Archive for Dog Food
Raw Dog Food diet
Posted by: | CommentsA raw dog food diet is referred to an “all natural” or “Primal diet” as ingredients are generally free from chemicals, preservatives, additives, by products and fillers. Raw food diet provides the enzyme rich nutrients and amino acids in a perfect unaltered state – which is easily absorbed by body system and digested. Raw dog food diet also leads to fewer visits to the Vet, strengthened immune systems and less allergy and disease, it also point to the overall health and appearance of the dogs for proof that the raw diet is the right way to go. Raw foodies report increased longevity and reproductive capacity in the dogs. Another benefit of feeding raw is healthy teeth and gums and well developed jaws, neck and shoulder muscles – from all the chewing.
Some people are worried about bacteria in raw food. They believe bacteria will make their dog sick. However, dogs have evolved to eat and thrive on food that may have bacteria present. The dog being a scavenger thrives on the presence of microbes in his or her food. Wild dogs eat the gut contents of their prey, and the feces of many different animals. They also eat soil, contaminated meat, buried bones, and infected meat and so on. These are all a source of microbes and any toxins they might produce. In addition, the dog has certain defenses that enable it to handle bacteria. A shorter digestive track and a more acidic PH in the stomach create a mechanism of defense against harmful bacteria.
Raw meat does of course carry bacteria. However, the presence of bacteria does not mean that disease will result! It would be impossible to guarantee that any meat source, for human or animal consumption, be totally sterile of all bacteria. Even in the most sanitary of manufacturing facilities or the most spotless kitchens there is a possibility that bacterial contamination may be present. Certain conditions have to exist in order for bacteria to multiply to a point where their numbers are capable of causing disease. Plus, those bacteria will have to be very specific strains that are capable of producing disease.
A raw dog food diet typically consists of:- 
1) Muscle meat, often still on the bone
2) Bones, either whole or ground
3) Organ meats such as livers and kidneys
4) Raw eggs
5) Vegetables like broccoli, spinach, elery and kelp
6) Apples or other fruits
7) Some dairy, such as yogurt
Raw Eggs – If your pet is not allergic, we recommend incorporating one whole organic egg yolk into your pets’ primal raw foods two days per week for added amino acids. If your pet has a very tolerant stomach, you may include the finely ground eggshell for additional calcium supplementation
Preparation – A raw pet food diet will spoil if left unrefrigerated for an extended period of time. To thaw, remove required patties from the bag, place in a container with lid and defrost in the refrigerator, steel utensil is recommended for the dishes. Any excess food not eaten should be discarded.
Safe Handling Instructions – Raw meat products may contain bacteria that could cause illness if mishandled. Keep raw meat separate from other foods; wash working surfaces, utensils and hands with warm water after each feeding. Treat as you would any raw meat product. Do not re-freeze the food once it has been defrosted.
How Much to Feed – No all dogs are alike in their metabolic rates, age, or activity levels, you can feed more or less of the diet in order to keep your dog at its optimum weight.
Fasting – Another important component in feeding your pet a raw diet is the process of fasting. This age-old practice used to aid digestion and cleanse toxins is common among animals in the wild. We suggest fasting your adult pet one day per week, from breakfast to breakfast. The necessary amount of fasting time will vary from animal to animal. Be sure to provide plenty of fresh, purified water and extra love and attention to your companion throughout the fasting day. Fasting is an optional component of feeding a raw diet and is not crucial to your pet’s overall long-term health
Factors such as level of activity, age, health, metabolism and breed play a part in the necessary feeding quantities of all animals. Please be sure to monitor your pet’s dietary needs and adjust the feeding quantities accordingly.
Some Helpful Dog Feeding Tips – 2
Posted by: | CommentsDogs may be fed successfully in a number of ways that meet both the owner’s and the dog’s needs and circumstances. These methods include portion-control feeding, free-choice feeding and timed feeding.
1) The portion-control feeding entails measuring your pet’s food and offering it as a meal, thereby controlling the amount of food that can be consumed. This method is used for weight control programs and for animals that might overeat if fed free-choice. Food can be provided in one or more meals daily, some dogs will overeat when fed free-choice method, which can result in obesity. If your pet eats free-choice and has put on too much weight, you will need to switch to portion-control feeding.
2) Free-choice feeding is also known as “ad lib” feeding or “free feeding.” Food is available at all times, as much as the pet wants, whenever the pet wants. Most nursing mothers are fed by the free-choice method.
3) The timed feeding method involves making a portion of food available for the pet to eat for a specified period of time. For example, the food can be placed in the dog’s bowl for thirty minutes. After that time, if the pet has not consumed the food, it is removed, by doing so we are setting a pattern:-
a) you need to eat when it is offered to you and
b) you cannot have any more until next meal time.
Soon, the dog or puppy will understand the concept of mealtimes and look to you at feeding time. We, as human leaders of dogs, don’t need to be so strict, but letting dogs know where the food comes from does help with leadership symbolism.
4) Leave your dog in peace while it is eating from its bowl. Taking the bowl away while it is eating causes anxiety, this can lead to food aggression. If you want to be sure that your dog is comfortable when you approaching during mealtimes, add a little food to the bowl while it is eating, so it sees you as an asset, rather than a threat.
5) Never feed your dog from the table or your plate, owners should eat FIRST (remember, leaders get to do everything first) before the dogs are fed. This is a good time to work with “no begging”. Dogs are opportunists, and pushy dogs will insist you feed them from the table. “Spot, NO – go lie down!”. feeding table scraps results in begging so it becomes a constant thing, to avoid encourages drooling and attention seeking behaviors such as begging and barking.
6) Each dog should have his or her own dog food dish. Supervise that one of the dogs is not taking the other dogs’ food, this method will allow you to notice if one of them has lost their appetite indicating a health problem.
7) Train your dog not to be possessive of its food. There will be times when you will have to intervene when your dog eats something that may cause him harm or discomfort. You need to be able to step in at such times without any danger of your dog lashing out at you.
8 ) Feed dogs of different ages at different times. Dogs have a very specific hierarchy or “pecking order” which stems from their early years in the wild and they will expect to be fed accordingly. Feeding the puppies separate from the older dogs will preserve this relationship and ensure less conflict.
The above training is BEST done while the dog is still a puppy! Older dogs can be MUCH more protective and have a lot less inhibition about protecting what they feel is theirs. CAUTION ALWAYS is key when working an exercise like this with an older dog.
Some Helpful Dog Feeding Tips
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When it comes to feeding your dog, there can be a maze-like number of considerations to keep in mind and what will work for one dog may not necessarily work for another, thus it can be hard to put together a feeding guide that will work for all types of dogs, where people have always argued the merits of their particular way of feeding.
Nevertheless, we have managed to put together a collection of general tips that owners of most any type of dog will be able to follow safely, and here they are!
Food can have a serious affect on our pet’s behaviour, as well as their health; many have additives, etohoxy, colorants, preservatives, some of these additives can and do affect our pets dramatically. It is often obvious from its appearance that a food contains say artificial colours. Some almost look as though they were made in Sell afield.
As a responsible dog owner, one of the most common pitfalls you’ll have to watch out for is overfeeding. Attempts to shower our dogs with love by means of big meals and tons of tasty treats are sweet, but misguided. In dogs, as with humans, extra weight can lead to health problems. Be sure to indulge your four-legged friend with affection, not food.
Adult dog or puppy require sufficient nutrients to meet energy needs and to maintain and repair body tissues. The amount you feed your adult dog should be based on his or her size and energy output, activity levels vary dramatically between pets. In their activity levels. An animal with a “normal” activity level should receive what we call “maintenance” energy. A pampered lap dog may require 10 percent below maintenance, while an active pet who exercises regularly outdoors may require maintenance plus 20 to 40 percent.
We recommend all dogs be fed twice daily. Simply divide the amount suggested on the label of your pet’s food into two meals, spaced eight to twelve hours apart. You may need to adjust portions as you learn your dog’s ideal daily “maintenance” amount.
Dog Food Nutrition – What Should You Feed Your Puppy?
Posted by: | CommentsIn today’s world pets eat on a regular basis and are thus not starving for food, but they are starving for nutrition. The dog food or nutrition you provide to your dog is the main factor in determining the health, wellbeing and longevity they enjoy. The role nutrition plays in your dog’s health and behaviour habits cannot be overstated, natural dog food is best way to keep your pet healthy and help them achieve their genetic potential. Feeding your dog the wrong foods can cause illness it affects every aspect of its life… How do you provide wholesome, nutritionally balanced meals to your dog?
It has been said that 90% of health problems begin as a result of poor nutrition. The lack of nutrition can be during puppyhood or adulthood or while still a foetus depending on its mother for nutrition. We believe dogs evolved from carnivores and should be feed accordingly to nutrient requirement of dog. That is why high-quality animal proteins mainly from meat and poultry as the principal source of protein dog food. It’s how we believe nature intended dogs to eat for the requirements of health at several stages of growth and physiological states.
To help you determine if Natural feeding is right for your pets, please weight up these four questions. We encourage you to research the topic for yourself.
1) Do you believe fresh, whole, unprocessed food is healthier than heavily processed food?
2)Do you believe fresh, whole, unprocessed foods are healthier than foods containing additives and preservative (some of which are illegal for human consumption).
3)Do you believe eating a wide variety of fresh, whole, unprocessed foods contributes to your pet’s overall health?
4)Do you believe eating highly processed foods, containing a plethora of preservatives and additives is detrimental to your pets overall health?
If you agreed will all above mean you said “Yes” to Totally Raw Natural Dog Food daily intake for your dog and a longer, happier, healthier life for your pet!
No diet is perfect, but feeding a wholesome raw meat diet is as close to perfect as dog paddling is to free style swimming! If we stop for a second, and then observe just how many pets are sick in today’s world and how many veterinarian clinics there are in every town and city, then you, like me, might begin to question the quality of nutrition our pets are getting from commercial pet foods.
