Pets Are Wonderful

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Owning a dog can be a really amazing journey. They provide protection, companionship, and loyalty when you need them the most. The least you can do as repayment is to offer the same in return—and that includes making sure that he leads a healthy life.

There are many factors that can influence the health of your pet, but the single most important one is his diet. Many store-bought dog foods do not provide the highest-quality nutrients; while they will give your dog just what he needs to function, they do not support a healthy lifestyle.

Some symptoms of ill health can be traced back to the not-so-nutritious food a dog is being fed. These symptoms include large and foul-smelling poo, increase in flatulence or burping, shedding that doesn’t seem to stop, a proneness to ear and skin infection, as well as energy loss or hyperactivity.

The best way for you to understand your dog’s dietary needs is to find out what nutrients should be included in his food. Overall, dogs need a total of 45 nutrients, which can be broken down into the following five categories: Protein, Carbs, Fats (saturated and polyunsaturated), Vitamins, and Minerals. Of course, your dog needs plenty of water, too! There must be a balance of these nutrients in order for your dog to maintain a healthy body.

However, not all brands of dog food provide all of these nutrients. Even expensive, premium commercial dog foods often contain ingredients that are simply not good for your dog. For example, the first ingredient in a dog food may be “meat,” but what kind of meat is it? If the species isn’t specified, it could be just about anything: Animals that were dead or dying when they reached the slaughterhouse. Animals that were diseased. Cancerous tumors. In some cases, plants that supply pet food companies use road-kill and dead pets from animal shelters and veterinarians’ offices. You can read more about this by checking out the Confidential Dog Food Report.

If you want to be sure that your dog food is up to scratch, the best way is to learn how to read dog food labels. If you find that your current brand of dog food is unsatisfactory, hunt around by reading labels until you find one that meets your dog’s needs. The greatest gift you can give your dog is a chance at a long and healthy life.

To learn more about dog food company cover-ups and how to find a healthy dog food, visit Dog Food for Life.

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We dog owners are always told that dog food provides everything our pet needs to lead a long and healthy life—but what if that isn’t true? Dog food, particularly the dry sort, can lose a great deal of the vital nutrients that your dog needs to remain in optimum health simply by how the food is produced. This article is going to open your eyes to the reality of the dry dog food preparation process and help you understand why it is important that you determine whether your dog may require a supplement of vitamins and minerals in his diet.

There are two main ways in which dry dog food is produced. The first consists of blending ingredients and feeding them through an extruder. The typical “main ingredient” is usually meat by-products (such as meat and bone meal), flour, or grains. Not the healthiest choice for a base ingredient, eh? A dough is created and fed and fed through the screws of the extruder, which will use steam and pressure to help it take shape. After the dough has been cut into bit-sized pieces and given time to harden, it is sprayed with fat or other composites to make it tasty. After the kibble has cooled it is bagged and shipped off. The other common way to product dog food is to subject the food to high temperatures and then broken up into edible pieces. This production style usually does not require that additional fats be sprayed on.

The cooking process that the pre-made dog food goes through might kill essential nutrients that are needed. While most pet foods will contain the “average” amount of recommended vitamins, they do not provide additional vitamins for protection against diseases. This is before we even consider the fact that the basic ingredient of most dog food is a meat by-product, which would be anything from road kill to euthanized animals.

Not only are vitamins an important dietary aspect that your dog may be lacking, but he is most likely missing out on minerals, as well. That’s right, just like us, dogs also need calcium, small amounts of sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

So, you may be wondering how you can supplement your dog’s food? No, you don’t have to give him a pill or mix up a vitamin/mineral paste. All we mean when we say “supplement” is simply to add foods rich in vitamins and minerals to his diet. You could chop up a variety of vegetables to add to his dry food or puree them and mix it with his food. You could even consider switching your dog to the Raw Food Diet, found in the Dog Food for Life eBook.

If you are not giving your dog a vitamin supplement, take a good hard look at him. If you see he is losing weight, has skin lesions, or is losing his fur, then it is possible that he could have a vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is apparent when your dog loses some of his muscle tone. If you notice your dog might have a vitamin deficiency, talk to your vet to find out for sure. Your vet will either suggest that your dog begins to take the necessary vitamin or for you to change his food.

For more information about what nutrients should be part of a dog’s diet and what brands of food might not be providing them, visit Dog Food for Life.

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Caring for a puppy can be an overwhelming experience in the beginning. You are probably wondering how you’re ever going to make it through the house-breaking stage! You may also be concerned about the nutritional needs of your puppy. Like children, puppies have precise needs when it comes to food.

There are many dog foods available on the market that are supposed to cater to the needs of a puppy, but many of them are not nearly as healthy as they appear. That’s why we’ve put together this article to encourage you to give homemade puppy chow/treats a try. By making your dog’s food yourself, you can rest assured knowing that your dog is only eating healthy, natural foods.

The following recipes are for puppy formulas, which will then be followed by everyday meal recipes for when your pup gets a bit older. Don’t worry—they’re easy to read and follow, and most of them can be thrown together in a snap!

Formula Recipe 1:
2/3 cup goat milk canned (or just regular canned milk)
1/3 cup water or Pedialyte
1 teaspoon Karo Syrup
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dyne or pediatric vitamin

Strain a couple of times to make sure there is no albumin in the mixture, although it has been used successfully without egg at all.

Variation: 1 can of Condensed Milk rather than goat’s milk (it may be too high in protein and put a strain on the puppy’s kidneys) and 1 envelope of Knox unflavored gelatin in addition to other ingredients (helps keep stools solid).

Formula Recipe 2:
2 cups hot water
1 can Evaporated milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Karo syrup
2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin

Mix thoroughly to get the gelatin working.

Meat and Potato Meal:
12 ½ cups of potatoes, chunked
3 pounds beef heart, cut into chunks
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup zucchini, squash, carrots or peas
6 tablespoons dog powder
4 teaspoons bone meal (Check the label, it should have 1300-1500 mg of calcium per tablespoon. If it doesn’t, adjust the amount you use accordingly.)

In a large pot, boil the potatoes until they become soft. If you choose to cook the meat, pour out half the water and add the beef heart chunks. Then simmer until they are no longer pink. Add the remaining ingredients. If you are feeding raw, pour off all of the water after you cook the potatoes, and just add the beef heart with the remaining ingredients.

Servings: Toy dogs: 1-2 cups, Small dogs: 3-4 cups, Medium dogs: 6-7 cups, Large dogs: 8-9 cups per day, Giant dogs: 9 cups per day

Chicken and Barley Delight:
2 ½  cups barley
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup dog oil supplement
1 cup peas, cooked celery, or squash
6 tablespoons dog powder
4 teaspoons bone meal (Check the label; it should have 1300-1500 mg of calcium per tablespoon. If it doesn’t, adjust the amount you use accordingly.)

Heat 7 ½ cups of water in a large pot until it comes to a boil. Add the barley and cook until it softens. If you choose to cook the meat, add it now and boil it just until the pink color disappears. Then, take the pot off the heat and add the remaining ingredients.

Servings: Toy dogs: 1-2 cups, Small dogs: 3-4 cups, Medium dogs: 6-7 cups, Large dogs: 8-9 cups per day, Giant dogs: 9 cups per day

The Dog Food for Life eBook has plenty of other great recipes, as well as vital information regarding diet, health, and hygiene that are a must-know for any dog owner. Visit Dog Food for Life Here