posted by Tess on Aug 5
Many people will give different types of answers based on their experience with their dogs. However, the scientific facts related to the feeding aspects in case of dogs need to be given emphasis during the feeding activities maintained in case of dogs.
Usually the puppies should not be separated before they are eight weeks old. However, some times the orphaned puppies may exist. Usually about five percent of the body weight may be taken as criteria for the quantity of food to be given to the puppies. However, the amount that is consumed by the dog varies with size of the dogs also.
However, one can have a thumb rule of feeding the puppy goes until you see visible fullness of the abdomen to a moderate degree. If you are going on feeding the animal without giving emphasis to the animal’s stomach appearance, then the puppy may experience some kinds of digestive upsets and the diarrhea may occur in them.
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posted by Tess on Jun 2
Understanding dog behavior is important before arriving at any conclusions about the reasons behind certain types of behavior. Much as humans feel offended at certain things and resort to aggression, dogs too respond similarly. Just as certain foods do not suit humans, there are many foods that should not be fed to dogs.
If you continue to feed your dog with a diet that disturbs his system, he is liable to show his irritation in his behavior. Persistent feeding of unsuitable diet ultimately leads to aggressive dog behavior .
Dogs are not obligate carnivores and can be often seen hunting for roots and fruits. Dogs evolved from wolves. In the wild if you see wolves and dogs eating an herbivore prey that they have killed, you may notice they first go for the stomach area of the carcass. That is where they will find roots and leaves and berries. Many times you can also see dogs eating grass.
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posted by Tess on Feb 13
It is a mad jungle out there when it comes to selling dog food. Seeing the number of brands, the different types of sales pitches adopted by marketers and the fancy names with tongue twisting ingredients printed on labels, it appears the focus is on attracting buyers and grabbing a share of the whopping $ 11 billion pie..
In addition, each manufacturer launches numerous types of pet food under one brand. There are moist, semi moist and dry dog foods. Their use of terminology, like ‘premium’, ‘super-premium’, and ‘gourmet’ are mere nomenclatures since they hardly mean any thing. Even though the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) regulates what must be printed on the labels. The warnings are all mentioned in small print and therefore do not serve to warn the consumers adequately.
Apart from checking the nutritional adequacy and information about the manufacturer, you should focus on the ingredient list. Ethoxyquin is one of the most common preservatives used in dog food. This is used to prevent fats from turning rancid. There is verifiable evidence that there is a connection between Ethoxyquin and the accumulation of protoporphyrin IX and the elevation in liver related enzymes that can ultimately cause liver disease in dogs.
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posted by Tess on Dec 4
Ingredients:
* 1 cup raw hamburger
* ½ cup of ground pork or turkey
* 1 raw egg
* 2 Tablespoons of water
* 1 Tablespoon Brewer’s Yeast
* 1 Tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
* ¼ cup of Bread Crumbs
Directions:
Mix Brewer’s Yeast and Parmesan cheese with the Bread crumbs and set aside. Scramble the egg with the water, and add to the bread crumb mixture and mix well. Mix and blend the raw ground meats together and add to bread crumb mixture. Make into bite-size meat balls, place them on a cooking sheet, and Heat them at 425° F for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let them cool in the oven.
by Holistic Veterinarian Services - Dr. Ihor Basko, DVM - http://www.drbasko.com/
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posted by Tess on Nov 8
How Low Quality Foods can be Hurting Your Pets
A few short months ago, pet owners everywhere were afraid to feed their pets for fear of what they might be ingesting. Every time you turned on the news, there was an update on the “Pet Food Scare”.
Although the situation has now subsided after more than 60 million bags and cans of pet food were recalled, concerns with production and safety standards were raised regarding the high levels of hazardous food that slipped through to the retail market. The situation caused pet owners to question the quality and safety of even the well-recognized brands on the market.
Disturbing Findings on Nutritional Content
James Morris and Quentin Rogers, two Molecular Biologists at the University of California at Davis, found a lack of information on the bioavailability of nutrients in many of the common dietary ingredients used in pet foods. “These ingredients are generally by-products of the meat, poultry and fishing industries, with the potential for a wide variation in nutrient composition,” the biologists stated.
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posted by Tess on Oct 17
Being the largest and the most exposed organ of the body, pet skin is likely to be affected with mild to severe conditions. One of the major dog skin problems arise from allergies. Allergies can cause canine or feline acne. Allergies may arise from contact with an allergen or from food that does not suit your pet.
Before starting treatment for any type of allergy it is of paramount importance that you establish the cause of allergy. It is erroneous to assume that only new foods cause allergies and consequent itching. The truth is that any food can cause an allergic reaction in dogs - new or old. The commonly known skin condition of ‘hot spots’ can develop if your dog becomes allergic to his routine diet that he is no longer able to digest.
Food allergy often forms a typical distribution pattern and your veterinarian is the best guide in this matter. You can suspect food allergy in your dog in conditions where:
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posted by Tess on May 7
Though canines and humans are very different in physiology, there are some universal truths that apply to both. And one such universal truth lies in the realm of diet and health.
Centuries ago, humans uprooted dogs from their natural habitat and domesticated them to help them in hunting and guarding. They were removed from the basic source that provided all nutrition that was required in terms of food. Human intervention continues to come in the form of comforts, food and safety. And unfortunately not all of it is actually beneficial for the pet.
There are a fair number of diseases that are unique to domestic dogs. These diseases have not been known to occur in wild dogs and therefore, it can be assumed that these are in some way, caused by human intervention.
Cushings disease (hyperadrenocorticism) is one such condition that ails pet dogs.
Cushings disease in dogs refers to a disease that is caused by excessive amounts of cortisone due to an over active adrenal gland. Major characteristics of this disease are thinning of skin, hair loss, excess of urination and thirst and obesity (bloated abdomen).
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posted by Tess on Feb 23
Dog meals and snacks don’t have to hard to make or take a lot of time. Many snacks can be grabbed straight out of your refrigerator and are much healthier than baked goods.
However, there are a few things that I have noticed regarding many homemade dog food recipes that you should avoid doing.
1. Don’t microwave your dog’s food. Microwaving kills vitamins, minerals and nutrients. The radiation also alters the cell structure of the food. Scientific studies have shown that humans that eat microwaved foods have significant and disturbing changes in their blood cells. Microwaving has many serious side-effects, including altering the minerals in vegetables into cancerous free radicals. It’s bad enough that we humans continue to use microwaves to cook our food… let’s not subject our animals to it as well.
2. Many recipes that I’ve seen promote using beef/chicken bouillon cubes and/or canned beef/chicken broth. These products have very high and unhealthy sodium levels. Either use sodium reduced broths or better yet make your own.
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posted by Tess on Dec 26
* 2 cups whole-wheat flour
* 1/2 cup wheat germ
* 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 3/4 cup water
* 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
* 1/4 cup cornmeal, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place first 4 ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Blend with a whisk. Add oil, honey, water and peppermint extract. Mix well. Knead for at least 1 minute. Sprinkle 1/8 cup cornmeal listed over a sheet of wax paper. Place dough on wax paper. Sprinkle remaining 1/8 cup cornmeal on top of dough. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with desired cookie cutter or with a sharp knife and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool and store in tightly sealed container. Makes 22 to 25 treats
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posted by Tess on Jul 24
Vegetables in your dog’s diet, and minor amounts in your cat’s diet, can enhance their health and provide a rich and diverse supply of nutrients, enzymes, healthy fibre and antioxidants. In the wild, dogs and cats would have acquired plant foods through the semi-digested remnants in the stomachs of their prey; vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.
Canines possess a greater ability to break down plant matter and synthesize relevant nutrients therein. Because of this, although classified as carnivores, they are in fact omnivorous and are not solely reliant on animal meat for sustenance. Wolves can be observed eating fallen fruit and berries, and first consume the stomach and intestines of their prey where plant foods can be found.
Felines on the other hand are obligate carnivores and are unable to manufacture essential nutrients from plant matter. These include the amino acids taurine and arginine, and the fatty acid arachidonic acid. Unlike omnivores cats also cannot convert vitamin A from beta-carotene in plants and need animal-derived sources of vitamin A such as liver. Accept for smaller prey which cats eat whole, in the wild the stomach and intestines tend to be avoided, yet organs such as heart, liver and lungs are enjoyed.
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