Caffeine is arguably their arch-rival. Foods containing this drug such as chocolate, coffee, or tea, should not go anywhere near your dog for they can cause death. A substance within caffeine called theobromine causes cardiac arrest by affecting your dog’s nervous system.

Stone fruits like apricots and cherries are also bad for your dog and can hurt his or her stomach. Although the fatal ingredient is unknown they can severely affect the internal organs

You should never give your dog cat food, even if you run out of his treats. They are made with different ingredients and cat food has far too many proteins and fatty acids. Cat food could make your dog serious sick or even kill him.

Another thing you should avoid giving your dog is macadamia nuts as they can be dangerous. Even small amounts can cause problems with the digestive system and his nerves. Also, it can have a degenerative affect on his musculature.

Many dogs have allergies that you should know about, particularly from products containing wheat. Most dog food brands come with a wheat-free dog food so that your dog can eat without suffering adverse side effects.

Think wisely about the human food you give your dog. If you’re worried or unsure about the effect it could have on your pet, don’t give it to them.

The foods listed above are just samples of what you could potentially find in your kitchen that you did not know could be harmful to your dog.

This writer has been writing on pets for the past five years. In addition, the individual enjoys blogging on other things, like the advantages of having a strong wireless connection along with commentary on cheap routers.

These dog dietary supplements are actually nutritional vitamins, minerals and enzymes that your pet isn’t able to assimilate from the processed food. Thus definitely you understand how important it is so that you can provide your pet dog precisely what he needs in order to be balanced and happy and also dwell a long life.

There are tons of dog supplements available on the market in numerous forms. Desiccated liver for example supplies Iron and B vitamins. The Norwegian Kelp is a natural seaweed and a very good dog supplement, full of vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E. One particular natural dog supplement you could find odd will be plain bee pollen. This is containing more minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Lecithin, calcium mineral, yeast, flax seeds and others, are also beneficial for your pets welfare.

Not alone will your pet dog have a more healthy heartbeat, a healthy nervous system, a robust defense mechanisms, well balanced hormones, good digestive function worms free, healthy bones and teeth, but he’ll turn out great as well. Dog supplements possess the property to help maintaining a healthy and shiny hair and soft itch-less skin.

One thing you might want to keep in mind when buying dog supplements is to read the label carefully and avoid the ones that contain grains as some dogs might be allergic to them. Also it is best to consult a specialist before deciding what to buy as he will know exactly what dog supplements to prescribe you puppy according to his age, condition, training level and so on. You could also try consulting the Internet as there are many supplements that you can buy online nowadays.

If you want this short article pertaining to dog food supplement, then most certainly check out this useful website about dog supplement.

You know how uncomfortable it can be for anyone that suffers from allergies. People tend to break out it skin rashes, and so do dogs. They can also have reactions to food additives, dyes, or pesticide residues. These bothersome ingredients are often found in dog foods of all kinds. You may be buying premium food, but it can contain things that will cause allergic reactions. One common symptom of food allergies is continuous scratching. If your dog has been itching recently, you should consult your veterinarian to rule out illness, and then you might try some organic food to see if the itching disappears.

Overweight pets, or pets that lack energy can often be helped by simply switching to a natural diet. May dogs do better when fed an organic diet because they eat less. The organics are filled with nutrients that curb hunger, so a dog can eat less and feel satisfied. That helps them to lose weight.

In the same way that we hope to eat well to live longer, we can help our dogs to do the same. Better nutrition may help your pet to also live a longer and happier life. We can help our pets to get the nutrition they need by feeding them organic foods.

Keeping a strong immune system is one important part of staying well. You know the importance of including vitamins and minerals in your diet to enhance your body’s ability to fight off illness. You can also help your animal companion to have a strong immune system by feeding it the most well-balanced diet possible. Your dog will benefit from good vitamins and minerals.

Just think about that last meal that upset your stomach. You were probably burping, passing gas, or had a nasty attack of vomiting. For a dog, foods can irritate their stomachs and cause exactly the same symptoms. The best solution is to eat foods with better ingredients that will not upset stomachs. You know how that feels, and dog do too.

In Conclusion

If you truly want to provide the best food for the favorite family member, then you may want to choose an organic dog food. The ingredients are filled with good nutrition to help keep your friend healthy for a longer life. Your family may then enjoy the company of your best friend much longer.

Learn more on Flint River Ranch Pet Food and Flint River Ranch Dog Food.

On the average, a dog needs about 25 calories per pound of body weight per day to maintain a stable weight. Inactive dogs, neutered dogs, or those that live in  warm climates require less caloric intake, while active or working dogs, active puppies such as Rottweiler Puppies may require a higher amount depending on their activity.  However, small dogs that are under 20 pounds can take in as many as 40 calories per pound of body weight while dogs that are a 100 pounds or over may get by with as little as 15 calories per pound per day.

It is important to make sure that your dog isn’t eating too much.  Overweight dogs can easily be susceptible to a number of health problems.  As a dog owner it is our responsibility maintain our dogs at a healthy weight.  A dog can only have so many calories each day, therefore it is important that those calories have nutritional value and at the same time provide bulk and are appealling to its pallet.  If you feed your dog homemade dog food, some calculations will have to be made to determine the caloric content of the prepared meals.  Making sure your dog eats healthy foods will help contribute to its quality of life and longevity.

A homemade dog food diet can be adjusted to fit your dog’s needs and it can also assure you that your dog is eating healthy.  A dog in good health will eat at any time.  So don’t fall for his pleading and begging behavior as an indicator of how much to feed him.  Dogs can react in different ways to a change in diet. Study your dog’s reactions to the different ingredients being used.  Protein is one of the major sources of energy for your dog.  Fiber will help your dog feel fuller and also fuels the body so they can enjoy life and stay young.  Meats, fruits, vegetables and grains are all sources of carbohydrates.  It is exttremely important for you to know how many carbohydrates your dog is ingesting, especially if they are diabetic.

Below is a general guideline for caloric requirements for dogs:

Knowing how many calories he needs and how that translates into food will help keep him trim and healthy.  A good rule of thumb would be to keep their calories at 60% of the normal requirement.  Avoid low quality foods that use corn syrups and other sources of refined sugars.  Do not feed an adult dog food intended for a puppy.  Besides making him very fat, it can have some severe consequences.  Feeding your dog more natural foods can be more beneficial to its health.  Many dogs enjoy meals that are made or mixed up with eggs, yogurt, fresh fruit and vegetables, kelp and flax seed meal.

Always consult your veterinarian when thinking of changing your dog’s diet.  Inform your vet of why you feel your dog needs a new diet and always ask for his recommendations . Make sure you understand about dog food nutrition and caloric requirements, and how your new diet will properly supply your dog’s needs.

B.A.R.F. is believed to promote longevity, reproductive capability, and our dogs’ overall health. Once the fundamentals of this type of diet are understood, any dog owner can implement the diet in caring for his dogs. No highly specialized form of education is required.

B.A.R.F. feeding is comprised of 60% meaty bones and 40% organic foods and other dog food ingredients. The meaty bones portion should be made up of 60%-70% raw chicken bones and 30%-40% bones from raw rabbit, lamb, pork, venison, beef, etc.

The organic portion of the diet should be about 60%-70% green leafy vegetables with about 20%-30% grain and starchy vegetables. The diet’s offal portion of kidneys, livers, and hearts should make up about 5%-15%. Owners can add raw eggs a few times a week or as desired.

Administering B.A.R.F. in your dog’s diet also has its benefits to dog owners. The most important of all is that you reduce or are totally spared from veterinary bills. Obesity can be a major problem when it comes to dogs but feeding them B.A.R.F. dog food recipes ensures that it maintains a healthy weight.

B.A.R.F. feeding naturally cleans you dog’s teeth, promotes fresher breath, and shinier coats. A bad stomach ache, arthritis, allergies, skin conditions, and other health problems can be avoided if you switch from commercial dog foods to B.A.R.F. feeding. People who have tried it say that their pets have better appetite and are more energetic. This type of diet can easily be customized to meet the needs of your dog.

There are many views and theories on what is the best dog food.  In general however, to many pet owners it all boils down to cost.  If we can afford it then that will be the dog food brand we will feed our dogs.  Unfortunately this may not be the best course of action to take.  Price is not a sound qualifier for choosing a commercial dog food.  Feeding our dogs sub par ingredients from “discount dog foods” may save us money, but in the long run we will wind up paying higher veterinary bills when our dogs get sick.  So what are we to do?

First off we can start by being more careful when it comes to inspecting the ingredients found on dog food labels.  Generic brands are not considered a good choice.  Most generic brands use poor quality ingredients.  We should avoid any generic meat ingredients that do not mention a specific species, and avoid such phrases as “meat by-products” and “meat and bone meal” and any brands that use corn as the main ingredient.  Looking for dog food brands that use “chicken or beef meal” is the way to go.

Generic or discount dog foods use many chemicals to enhance the taste of that particular food.  These chemicals only disguise what is really in the food and fool your dog into preferring it.  We should be on the look out such things as texturizers, coloring agents and drying agents.  Avoid any brands that lists these as dog food ingredients.  Premium dog foods use a higher grade of ingredients free from additives but of course at a higher price.  If you are truly into caring for your dog, then you might consider preparing your dog’s food using your own ingredients.

Since the pet food recall making your dog’s food from a collection of homemade dog food recipes has become more popular.  Making these recipes does require some research and extra work,  but with this option we are in control of our dog’s nutrition.  Proper dog food nutrition involves providing our dogs with the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.  One of the best dog food recipes to use is Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s BARF diet .

The idea of the B.A.R.F. diet is to feed our dogs raw whole foods just like their ancestors.  This diet consists of muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat and vegetables.  It does take a considerable amount of time to make these preparations.  Premium commercial dog foods have gone through considerable research in providing the necessary nutrition a dog needs and may have more nutrients  than those found through the BARF diet.

So if we truly care for our dogs, we as dog owners have just two choices.  Either prepare homemade dog food so that we know exactly what our dog is eating, or  buy a premium dog food.  With the second choice we should spend more time in learning about dog food labels and the AAFCO standards. It’s all up to us.

]]> http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/commercial-or-homemade-dog-food/feed/ 1 http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/how-to-read-dog-food-labels/ http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/how-to-read-dog-food-labels/#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:06:45 +0000 mythbstr http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/?p=1

Only you, the dog owner, has your dog’s health and well being in mind.  The benefits of making a wholesome well balanced dog food will promote a healthier skin and coat, strong well developed bones, defined muscle tone, bright clear eyes, healthier teeth and gums,firmer stools, and hopefully fewer trips to your Vet.

To be able to determine what is the best food to feed your dog when making dog food recipes it is a good idea to first learn how to read dog food labels properly.  In this way you can compare the ingredients in the food you make your dog to what is in the manufactured dog food brands.

Most commercial dog foods are very generalized in their labeling procedures because they are targeting a wide customer base. Not all commercial dog foods are bad, but it is important to understand that most of these products fall short in key nutrients needed for the vitality and health of the dog. Many are loaded with fillers that provide no nutritional benefit whatsoever.
So lets read through a dog food label  and see what ingredients are being used and how we can improve on them when we  make our own dog food recipes.

A dog food label consists of ingredients, an analysis and feeding instructions.  We will only concerm ourselves with the ingredients for the purpose of this exercise.

The List of ingredients
Ingredients are listed in weight order.  However pet food manufacturers can disguise the less desirable ingredients by breaking them down into several ingredient catagories.  Read all the ingredients carefully especially the preservatives and food colorings.  To develop a good dog food recipe here is a list of the most common ingredients used.

Meat:
This is the clean flesh of a slaughtered animal. However, the flesh can include striated skeletal muscle, tongue, diaphragm, heart and esophagus, For our purpose we would want to use chicken or fish which contain the highest percentages of protein.

Meat By-products:
These are the clean parts of slaughtered animals such as lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bone, and stomach and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth, or hooves.  We have no need for meat by-products in our dog food recipes but it is good to be aware of what this term truly implies implies.

Poultry By-products:
As in meat by-products these are the clean parts of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, and internal organs.  It does not contain feathers.  Again not for us to be concerned.

Chicken or Fish Meal:
This is the clean ground tissue of undecomposed whole chicken or fish or their cuttings, with or without the oil extracted.

Beef Tallow:
This is fat derived from beef.

Ground Corn:
This is the entire corn kernel ground or chopped.

Corn Gluten Meal:
This is the by-product of corn syrup or starch, and is the dried residue after the removal of the bran, germ, and starch.  Pet food manufacturers use this as a filler.  We cab use this in our recipes but in small amounts.

Brewers Rice:
This is the small fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from larger kernels of milled rice and also used as a filler ingredient.

Brown Rice:
This is the unpolished rice left over after the kernels have been removed.  This we can use for our recipes because it provides nutrional value to our dog food preparations.

Soybean Meal:
This is a by-product of the production of soybean oil.

BHA:
This is butylated hydroxyanisole, a fat preservative.

Ethoxyquin:
This is a chemical preservative that is used to prevent spoilage in dog food.

Tocopherols:
These are naturally occurring compounds used as natural preservatives.

As you can see there are very few ingredients listed on any dog food labels that are useful for our purpose.  All we really need to make a good meal for our dogs is chicken or fish, certain vegetables and maybe a small amount of corn gluten to help in digestion.  To learn more about dog food nutrition and dog food ingredients read the appropriately named articles on this site.