Holistic Pets

The pet food industry underwent some major changes in 2007. More than 5,000 products – about 60 million individual packages of food – at all price levels were recalled. The wheat gluten in the wet foods produced by major manufacturers contained dangerous chemicals like melamine.

As consumers and pet lovers learned more about the lack of regulation in the pet food industry, they became outraged. Sales of pet food plummeted after the recall, because many pet owners felt safer feeding their pets with “people food” until they knew what alternatives were safe.

This consumer response brought about changes in the industry. Major retailers increased their oversight processes, and many stopped buying tainted foods from China. Some manufacturers have even developed plans to build their own dedicated facilities.

But lots of Americans aren’t satisfied. Almost two-thirds of American households have at least one pet, and these households have often started switching to organic or natural pet foods. This may be partially due to “humanization,” a term that refers to the process of thinking of your pet as a family member. Recent surveys have revealed that consumers want pet food that makes their pets seem, well, more human.

The Pegetables Dog Chew Treats, made by Splintek, are an example of natural pet foods. They contain many vitamins and minerals, as well as a balance of essential fats and proteins. They also contain vegetables like carrots, corn, and celery, which maintain healthy body functions. Pet owners can even treat their friends to luxuries like Doggie Dance chicken tenders or biscotti that tastes like liver.

The pet food industry is responding and using “natural” ingredients and preservatives, like vitamins, oils, and spices. These new practices are closely monitored: all products labeled “organic” must contain at least 95% of ingredients that meet the standards for organic foods for human use.

Some manufacturers, like Newman’s Own Organics in California, have certified their entire product line as organic. They use only American ingredients and avoid potential problems like wheat gluten. Instead, they use healthy ingredients like chicken fat and fish meal (sources of essential fatty acids), soy meal and flax seed meal for protein, brown rice, barley, and oats for energy, and an array of veggies to keep your pet healthy.

The “humanization” trend has affected Purina, which launched a new product in its Beneful line. These ready-to-eat meals come prepackaged in sets of eight, just like microwaveable dinners for humans. You can choose from entrees like beef stew with vegetables and barley, chicken with rice and vegetables, beef and turkey medley, roasted chicken and vegetable pasta, rice and lamb stew… the possibilities are numerous!

All of these new products are designed to maximize healthy lives for pets by containing the proper balance of nutrients and vitamins. As people live longer, they want their pets to be there with them, and the “humanizing” trend makes this desire even stronger. Specially-formulated pet foods can be purchased for every stage of a dog’s life, and for every size and breed of dog.

But healthiness is only part of the equation. Consumers are preoccupied with the idea of “fancy” or “upscale” foods, and they are starting to look for those same qualities in the foods they buy for their pets. Owning a pet is now also having a friend and a member of the family who deserves the quality you do, which might explain why consumers have doubled the amount of money they spend on pets in the last decade.

This can actually save me money too! The best pets rx is prevention. I will order pet meds when necessary, but I prefer to just keep her healthy in the first place.

Most commercial pet foods are garbage. Most, not all, be sure to read the label. One of the things lots of companies do is add ethoxyquin as a preservative to dry foods. That’s not a good thing at all for her and it’s illegal for my food so it makes sense not to give it to her either, right? Think of this the next time you order pet medications for your sickly pet. Ethozyquin causes all sorts of health problems and they know this, and yet put it in their foods and tell you to feed your dog their product.

They can also add euthanized cats and dogs and zoo animals and road kill, grind it all up and call it ‘meat meal’. Yes, most dog food companies put this into your beloved pet’s food. This also includes the dog tags, flea collars, the bags they put the dead animals in and the poop inside them! One study found upto 25% fecal material in the ‘meat meal’. Do you want to pay for that? More importantly, do you want to feed that to your pet? I know I don’t. I love my dog.

Another really bad ingredient that gets into commercial food is the sodium pentobarbital they use to put suffering animals down. That stays in the body of the poor deceased animals that get ground up into the ‘meat meal’ So, when your pooch eats her food she’s actually behaving like a cannibal and eating chemicals that cause all sorts of health issues. There is a better way.

Your dog has many generations behind him/her that were fed on the same stuff we eat everyday. Store bought dog food is not now and has never been necessary to your pets survival. Now science has guidelines for the best nutrition of your pet, broken down to certain breeds as well. You can select a quality brand of commercial food that truly is looking out for her nurtition or make good stuff yourself at home. I do both.

Here’s some of the receipes my little girl loves. You can add more protein (meat), or fiber(veggies), depending on your particular pet’s need. These are foods that I can eat so I know they will be good for her too, although not all people food is good for our pets.

This first receipe I call her rice dish. She eats about 1/3 of it each meal so it goes pretty quickly. Occasionaly I get to freeze a portion or two and that makes it easy to just grab, microwave to thaw, and heat a little before serving. You may also double the receipe to make things easier on you, the cook.

Start with a medium sized pot. Brown 1/2 pound of lean beef or chicken. Then add 1 1/2 Cups of water and 1 Cup of uncooked rice (brown rice is best but white will also work). Boil together until rice is tender, it should be slightly watery at this point. Add 1/2 Cup grated carrots, 1 small can of peas, and any scraps of vegtables you may have leftover (if your dog likes them). I also add a dash of garlic because she likes it and it smells good in my kitchen. Simple and yummy.

This next receipe is called her macaroni dish. This is a little large and lasts about twice as long. Oftentimes I alternate these dishes to give her variety.

Start with a large pot and a splash of oil. Add 2 Cups of lean meat… beef or chicken or lamb, brown. Yes, you can keep any pan drippings in there and she just loves that. Add 2 or 3 choppped carrots, a zuchini chopped, 1 stalk celery chopped, and a can of peas. You can also add the scraps of broccoli or the potato scrappings from last night or any leftover veggies you may have. Cover with water and simmer till veggies are starting to get soft. Add 1/2 pound macaroni and continue to cook uncovered until pasta is soft. Serve her one big scoop and freeze the rest in

baggies. Take out one baggie per meal so proportion them accordingly.

As I said earlier, most commercial pet foods are garbage but you can find some that really care about your pet. If you find cooking for your pet to be too bothersome try looking for a quality brand and read the label carefully. I do give my girl dry food 2 to 3 times per week, sometimes with a little ‘people’ food on top. I use the best quality food I can find for her because I love her.

We get very attached to our pets, they become members of the family. From time to time they do need us to order pet meds on their behalf, but if we care for them

properly they can live long happy and healthy lives.

Up to 50 million Americans, including 2 million children, have some type of allergy. For most people, allergies are just an inconvenience. According to the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, they are a major cause of disability in the U.S. In fact, it has been estimated that allergies account for the loss of over two million school days per year.

What Are Allergies?

An allergy is an overreaction of the immune system toward a substance that is typically harmless to most people. But in someone with an allergy, the body’s immune system treats the substance, called an allergen, as an invader and reacts inappropriately resulting in harm to the person.

Who Gets Allergies?

Children inherit allergic tendencies from their parents. A few children have allergies in spite of no family member having these, but if one parent has allergies, there is a one in four chance that a child will also have allergies. The risk increases if both parents have allergies.

Do I Have an Allergy to Something?

Some allergies are fairly easy to identify because the pattern of symptoms following certain exposures can be hard to miss. But other allergies are less obvious because they can masquerade as other conditions.

How Are Allergies Treated?

There is no cure for allergies, but symptomatic relief is possible. The most effective is by reducing or eliminating exposure to allergens. If reducing exposure is not feasible or is ineffective, medications may be prescribed. In some cases, an allergist may recommend immunotherapy (allergy shots) to help desensitize you. There are also medications you might be able to give yourself, including antihistamines and inhaled or nasal spray steroids. One medical suggestion is: ZYRTEC®

Just 1 dose of ZYRTEC® (cetirizine HCl) a day can keep allergy symptoms under control, year-round. Symptoms from both indoor allergies, like pet dander and dust. And outdoor allergies, like trees and ragweed. Plus, ZYRTEC is approved to treat indoor allergies in infants 6 months and up.

Some common allergies include those to:

Grasses

Mold Spores

Marsh Elder

Ash

Pigweed

Oak

Fall Elm

Mesquito

Elm

Sage

Red Berry Juniper

Pecan

Mountain Cedar

Ragweed

Willow

Privet

Cats

Dogs

Bees

Peanuts

Dust Mites

Food

Metals/nickle:

40 percent increase in nickel allergies is blamed on the new body piercing rage. Also some ingest nickel in foods and from chewing pens and paper clips.

Cobalt and chromium can also produce allergic reactions, but to a lesser degree than nickel. once a nickel allergy develops, it lasts for a lifetime.

Animals:

All warm-blooded, furry animals, such as the average household pet, can cause allergic reactions. This is because of proteins in their saliva, dander, and urine. When the animal licks itself, the saliva gets on the fur. As the saliva dries, protein particles become airborne and work their way into fabrics in the home. Cats are the “worst offenders” because their salivary protein is extremely tiny and they tend to lick themselves more than other animals.

Pollen:

Pollen is another important cause of allergies. Pollen allergies are seasonal. Trees, weeds, and grasses release these tiny particles into the air to fertilize other plants. Most people know pollen allergy as hay fever or rose fever.

Cockroach:

Cockroach body parts and waste products are also a major household allergen, especially in inner cities. Asthma rates of inner city children are high, probably due to air pollution and also cockroach exposure in overcrowded buildings.

Mold: One of the most commen allergen.

What is Mold?

Molds are fungi that thrive both indoors and out in warm, moist environments. As with pollen, mold spores are released into the air to reproduce. Mold is produced by several varieties of fungus. These fungi are single-celled organisms that have been around since the beginning of time.

Where can molds be found?

Although molds can be seasonal, many thrive year-round, especially those indoors. Outdoor molds may be found in poor drainage areas, such as in piles of rotting leaves or compost piles. Indoor mold thrives in

dark, moist and poorly ventilated places, such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms or damp basements (especially after flooding).

How do I know if I have a mold build up?

A mold test kit can be a easy soultion but does cost money, or you can simpley check crawl spaces for standing water, look for condensation forming around windows, and dampness in or on basement walls. If you are experiencing health problems, check bathrooms, bedrooms and family rooms as well. Mold requires three things to grow and multiply. It requires dampness, warmth, and a food source. Find areas that have these three things and you will surely find mold and mildew. Also a musty odor suggests mold growth.

How does mold affect my health?

Only in recent years have medical authorities realized what a health risk the kind of mold that grows in wet basements can be. According to the New York City Department of Health, in people who are allergic to it, mold can cause:

respiratory and eye irritation

flu-like symptoms

fatigue

trouble breathing

coughing

sinus congestions

nausea

chronic headache

loss of memory

other symptoms

Also when mold starts to reproduce inside a home, it can eat away at the structure, causing thousands of dollars in damage

How can I prevent mold build up and how can I keep allergy symptoms down?

Mold requires three things to grow and multiply. It requires dampness, warmth, and a food source. Simpley make sure you dont allow all three things to take place in your house. Mold is everywhere, and you wont completly rid yourself of ever having any contact with mold, but you can surley battle it.

Mold and mildew release mold spores in the air that can float throughout the house. There are several mold cleaning, prevention, and mold removal methods to deal with this problem. 2 suggestions are: Bio-Kleen and Sure Cote Mildew Resistant Coating.

Bio-Kleen can be used in any application in which you want to inhibit colonies of mold, mildew, alga, bacteria and other odor causing organisms. Easy to apply by spraying, wiping or soaking. Allow to air dry.

Sure Cote is a clear non-yellowing , non-toxic, odorless, interior/exterior, mildew resistant coating. It is designed to protect any surface exposed to moisture, high humidity or weather. Will not discolor, stain, stiffen or harm any surface which it recommended for use and gives year round protection.

It is important to try and prevent mold and mildew growth, but if it’s too late, try mold remediation and mold removal.

Allergic reactions can manifest themselves in many different physical ways, most of them extremely unpleasant. In the case of environmental allergens such as hay fever or pet dander, it is possible to limit allergic reaction severity by focusing on a diet that boosts the body?s ability to fight off reaction effects. Many of the materials that are found in medicinal allergy relief are extracted from naturally occurring ingredients in certain foods and drinks, and including these in your diet will help to alleviate your allergic symptoms. It is important to remember that these foods are for fighting environmentally triggered allergies only, and the only way to avoid food allergy symptoms is to avoid the food that cause it.

Green tea is quickly making a name for itself as a general purpose, natural cure-all. Recent studies have shown that green tea may help to combat environmental allergies as one of its many treatment applications. In an article published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Japanese scientists claim to have isolated a compound found in green tea that blocks one of the cell receptors that is key in triggering the allergic response. Because green tea is less processed than any other kind of tea, its natural composition remains unaltered and thus the compounds within it are more concentrated and better able to produce results than those found in different varieties of tea.

The acids found in Omega-3 fatty acids also are beneficial in fighting allergies, as the acid acts as a natural anti-inflammatory

by countering the formation of inflammatory chemicals. There are several foods which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids, including several kinds of seafood and fish; salmon, haddock, herring, trout, mackerel, and sardines are all full of these acids. Other sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are soybeans, flaxseed, walnuts, and canola, and the fatty acids are also available in a more concentrated version through the oils derived from these foods. These oils can easily be included in your daily meals by adding them to the ingredients for your cooking.

Foods that have a high level of Vitamin E are also excellent in combating allergic reactions. Some of these foods include greens, which are also very strong-tasting. Spinach greens, mustard greens, chard and mustard greens are all very high in Vitamin E. The highest Vitamin E food is far and away dried sunflower seeds, which contain almost 91% of the recommended daily intake of the vitamin. Almonds are also high in Vitamin E, as are olives, papaya, and fresh blueberries. Any of these foods are an easy addition to a regular diet.

One last food to consider when thinking about intakes that will limit your allergic reactions are juices. Natural fruit juices are high in antioxidants, which help to fight the inflammatory effects that allergies produce. Make sure when you buy juice, though, that it is indeed natural. Many juices on the market do not contain a lot of natural juice, and it is the natural juice that is essential when it comes to containing antioxidants.

Article Source: http://www.findmysearch.com/allergies-resources/

Joel Santoso 2007. For answers to All your frequently asked questions about allergy information resorces, please go to: http://www.findmysearch.com/allergies-resources/

With the availability of many commercial pet foods in the market, you may be befuddled in selecting the fulfill pet food that takes good burden of your pet\’s wellbeing. You may be wondering whether it is anodyne to supply commercial pet food or pet food equipped at home. Your pet\’s wellbeing can be blemished through any cause of pet food and therefore you should make effective that what food you nourish to your pet should not have been contaminated.

Food allied illness could strike in your pet due to bacterial infections, chemicals, mycotoxins, metals etc. Mycotoxins are toxins formed by yeast and some manners of toxins distress one fourth of the world\’s food crops. Hence mycotoxin litigation is a big riddle and torture to the pet food trade.

We generally get confused with food infection and food poisoning. Pet food infection can be caused when the pets consume food with infectious microbial cell. They primarily hurt your pet\’s tissues and recoil reproducing. Another important position to be renowned is most of the clinical diseases will not be obvious to you before 12 hours. Food poisoning occurs as a significance of pet food that already contains a microbial venom. The food poisoning symptoms are obvious within an hour after your pet consumes the pet food. It is forever recommended that homemade food preparation should be clean and if you are retail commercial pet food, take suggestions from people who are worn to nourish pets with such foods.

Selecting diet crammed pet food is a challenging duty particularly when there are many pet food providers donation more varieties of pet food. You can elect an utter pet food with balanced food by evaluating the ingredients mentioned on the pet food present. The ingredients will signify fat, strand, protein, vitamins and reserves in percentage ideals.

When you prepare to pay an upper rate for the pet food, it is reasonable that you look for high and better quantity and additional shape advantages for your pet. Cheap pet foods have more of ingredients that grain based like wheat, soy and corn. Cheaper pet foods use ingredients like grains, bone meal and meat that are inexpensive and, hence show weak nutritional condition. These pet food manufacturers validate that grain protein is evenly nutritious when compared with meat protein. Nevertheless there are arguments that grain proteins put extreme stress on your pet\’s digestive structure and significance in illness in the later stages of the pet\’s life. Pets like dog and cat eat meat and their digestive scheme is intended for meat and not for grains. So it is forever advisable to provide pet food suitable for your pet\’s digestive routine.

Normally pets are fed with the same kind of food every day if realize diet profit is presented with ordered foods. Your pet always should be served the best nutritious pet food and so take time in choosing the seamless pet food for those deserving pets of yours. You can follow the below mentioned tips to elude petting food problems:

Try to preclude commercial foods for your pets as bench hardening agents are worn by most of the pet food manufacturers. Understand the provisos used in the pet food identify and choose the food that provides the calorie required by your pet. Never over nourish your pet. Provide them plenty of creative water.

Are you killing your dog with dog foods? That is a question that dog owners everywhere should carefully consider. Several different types of dog foods that are sold on a commercial basis have been found to have a devastating effect on the health of these pets. Research has been conducted for many years regarding this very important topic, and the evidence indicates extremely devastating results – the dog food that we purchase for our pets may be doing more harm, than good! Premature death may be experienced by dogs that consume products sold on a commercial basis. In this article, you will be given the information in order to determine are you killing your dog with dog foods?

Commercial dog food that claims to provide animals with nutrition, a healthy coat, and a high level of physical fitness has actually been found to be quite harmful. Diseases and even death may be experienced by the pet that consumes this type of food. Unsuspecting pet owners go out into the market and various stores on a daily basis in order to purchase food for their pets. These individuals will typically see several different types of dog foods on the shelves. Many will claim nutritional balance, while others include advertisements such as those that state that the dog food will be efficient in developing the health of the pet. These pet owners have no idea of the dangerous ingredients and toxins that are used in the processing of the dog food.

There are several chemicals and toxins that are contained in standard dog foods. These are considered to be so potent that they are no longer permitted to be used in foods that are consumed by humans. However, they are approved for our pet dogs – which is very unfortunate. The following medical conditions have been experienced by people who consumed the same toxins, and chemicals that dogs consume on a daily basis if they are fed commercial based dog foods:

• Failure of, or the development of cancer in the kidneys
• Cancer that forms in the bladder of the individual
• Cancers that were located in the spleen and stomach
• The loss of hair ranging from mild to severe
• Gastrointestinal complications such as diarrhea
• Visual problems, such as blindness
• The development of Leukemia
• The dysfunction and failure of the liver, and other major organs in the body
• The weakening of the immunity
• Allergies that can be mild to severe in nature
• Many have given birth to children with birth defects

As you can see, these substances really resulted in many problems when it came to human consumption. The same issue is likely to occur when it comes to pets that consume it. However, dogs are much smaller than people. It can result in a quicker onset of symptoms, and even death!

If you want to ensure the health of your pet, you can bypass all the commercial foods and simply create your own dog food. If you want to learn dog food secrets that can educate you on the health of your pet,and teach you how to create healthy foods.Remember, the health of your pet is depending on this!

Okay, I admit it. I am fascinated, overly curious, not quite obsessed with the idea of “you are what you eat.” If you could see me, you’d say I need to lose more than a few pounds and certainly don’t seem to practice what fascinates me so. I know in my gut (literally), that my consumption of overly processed foods, restaurant lunches, sweets and chips are slowly but surely going to cause me major harm and very probably chop a few years off my life. To my credit, I am getting up early every morning and exercising in an effort to, freif not lose weight, at least stave off the diabetes that runs in my family. So, if my family needs to eat better, what about my pets?

Hopefully, you’ve all read my article on the horrible things that are found in commercial, pet foods. If not, check it out at the link below. When I found out what was in the kibble we were feeding both our dog and cat, I researched the alternatives and came up with a great all natural dry pet food. I’ve been extremely happy with the results of the switch with Annie, our cat, but for some reason, Dax just doesn’t go for it. In fact, he really isn’t crazy about dry food in general. He will eat it when he gets hungry, but let’s just say he doesn’t seem to enjoy his food. I’ve tried several brands and nothing flips his bippy. On the other hand, he jumps for joy when I give him a scrambled egg or chicken scraps. And salmon! Katy, bar the door!

So here we are. While I’m trying to convince myself to feed my human family better, maybe Dax would be better off, too, with a more natural diet of fresh foods. I’m not committing to anything at this point, but I’m willing to do some research and see how convincing it is. Want to go along?

You know, when I think back to visits at my grandparents’ farm, I never saw my grandmother feed their dog anything but table scraps. I don’t think I ever saw a bag of dog food at their house. Now, today, table scraps would mean pizza, French fries and other bad examples of human “food.” But not back then. My grandparents raised grass fed beef, which they slaughtered and ate. My grandmother had a huge garden and Papa had acres of corn. They grew what they ate and the scraps that Beau got were good, healthy, all-natural and pesticide free.

So, the first question that comes to mind is that of total nutrients. I know the premium dry foods I have been buying assure me that they are formulated to supply all the nutrients Dax needs. So how can I provide everything my dog needs in a homemade diet? Well, let’s see what the experts have to say. They tell me to aim for variety to ensure a balance of nutrients.

They tell me that my dog and cat are natural carnivores and that meat and other protein sources should be high on the list of ingredients in this new way of eating. They also tell me to feed the meat raw. Okay, now wait a minute. That just grosses me out. What about e-coli and salmonella and all those other nasties found in raw meat? Well, it seems that your dog’s stomach has a much higher acid content than your’s and can handle raw meat just fine. In fact, raw meat is much higher in nutrients that cooked meat.

Interchange lean meats such as turkey, liver, mackerel, chicken, tuna, heart, lean hamburger, duck, rabbit or fish. Try ground meats for convenience and ease of eating.

Meat alone should not be the only source of protein for our critters. There are lots of other ways to beef up the protein intake. Eggs are an excellent, low-cost source of low-fat protein. Again, experts recommend feeding them raw. Try cottage cheese, too. Whole grains are another cost-effective source of high quality protein as well as carbohydrates and an array of vitamins and minerals. Grains, however, should definitely be cooked before feeding to aid in digestion. The most cost effective sources of good grains are oatmeal, cornmeal, millet and bulgur (whatever that is).

The list goes on. Beans and other legumes such as split peas and lentils are great sources of protein. Cook them just like you would for your family. These are good to cook in larger quantities and freeze in meal portions.

Okay, we’ve got protein covered. What’s next? Vegetables. Veggies are vital for adding vitamins, minerals and roughage. Some can be fed raw, such as grated carrots, squashes, lettuce and other greens, and grated beets. Others like corn, peas, green beans, and broccoli need to be cooked. Please! No canned vegetables! Our focus here is on fresh foods. If the vegetables are not organically grown, be sure to wash them thoroughly, even use a little soap and then rinse thoroughly.

Now that the basics are taken care of, the next thing the experts say we need to consider is supplements. Evidently, both cats and dogs, but especially dogs, have a high calcium requirement. Calcium can be added to a fresh food diet in several ways. A common source of calcium is bones. This is where experts take very different paths. Some advocate feeding your dog raw bones. Others are opposed based on the fact that cow bones can contain high levels of lead or can splinter. Those that oppose raw bones recommend the use of bone meal. Now, let me stop and stress right here that they are not referring to the bone meal found at your local garden center. It’s toxic to animals. The bone meal recommended for feeding is that found in health food stores recommended for human consumption or some say, better yet, a bone meal made especially for animals. I’m thinking a large pet store might be a good source or maybe a good feed store.

A great source of natural calcium can be found in something we all through in the trash: egg shells. Who knew? In his book, Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, Dr. Richard Pitcairn recommends washing eggshells right after cracking and letting them dry. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes and then crush into a fine powder. This can then be sprinkled on your pet’s food. If you prefer, you can even crush calcium tablets into a powder. Don’t give them to your pet whole.

Other recommended supplements include nutritional or brewer’s yeast for its B-vitamins, iron and other nutrients; oils such as fish oil and cod liver oil for Omega-3 and Omega-6 benefits; Vitamin E is a natural anti-oxidant and can be found in wheat germ or just puncture and squeeze a capsule over your pet’s food.

So, the last question that comes to mind is this: I’ve always heard that a dog needs dry, crunchy food to help keep his teeth clean. This is still true with a fresh food diet. A good, all natural, crunchy dog biscuit, fed once or twice a day will help exercise gums and clean teeth.

This is a very brief overture to the world of fresh food feeding for pets. I know I don’t feel guilty anymore for feeding Dax meat scraps and eggs. If you want to know more, please check my website often. I will be posting more in-depth articles on this topic. In the meantime, happy eating!

Making your own homemade dog food with this recipe is easy and will give your dog the best all natural dog foods available. Just remember that in the wild your dog would catch small prey and eat the whole thing. This consisted of the meat, bones, organs, even the heart, brain and eyes (which are high in taurine). The vegetables they would get were in the stomach and digestive tract of the animals already partially digested. If you make your all natural dog foods to imitate your dogs prey hey will enjoy optimum health and love you for it.

Meats need to be fed one animal at a time. In the wild your dog would not eat more than one kind of meat at once. The meat should be ground or served in chunks which are easier to eat. Larger pieces will cause your dog to hold them with their feet to rip the meat apart, which can get messy.

Do not feed any fat that has been cooked which can lead to problems with your dog’s pancreas. Remember in the wild your dog would only get the fat that was on the animal and eaten raw. Use the skin that comes on the meat of in the case of beef the fat riddled throughout the meat.

Meats that cause trichinosis should never be fed like pork, bear, seal, ground squirrels, etc. However specialty meats like moose, ox, venison or bison are very pure and nutrient dense and can be fed in smaller quantities occasionally. Soft boiled eggs are also a good protein source, feed shells and all.

Organ meats are also very nutrient dense so use organ meat sparingly in your homemade dog food recipe. Either feed organ meats a couple of times a week for the meat portion or feed small amounts daily. Brains, heart and eyes are very high in taurine which is an essential amino acid for a healthy dog.

Vegetables are also essential in the best all natural dog foods. Remember to shred vegetables in a blender or food processor, your dog was used to getting them predigested in the wild. Use 3 or four different kinds of vegetables, preferably different colors to receive a wide variety of nutrients. The darker the vegetable, the more nutritious it will be in your all natural dog foods homemade dog food recipe.

It is best to avoid vegetables from the nightshade family like eggplants, green peppers, potatoes, onions, chives, garlic and tomatoes. These vegetables are associated with arthritis problems. Spinach also has a high oxalic content which can lead to kidney stones.

The best ingredients for the best all natural dog foods in your homemade dog food recipe are free range or organic meat because of the amount of toxins in meat and organic vegetables or peel the skin or wash with a spray to remove pesticides. Organic is always the best choice for all natural dog foods. Warm purified water is also an essential element in the best homemade dog food recipe. If these ingredients are not available use what you have, because it will make better all natural dog foods than you can purchase. Do not make your homemade dog food recipe because you cannot get all organic, what you make will be much more nutritious than any all natural dog foods you can buy.

Mix the meat at about 75% with the vegetables about 25% of the homemade dog food recipe. Puppies need a little more meat to vegetables since they are growing. Mix enough warm water to make a stew consistency. Meat and vegetables should be raw with the vegetables shredded finely. If you see vegetables in your dogs stool they are not chopped fine enough.

Your dog will eat until he is full. A good rule of thumb is about a pound of all natural dog foods per fifty pounds of your dog’s body weight. Do not feed your dog again until he has eliminated the previous meal or this can cause digestive problems for your dog. Always introduce any change in your dog’s diet slowly, increasing the new food daily until you have switched your dog over to the new all natural dog foods.

Using these simple guidelines you can make your dog the best all natural dog foods from your own homemade dog food recipe so your dog can enjoy optimum health. Your dog will love you for it.

Because dog foods are bought by people, dog food suppliers market to the ideas dog owners have about their dogs likes. This explains why dog foods come in different shapes and colors, with or without gravy, dry or moist, etc. Dogs do not need any of these things for the best all natural dog foods. Isn’t it interesting that pet owners spend around $13 billion annually for pet food which the majority of these dog foods are not all natural dog foods that give your dog optimum health.

Consumers Digest reported several years ago, “Few foods are so liberally laced with artificial flavors as pet foods” they also quoted sources that basically said that the only way they can get pets to eat the poor quality food is by adding phony flavors.

Would you choose artificial, poor quality for ingredients in your dog foods or would you rather choose dog foods that are all natural dog foods for your dog?

A carnivore’s system is designed to eat raw meat, one animal at a time. Your dog should digest its meal and be eliminated before any putrefaction begins. A dog’s digestive system is highly acidic, or at least it should be. Only raw meat stimulates a highly acidic system that is designed to kill unfriendly bacteria.

Ingredients in the Best All Natural Dog Foods

You will find the best all natural dog foods consist of approximately 75% organic, all natural raw meat. This can consist of beef, whole chicken or turkey wings, necks and backs as long as they are raw and fresh. When bones are old or cooked they become brittle and splinter.

The best all natural dog foods are also around 25% vegetables. This does not mean give your dog a whole, raw carrot. In the wild your dog would get these vegetable requirements from the predigested vegetables in the animal’s stomach and intestines. You can add organic vegetables to your all natural dog foods by grating them, chopping finely (like what you would find in a rabbit’s stomach) or run through a blender, food chopper or food processor.

In the wild a dog would get the water they needed from their prey, so the all natural dog foods you give your dog should be the consistency of a thick stew. The moisture content of dog foods also has an effect on maintaining healthy kidneys and bladder in your dog. Many pet owners report their dog cutting down on water consumption when being fed these types of all natural dog foods.

Most of the minerals must come in the form of supplementation today. Calcium is very important in the best all natural dog foods. Bone meal is not an acceptable source of calcium for your all natural dog foods because bones store toxins and heavy metals like lead or even mad cow disease. The other reason is the calcium to phosphorous ratio. Pets need a 2:1 ratio between calcium and phosphorus. That is, for every 2 parts of calcium in the food, there should be 1 part phosphorus. As an example, if the food contains 2 grams of calcium, the food should contain 1 gram of phosphorus. Meat is naturally low in calcium and high in phosphorus. Bone meal is not only a source of calcium, but bone meal is also a source of phosphorus, so using bone meal reverses the 2:1 ratio so that perhaps your dog’s body has a 1:3 ratio or 1 part calcium to 3 parts phosphorus. This imbalance could cause your dog health problems.

Finely ground raw egg shells are the best choice for calcium supplementation in the best all natural dog foods. They contain virtually no phosphorus and are extremely high in calcium plus they are affordable and lightweight. The best all natural dog foods will use approximately 1 tsp. finely ground raw egg shells or about 8 large eggs for every pound of meat. Raw eggs are an excellent source of meat and affordable.
Digestive enzyme supplementation are also a good ingredient in the best all natural dog foods. The four most commonly used enzymes in the best all natural dog foods are amylase that helps with the digestion of carbohydrates, protease which helps with the digestion of protein, lipase that helps with the digestion of fats and cellulase for the digestion of vegetables.

Nutritive herbs provide a blend of vital nutrients that are essential in the best all natural dog foods. Alfalfa which is an Arabic word meaning “mother of all foods, dandelion leaf, nettle, and kelp are ingredients in the best all natural dog foods. These herbs can be found in various green food powder supplements from health food stores.

The combination of these herbs in the best all natural dog foods provide such nutrients as biotin, bioflavanoids, calcium, magnesium, folic acid, iodine, iron, potassium, linolenic acid, niacin, potash, sulfur, zinc, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E. These herbs also aid in the assimilation of protein, fats and carbohydrates plus are an excellent blood purifier. They also aid the body to help detoxify the liver, clean the colon and keep the thyroid working.

Using these simple guidelines you can choose which are the best all natural dog foods to buy or how to make the best all natural dog foods available so your dog can enjoy optimum health.

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A wide range of natural pet food alternatives are offered by the Innova. Such Innova pet foods are considered as the healthiest pet food in the world. The Innova pet foods are specially designed for the animals like dogs, cats, their puppies and other pet animals.

We find a large amount of variety of foods like vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy food items like milk, grains in the Innova pet food. These kinds of food material provide balanced levels of fats, nutrients for the healthy growth of the pet animals. In Innova pet foods, we can find various categories of the pet foods like dry food for dogs, dog food that is specially stored in the cans, dry food for puppy, food for pets like cats and kittens and many more.

The well-suited Innova pet food product like dry food for dog supplies canine nutrition, which is absolute and balanced. Such dog dry foods are made by using ingredients of human-grade. Such dry dog food contains the food material like lean meats, cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables with grain. Such dry dog food is incorporated with antioxidant vitamins, fatty acids like Omega 6 and Omega 3.

This dry dog food supplies fair nutrition for all growing stages of the dog. Approximately, such dry foods that are particularly made for adult dogs from Innova are available with various packages like 33 lb, 6.6 lb and 16.5 lb.

The canned foods from Innova that are specially designed for the adult pet animals like dogs are incorporated with all types of natural nutrients and benefits of dry food for dogs which are stored in the can. These Innova pet food like canned dog foods contain the food material like mixture of chicken soup and lean meats, ample amount of fruits, vegetables, grains and potatoes which are filled with full of vitamins.

So really, you have many alternatives for feeding your pet animal like dog. These canned Innova foods for dogs also incorporated with lots of nutrients, antioxidant vitamins and provide ample amount of fatty acids like Omega 6 and 3.

All the above pet foods are completely recommended and are formulated according to nutritional criteria of the AAFCO, which stands for Association of American Feed Control Officials. Also the trial of tests for animal feeding authenticate that Innova Adult Dog Food from Innova endow with absolute and fair nutrition for all life stages of the pet animals. The packing of the canned foods for dogs from Innova are obtainable in quantity like 5.5 ounce and 13.2 ounce cans approximately.

Innova pet foods also supply the food for puppy, which is instrumental with its effective ingredients that are very simple for digestion and micronutrients that are very beneficial for satisfying the growth of the puppies.

The Innova pet foods for puppies are incorporated with chilly sunflower oil, which is pressed, chicken plump and ground flaxseed. The complete balanced of the mixture of the fatty acids are instrumental in the preservation of cell membranes and proper maintenance of skin and coat of the puppy.