that they can keep on eating and if you encourage this habit, they will eat you out of house and home! You need to avoid giving your dog too much to eat. Once your dog becomes obese, it will really take a miracle to make him/her lose the weight. This can also lead to a lot of medical issues such as:

    Abnormal bone development
    Heart problems
    High blood sugar
    Diabetes etc

     

    Ensure that you choose a highly reputable, top quality dry dog food with of course the recommended daily allowance for your pet’s size, age and weight. You can easily obtain this information from your vet. Along with your dog nutrition plan, make sure that you also give your dog multi-vitamins so as to promote sound health and normal growth.

     

    You should feed your dog in a stainless steel bowl and make sure that you clean your pet’s bowl with water and soap each day or two. You need to know that these bowls are a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Ceramic and plastic bowls are not at all recommended.

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    Article from articlesbase.com

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  • Bonus178

    The 10 Ingredients You Should Never Feed Your Dog

    1. Corn
    2. By-Products
    3. Fillers
    4. Chemicals
    5. Meat Meal
    6. Wheat
    7. Potatoes
    8. Rice
    9. BHA and BHT
    10. FD&C Red No. 5 and Yellow No. 7 Ethoxyquin

    This is a short list, but these are good things to look out for.  You should always check with your Veterinarian before beginning any new food program, and it is up to you to decide which organic, or natural homeopathic dog food will be best.

    It is shocking how dog food companies are out to disguise their un-healthy foods as natural or healthy choices.  They often have corn in them, and it is a red flag for any dog food parent.  If you see the words, corn, meat meal or meat by products, you are not bringing good nutrition to the bowl.  The meat meal is a clever word that describes, road-kill, bone, hair, hooves, and tails of beef and pigs.  The real injustice is some processing is dead animals that were pets,  and they often still have their collars on them!

    Do not be afraid of vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid, as it is often used in good pet food for a preservative. Another good and valuable list of ingredients is alpha-linolenic acid(ALA), or eicosapentaeonic acid(EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid(DHA).  Dogs can not digest ALA, but they can digest and effectively use, EPA and DHA.  Often companies do not know this fact, and stick it in there anyway, as it is a good essential fatty acid.

    Keep in mind, if your dog food is made in the USA, and is made in small batches, has a short time until expiration, and is often hard to find, you have found a good food.  I suggest you look for the smallest size you can buy, and test drive it for 2 months.   Do not buy more, until you are sure it is tasty for your dog, and they are experiencing good results.  By the end of 8 weeks, your dog should see positive changes, but at first, the extra nutrition could make your dog feel worse.  This has to do with an over active immunity system, and it takes time for this system to calm down, and show its balance and strength.

    Be sure to visit www.best-food-for-dogs.com for ratings and updates.  Your best friend will love you for it!