Holistic Pets

In March 2007, most pet owners grew very concerned about the food they were feeding their dogs and cats with the announced melamine-poisoned foods on the market. Being “mom” to my adorable and, I thought, very well-cared for King Charles Spaniel, I watched the lists daily with worry. I had believed the food I was feeding him was high quality and safe, yet I visited their website daily for reassurance. And daily I read that the food was safe, they didn’t use products from China, trust them. 

My dog started to experience diarrhea the day we moved to a new home. Being a sensitive soul for whom stress has this effect, I didn’t worry much until day 3 when it not only continued but seemed to worsen. Again, I checked the websites to see if his food was on any of the recall lists. It wasn’t. That night I had the news on in the background, sitting straight up when the latest list was announced – his food, the food that “had never used products from China”, was on the list. They lied. 

I had been poisoning my beloved best friend. 

Of course, I immediately disposed of the poisoned garbage and the next day, started cooking for my dog, thinking it would be temporary until the problems were resolved. I began to research what my dog needed nutritionally to make sure I was giving him everything he required to be healthy and happy. 

It was that research that shocked me, then just made me furious beyond description. I found out what was really in dog food (and cat food and other pet foods), and it is disgusting, dangerous and poison garbage even without the melamine. I was sickened by what I learned, knowing I had been feeding this to my pets for years, thinking I was doing right by them with the “high-quality” foods I paid premium price for. Not any more. Never again. 

Here are some of the “quality” ingredients in your pet’s food: 

“meat and poultry by-products” is material that comes from the slaughterhouse and dead animals, such as road kill and euthanized companion animals, classified as condemned and unfit for human consumption. It includes lungs (even when filled with pneumonia), spleen, brains, livers (including those infested with worms), bone, beaks, feet, heads, cancerous tissues… the list goes on. Be assured, if it is remotely fit for human consumption, it isn’t in your pet’s food. 

“meat and bone meal” is the ground refuse from restaurants and grocery stores, dead stock, road kill, euthanized animals, including stomach contents, blood and hooves, cooked until the grease from it rises where it is removed and the moisture squeezed out. It also may contain foreign materials such as metals, hair, glass, mold, pesticide contamination and more. 

Fat is usually listed high on the ingredients in pet foods that give off an appealing odor so that our pets will eat the garbage. They are made up of rancid restaurant grease and rendered refuse often filled with impurities such as hair, hide, bone, dirt or polyethylene. 

Corn flour, corn bran, corn gluten meal are the corn products left when all the nutritious ingredients, used in human products, are removed. 

Wheat flour, wheat germ meals, are nothing more than what is swept off the mill floors after everything has been processed. 

Artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives, including those believed to be carcinogenic and are banned from human foods like BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin, Propyl Gallate. 

If you can read that and then open a can or bag of food for your pet and feed it tonight, you have a stronger stomach than I do! 

That’s why I now cook for my dog. I know exactly what he’s eating and that it is good quality, nutritious and safe (as safe as any of our food is these days). The added benefit is that it’s even less expensive! I watch for specials, especially for meats, and stock up the freezer when I find them, which is often. A lot of meat and chicken is greatly reduced in price when its shelf life is nearing its end, and fine if its cooked or frozen immediately.

I only spend a couple of hours or so once a month cooking up a big batch of food, placing it in small containers with about 3 – 4 meals in each one (he eats twice a day), freezing it until I need it. I add a couple of tablespoons of low-fat plain yogurt to a serving, mix it up and “nuke” it for about a minute to get it warm and delicious for him. He loves it! 

Best, he looks terrific, better than he ever did before, his coat gleaming, his eyes sparkling, endless energy, perfect weight and a healthy, happy glow. 

This is not a difficult thing to do! There are many excellent recipes available and now there are cookbooks dedicated to pet food recipes, including good quality treats and biscuits that your pet will adore and that you can feel great about giving them. I recommend doing some research first so that you know your pet is getting everything he needs.

Owning a dog provides many benefits, but you only get out of them as much as you put into them. Good training, good shelter, good food, fresh water and regular exercise and a happy home are all that a dog needs to be content.

Just as the wrong foods can hurt the health of humans, the same goes for the health of dogs. There are some things that are quite dangerous to feed a dog. Make sure you know what those are to avoid harming them.

Feed your dog premium pet food and fresh meat and make sure you get out and take them for a walk or a run. This gives us a good excuse to get out ourselves and exercise as well. You could say that owning a dog actually keeps humans healthier. Certainly a well-trained and healthy dog keeps us a lot happier.

Many people are unaware that some foods that we eat on a regualr basis can be deadly to your dog.

For example: a piece of chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Even a small piece of chocolate is dangerous. Anything containing caffeine can have a similar effect and be as dangerous as chocolate, and that includes coffee grounds, tea and tea bags.

Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure and even a single serving of raisins can kill your dog.

Excessive salt intake can also cause kidney problems.

Onions can cause anemia by destroying red blood cells while tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias.

Tomato plants are particularly toxic to dogs.

Avacadoes are also highly toxic and can cause breathing difficulty and fluid accumulation around the abdomen, chest and heart.

When giving your dog bones ensure that they are raw as cooked bones can splinter and damage their internal organs.

Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis, so it is not wise to feed your dog a diet of fatty foods.

Fried foods also fall into this category and are not good to retain maximum health in your dog.

Certain nuts, such as Macadamia nuts and walnuts can cause weakness and muscle tremors.

Peanut butter however is generally okay provided you use the salt and sugar free peanut butter as sugar can encourage cancer growth.

The core and pits of fruits such as Apple’s cherries and peaches contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs and can kill them within 24-hours without warning.

If in doubt, always refrain from feeding your dog foods that we are eating assuming that they will be okay.

What is safe for humans can kill your dog within hours.

So, do yourself and your dog a favor and don’t feed them human food. As they always say, it is better to be safe than sorry and if you love your dog like I do, you do not want to lose them very soon. I have just recently experienced the unexpected loss of two pets and I am hopeful that it was nothing that I did that may have caused it. The loss of those two pets will stay with me for a very long time. They were my friends.

Pets are wonderful creatures to share our lives with, and they need just as much care as humans. All pets need to be fed properly, though we always have the question of what that might be. There are individuals who give their pet’s human food, while others strictly give pet food. We will concentrate on dogs, cats, and rabbits for proper feeding.

Rabbits How many times have you heard that rabbits like their vegetables? This is true. Most rabbits need a steady diet of rabbit food that includes lettuce and carrots. Most of the time we raise our rabbits on pellets, however, this may not be fibrous enough and can cause obesity. A steady diet of hay, vegetables, and pellets will lead to a healthy rabbit.

Dogs Is it wise to feed your dog human food? Most dogs are related to the wolf family a very carnivorous bunch, which means they need to have meat in their diet. This does not mean human food is the correct food for them. It is best to find a dog food product where the first ingredient is meat. Make sure it is real meat and not some processed substitute. Feeding your dog human food is a bad idea because it can be too greasy for them and block their arteries. Dogs have very sensitive digestive tracks so they are susceptible to diarrhea and upset stomachs if you change their food. It is best to find a dog food you prefer and that is healthy for them. You also want to keep them on the same food. Changing food can cause problems. If you feel you need to change food, you should slowly integrate the new food with the old until you have fully replaced the old. This should take two weeks or a little more. Dogs when full grown should be fed once a day at the same time.

Cats Cats are great hunters if you let them explore the outdoor world. They will often find mice, birds, and other animals to gain protein. Like a dog, your cat needs a consistent diet. You should find a cat food that has the proper amounts of protein. Cats can also have a very sensitive digestive system. Finding the right food may be difficult and take a few tries. If they have a smelly litter box, you will need to change their food. This is a sure sign they are not receiving a proper diet. When you change their food you will want to integrate it slowly over two weeks. Cats also need the vitamins from milk, though our processed milk can be too rich for them, they do sell milk for cats in the pet stores. Another idea is occasionally giving them a small piece of cheese to help with their dietary needs, however you should try and find pet food that fits all of their needs. Grass is also available for indoor cats and may be a needed to get rid of hairballs. Cats eat grass when they have an upset stomach. The grass will allow the cats to rid themselves of the problem and can help them cough up hairballs.

Picking the right food for your pet will often mean not feeding them human food, but checking the ingredients of pet food found in the stores. You want to keep you pet just as healthy as you would want to keep yourself. Proper nutrition for any animal is important to having your pet around for many years. Some types of pets are more susceptible to disease, like dogs with heart problems, but they can be monitored through proper care.

The United States’ food and vitamin supply may not be as safe as we think, according to recent reports. This year’s pet food scare spurred intensive investigations into national regulations regarding human food and vitamin safety, and the findings were not good.

Many of the products creating the most serious problems are distributed nationally — from Texas, to New York, to Missouri, and in national supermarket, discount store, and drug store food chains. States such as Texas may be at particular risk, as many products are legally or illegally imported at the border. It is almost guaranteed that any major store in any town or city in the state, from Dallas, to Houston, to Austin, are likely to be carrying products imported from a country that has a track record of contaminated food and vitamins. The implications this has for the healthcare and health insurance industries, not to mention for public health in general, are astronomical. If a series of outbreaks do occur, it could prove especially detrimental to Texas, where 25% of its residents are uninsured, and the healthcare system is already overburdened.

According to Peter Kovacs, a food industry executive and consultant of forty years, “the U.S. is sitting on a powder keg, ready for food contamination issues to explode. Many of the major national food producers are very careful about their products,” he says. They’ve learned to trace their ingredients directly to their sources, and to test them regularly. This isn’t required, however, and many manufacturers don’t, particularly if the products are considered at lower risk — like pet foods.

This is precisely what happened when pet food was contaminated with a wheat protein from China. China, which is already building a reputation for exporting contaminated food and vitamins, exported wheat protein from companies that added melamine and cyanuric acid to up the apparent protein content and price. This supposed higher protein content is one of the major reasons the more expensive brands, like Iams, were hit so hard. Believing they were buying a more potent product, they, instead, ended up contaminating millions of pounds of food due to one ingredient.

Recalls are common — they just don’t always make national news. In recent months, there have been recalls on milk, olives, bottled water, bread, prepared fruit trays, melons, oysters, and peanut butter, for reasons varying from dangerous levels of salmonella, listeria, and arsenic, to wire fragments in the food. Last year’s national e-coli spinach scare stemmed from Natural Selection Foods in San Juan Bautista, CA, and lead is routinely found in vitamins and dietary supplements. An estimated 76 million fall prey to illness and 5,000 die every year in the U.S. due to food contamination.

Just this February, ConAgra foods recalled the widely-distributed Pan peanut butter due to salmonella content, which, in turn, was due to poor conditions at one of their plants. Europe just dodged a bullet when it discovered right before the product hit the market, that Chinese-manufactured vitamin A used to supplement infant formulas was contaminated.

A major part of the problem in the U.S. is the Food and Drug Administration’s gross underfunding and lack of control. Imports have doubled since 2002 to nine million shipments a year, and the FDA only has the resources to inspect one percent of them. Many of those imports originate from countries without strict controls on their products, and regular testing before they hit the American market does not occur.

Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, stated “we’re not even close to having a system in place that gives assurance that the food is safe.” He should know. Two years ago, the FDA suspected Cold Stone Creamery was responsible for a salmonella outbreak in four states, but their painfully out-of-date labs couldn’t detect the bacteria. Samples were shipped to Doyle, whose lab did pick it up. The FDA simply doesn’t have the resources” he said.

Dr. David A Kessler, former FDA Commissioner, would agree. “Our food-safety system in this country is broken,” he said.

In fact, many former employees of the FDA agree. William Hubbard, a top policy official who left the FDA in 2005, warned ten years ago that the amount of imported food was on the rise, while the ability of the FDA to regulate those shipments was on the decline. Attempts to solve the situation were offered to Congress and promptly rejected. Five years ago, they tried again with a $100 million import-safety plan, inexpensive by today’s standards. The FDA also asked for the authority to block food shipped from countries “repeatedly linked to contaminated products.” Both proposals were soundly rejected.

The fact that food manufacturers spend a million dollars every year lobbying against stricter regulations, and that mega powers, like Wal-Mart, also oppose tougher regulations, port inspections, and country of origin labeling, doesn’t help. These companies would lose business, and they make sure Congress knows it. Wal-Mart alone is China’s eighth largest trading partner, and 10% of all of their imports go to the company. Chinese agricultural products shipped to the U.S. totaled a staggering $2.26 billion alone last year, and 90% of all vitamin C sold in the U.S. is manufactured there. To enforce tighter regulations would effectively ban many of the products offered today on the U.S. market.

On May 2nd of this year, after widespread outbreaks affecting one product after another — from spinach, to pet foods, to toothpaste, to vitamins — Congress finally acted by passing a bill allowing the FDA to create databases of contaminated food. It seems so terribly simple, but until now, the organization did not even have the power or resources to electronically track contaminated shipments in a detailed manner, and then efficiently circulate the information.

Hubbard says it can’t stop there, however, and recommends modeling the FDA after the USDA. While the USDA only inspects meat — and the FDA everything else — the USDA has ten times as many inspectors, has the power and resources to send them to foreign plants, can deny entry of products from any company that doesn’t meet safety standards, and limits meat shipment to just a few ports in order to streamline the process. The FDA can do none of that. The FDA, realistically at this point, only has the resources to respond to problems already going on.

The average American citizen at this point can take action by lobbying Congress to impose stricter regulations, and buying as much local food as possible. Locally produced food is no guarantee, of course, that contamination will not occur, but at least customers can see where their products are being produced, and ask questions of those actually growing it. As always, the best advice seems to be common sense and vigilance.

Being aware of food safety is an important part of watching out for your health. How you take care of yourself will certainly affect you as you age, and eventually your wallet, as well.

Are you a pet lover? As a pet owner no doubt you want to give the quality and healthy food to your pet for the best care possible. Best care means feeding your pet the nutritious diet you can.

Many pet owners prepare their prêt food at home. By preparing your pet food at home you can save up to 80% and it’s easy; making pet food at home is probably a lot less time-consuming than you may have thought. With hundreds of websites offering free pet food recipes online, it’s now easier than ever to make your own pet food.

While preparing food for your pet does not need salt added to their diet as the natural salt in the food is enough for them. It’s a good idea to always add a grain, such as Kibble, wheat germ, cooked oatmeal or whole wheat bread to meat dinners. For dogs use 75% carbohydrate foods (grains and vegetables) to 25% meat; for cats use half carbohydrate foods to half meat.

You will find, once you begin making your own pet foods, that it is really relatively simple and you will save some money as well. Remember that all pet foods should be served at room temperature; don’t serve food cold from the refrigerator nor hot from the stove.

Homemade pet food should take a ridiculously small amount of your time. As a general guide meats should be raw and vegetables must be finely chopped in a food processor or by a hand grater.

When it comes time for feeding, it is important that you let your dogs and cats eat as much as they want at the time of feeding. Once their body becomes nutritionally satiated, they will cut their food intake, sometimes by half the amount, and go on a maintenance diet. Incidentally, you should know that cats should be fed three times a day, while an adult dog needs only one meal a day.

To get started, find a good book with pet food recipes and use it to start preparing simple meals. You can also get free recipes from many websites online. If preparing your own pet food is not an option for you visit the website below for some healthy pet food

Anna Josephs is a freelance journalist having experience of many years writing articles and news releases on various topics such as pet health, automobile and social issues. She also has great interest in poetry and paintings, hence she likes to write on these subjects as well. Currently writing for this website Pet Health. For more details please contact at annajosephs@gmail.com

There once was a man who wanted to make money utilizing his pet dog. So what did he do? He took all of his dog’s expenses and deducted them on his taxes, dog food, leashes, dog food bowls, veterinary bills, etc. His rationale was that his dog acted as a watchdog for his home and was therefore a security system, an allowed deduction by the IRS.

Was his deduction legal? I have no idea, I’m not an accountant. But I can certainly sympathize with the man. Pets, dogs especially, can be an expensive endeavor. In any given year you will spend on your dog hundreds of dollars on veterinary bills and medical treatments, hundreds or thousands more on dog food, and then you’ve got equipment, leashes, collars, and such. Your annual dog maintenance bill could easily reach into the thousands. What if you could take your love of dogs and turn it into a money making venture? Thousands have and are much better off for having done it.

There are several traditional ways to turn your dog-loving self into a pet entrepreneur. Thousands have gone into the dog training industry. These professionals spend thousands of dollars and years learning their craft. Dog training can be a tough and competitive industry, but very rewarding for those who are successful.

Thousands more have turned their love of dogs into a career as a dog groomer. This is another dog career that requires extensive training and ongoing learning. Commissions can be high, though, given enough clientele.

Within the last decade there have been an increasing number of pet professionals in the pet sitting/dog walking industry. This can be a fun dog-job for a pet lover. This job provides variety and a good living.

None of these pet careers compares, however, to a burgeoning new industry for people who wish to make a care working with dogs. Direct sales has typically been a career dominated by products marketed to people. Only in recent years has this business model been adopted to cater to pet products.

The pet food industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. Pet owners for years have purchased their pet food at grocery store or big box pet outlets. The pet foods purchased are typically full of fillers, preservatives, rotting animal carcasses not fit for human consumption, covered in throw-away grease purchased from restaurants, and completely lacking in nutrition.

A few pioneering companies are fighting this trend. These companies are creating quality dog and cat foods without these damaging by-products, and are selling them in a way never before attempted in the pet industry; direct sales and network marketing.

These new pet food representatives are finding an opportunity to not only provide superior pet foods and supplements but to line their wallets in the process. A successful pet food representative can quickly build a network of consumers who find that their pets are healthier and happier due to quality food, but are also saving money on vet bills, allergy treatments, and smaller portions. Representatives are able to harness the power of the internet, word-of-mouth, print advertising, etc. to build their business effectively. Representatives work part time, full time, and around their own schedules.

Do you love dogs? Do you want to have a career working with dogs and other pets? Consider becoming a pet food representative.

Historical perspective and origins.

This vegetable plant has its origins in tropical Africa and Southeast Asia, and has spread to other tropical and subtropical countries in the Northern and Southern hemispheres (Kokwaro, 1976). Dispersal is by birds or wind when the capsules dehisce. Cat’s whiskers is widely distributed in the drier parts of the world like Asia, Africa, and the Americas (Iltis, 1960, 1967; Kuhn, 1988), where it grows and is regarded as a weed. There are, however, no known varieties or cultivars as yet.

The crop

The natural habitat of C. gynandra is wasteland and arable land with annual species as well as grasslands. The plant has a C4 photosynthetic pathway, which is an adaptation that enables the plant to survive in dry and hot environments. It does well in semi-arid, sub humid and humid climates about 1000 m above sea level (asl). The crop is adapted to many soil types, but does very well in soils fertilized with organic manure.

Cultivation

Cleome gynandra plants are propagated by seeds, which may be sown on seedbeds or broadcast at 30 cm spacing. Seedlings emerge after 6-8 days and do not require transplanting. Thinning can be done after three weeks and the thinnings may be consumed as food.

Cat’s whiskers respond positively to increased soil fertility. Use of farmyard manure, where available, is highly recommended, but inorganic fertilizers may also be used. Generous application of nitrogen fertilizers delays flowering of plants and hence extends leaf-harvesting time. A study on the effect of deflowering showed that it increased leaf yield and quality of C. gynandra plants (Maumba, 1993). Deflowering decreases plant height and increases number of branches per plant and hence leaf yield. Leaf yield of cat’s whiskers increases with increasing plant age, until about the 7th week, when yield begins to decline.

The plants do not have dense foliage and therefore are not able to compete effectively with weeds. It is thus necessary that weeding be done at all times. Weeding is by shallow cultivation or hand pulling and should not damage the plants as this may adversely reduce leaf yield and quality.

When the plants reach a height of about 15 cm, they can be harvested by topping, cutting back to ground level or picking individual leaves or leafy branches at frequent intervals. Harvesting starts 4-6 weeks after seedling emergence and may last 4-5 weeks (Maundu et al. unpublished). Biweekly removal of tender leaves allows regeneration of branches hence increasing yield.

Cumulative yields of up to 30 tons per hectare may be obtained, while seed yields may be about 500 kg per hectare.

Pests and diseases

C. gynandra is attacked by pests like pentatomids (Acrosternum gramineum and Agonoselis nubilis) and their parasitoids, locusts (Schistocera gregaria), nematodes (Meloidgyne species), flea beetles (Phyllotreta mashonana), green vegetable bugs (Nezara species), cabbage sawfly (Athalia species), cotton jassids (Empoasca species) and hurricane bugs (Bagrada species). Attack by these insects is more prevalent during dry periods, and can be effectively controlled by spraying with an appropriate insecticide.

Young seeds may be eaten by weaverbirds (Quelea quelea) and the plant is also host to mildew fungus (powdery mildews Sphaerotheca fuliginea, Oidiopsis taurica and Cercospora uramensis (Atheya and Mathur, 1966; Singh, 1983).

Uses

Several studies on the nutritional value of cat’s whiskers have been conducted and the results have revealed that leaves of this plant could be more nutritious than most exotic leafy vegetables. Results further indicate that the plant responds positively to increased soil fertility, although the harvest index is reduced. The plant’s nutritional value may vary with soil fertility, environment, plant type, plant age and the production techniques. Seeds of C. gynandra were analyzed for crude protein and fatty acid content (Chweya 1990). The crude protein composition ranged from 17.9% to 31.4%. Other nutrients that are contained in C. gynandra include carbohydrates (1.3 – 1.4%), lipids (25.1% – 29.6%) and several amino acids like palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, valine, glutamine among others. The leaves also contain a lot of nutritional mineral elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and copper. All of these are important for the various metabolic processes for normal functioning of the body.

Throughout Africa, the tender leaves or young shoots are eaten boiled as a potherb, relish or side dish. In East Africa, fresh leaves are used as ingredients in other mashed foods, and the dried leaves are ground and incorporated in weaning foods (Chigumira, 1995).

According to FAO (1990), C. gynandra is important as a leafy vegetable in African countries such as Malawi, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Nigeria, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and South Africa. Leaves of this plant may be crushed to make a concoction that is drunk to cure diseases such as scurvy. In many cultures, boiled leaves are regarded as a medicinal meal. In other communities, leaves are boiled and marinated in sour milk for 2-3 days and eaten as a nutritious meal, which is believed to improve eyesight, provide energy and cure marasmus. It is a highly recommended meal for pregnant and lactating women. In some communities, consumption of the vegetable by pregnant women is almost mandatory as its intake eases childbirth and reduces the length of their labour.

Many medicinal uses of C. gynandra exist in different communities. The following are some of the reported uses of cat’s whiskers; a) sap from leaves may be used as an analgesic for headaches, b) sap from pounded young leaves is squeezed into ears, nostrils and eyes to treat epileptic fits and earache, c) a decoction or infusion of boiled leaves or roots is administered to facilitate childbirth in pregnant women, treat conjunctivitis, relieve chest pains and treat severe thread-worm infection.

Other than having medicinal use in human beings, C. gynandra has also been observed to have insecticidal, antifeedant and repellent characteristics (Chandel et al., 1987). Leaves have anti-tick properties that are repellent and acaricidal for larvae, nymphs and adults of ticks. Ticks have been observed to avoid C. gynandra and found to keep 2-5 m away from the plant. Ethanol extract from the plant is toxic to insect pests of cabbages and can thus be used as vegetable insecticide. C. gynandra also acts as forage for bovines and game animals that graze the leaves.

The many uses of C. gynandra make it a versatile species with characteristics that call for its conservation and utilization. In summary these characteristics are; a) it is highly nutritious, b) it can be easily and cheaply cultivated by rural farmers for sale and consumption, c) it can mitigate problems of malnutrition due to lack of vitamins, d) it has many medicinal characteristics which can be harnessed, e) it has insecticidal effects, f) it acts as forage for other animals and g) its seeds are oleaginous and have potential for use as edible oil and animal feed. The list is endless.

Feeding your dog can be filled with stress.

Many dog owners take a zealous approach to how they feed their dog and can be judgmental of other dog owners when the issue of a dog’s food comes up.

The reality is that what you feed your dog is a personal decision. It will be guided by how you have always fed your dogs and what you think is right for your current dog or dogs.

A dog’s food is only one part of raising a healthy and happy dog, but it’s a very important part, and worth some careful consideration.

How to Choose a Dog Food

If you go shopping for dog food, you quickly see that there are many options. There’s premium dog food, low-cost dog food and so many dog food brands your head can spin.

Here are some tips for finding the correct dog food:

* Begin your search before you go the store. If you make your choice in the store, it could easily be the incorrect one.
* Ask friends and family for recommendations. If they use a particularly good dog food, consider that as one of your viable choices.
* Ask your vet for a recommendation. Based on your dog’s age and health, your vet may have a specific recommendation for your dog.
* Remember that the best dog food for one dog isn’t necessarily the best for another. Consider your own needs and budget before settling on a dog food choice.
* Read dog food reviews. If they are reputable and published in well-known publications or web sites, you can usually trust them.
* Remember that puppy dog food is a completely different beast than food you feed an older dog. Don’t feed a puppy regular dog food, and don’t feed an adult dog puppy dog food.

When looking at learning more about Dog Food Brands, read as much as you can.

The health of your dog depends on it!

What About Homemade Dog Food?

Recently, the safety of pet food was called into question when many dogs became ill and died after eating commercial dog food. Some of the brands in question were even considered premium dog food brands, so it seemed that no brand was safe.

This safety scare led many people to decide to give their dog a homemade dog food diet. It’s an excellent option if you have the spare time and money. Feeding a dog a homemade dog food diet can be expensive and somewhat time consuming, though it does get easier the longer you do it.

If you are thinking you might skip the dog food brands and go for the homemade dog food, consider these tips:

* Make sure the dog food you make is nutritionally balanced. Dogs need a good amount of carbohydrates, fat and protein. Do some reading ahead of time to make sure that you get just the right proportion of nutrients for your size and breed of dog.
* Be willing to cook animal body parts that you might not consider desirable. Dogs can eat necks.legs and organs. In fact, many believe that one of the main advantages of a homemade dog food diet is that your dog can get more raw meat and bones, which many consider to be the ideal dog food diet.
* Don’t forget that if you start Rover on a homemade dog food diet, it can be hard to switch to a more traditional diet. You can’t just throw down a bowl of kibble just because you are too tired to make your dog’s dinner. To that end, it’s best to do a lot of preparation ahead of time so there are packages in the freezer you can pull out and thaw.

Conclusion

The best dog food diet for your dog is the diet that proves to be best for you. Depending on your budget and time available, you might make a choice that’s different from your neighbor. The key is to find dog food brands that are accessible, affordable and that feed your dog healthfully. Or make your own. It really is your choice.

Further Information

More information about Dog Food or Dog Food Reviews can be found here.