Saucy Pet

Posts Tagged ‘puppy food’

After you make the decision to bring a puppy into your life, there is so much about puppy care that is necessary to learn. Attempting to keep up with all of the basic needs of a young puppy can be overwhelming, but feeding him can be easy and rewarding.

As with many prepackaged items purchased from a store, most puppy foods are full of chemicals, additives, cheap fillers, preservatives, and other unncessary ingredients. Due to this, alternative forms of puppy food have started to become increasingly popular, such as homemade puppy food.

Actually, homemade puppy food is the healthiest and safest way to feed your new pooch, and it’s really quite simple to make.

First, you should understand that a large factor in your puppy’s overall well-being is determined by the diet you choose from him. Poor ingredients in a diet can actually weaken a dog’s immune system making it difficult for them to fight off infection and disease as they age. In recent news, many pets have suffered fatal kidney failures and other deadly reactions as a direct result of commercial pet food recalls. This can be avoided if you know exactly what your puppy is digesting.

The commercial pet food companies market themselves as knowledgeable in what nutrients are needed to keep your puppy young, healthy, and strong. However, are you completely confident that the health of your dog is their number one priority? Lots of money is spent by big corporations aimed at luring pet owners into buying from them. Always keep in mind, no one will care for your puppy better than you will, so it is well worth the extra time invested in preparing homemade puppy food.

You may discover that making homemade puppy food has cost benefits as well as being healthier for yoru puppy. Using ingredients from your own meal preparations will save you a substantial amount of money by not having to purchase prepackaged dog food or special ingredients.

Be aware that even though homemade puppy food can be extremely beneficial to your pooch, some people food can be dangerous, or even deadly, to dogs. While preparing your homemade puppy food you should avoid ingredients such as chocolate, caffeine, mushrooms, raw eggs, garlic, yeast, onions, avocados, grapes/raisins, mustard seeds, macadamia/walnuts, and even tomatoes.

Have your ever browsed the dog food aisle and noticed that for different sizes and ages of dogs there are different varieties of foods? That same idea needs to be applied when developing your own homemade puppy food recipes. Small dogs need different nutrients than larger dogs and the same applies to young versus old. Proper feeding can lead to an increase in the dog’s overall lifespan.

A good rule of thumb when cooking is to make certain that each meal is at least 1/3 protein, 2/3 produce and some portion of grains. When putting together your new puppy recipes, most cooked meat like chicken, lamb, beef, eggs, bacon and liver will work fine. Peas, carrots, green beans, spinach and broccoli are all acceptable forms of produce. You can use rice, wheat germ, oats, and corn meal for grains. Don’t pass up the opportunity to make occasional treats as well using items like vanilla, butter, brown sugar, and fruit.

Canine senses are much more sensitive than ours so remember that you don’t need to season your homemade puppy food. Salt can even be harmful to your puppy. Bland and boring is better for your puppy.

Even though not all veterinarians will agree that homemade puppy food is the best choice, discussing the idea with them is still a good idea. At the very least they can give you a good idea of serving size and how often a particular breed will need to eat and what sensitivities, if any, the dog may be predisposed to. They would be able to fill in the missing details, in respect to a particular breed that you will need in order to properly formulate your very own homemade puppy food recipe.

Now that people are more sensitive to obesity rates and healthy eating, it is only natural to consider more organic substitutes for our pets as well. As your dog ages, natural food can help them stay fit and reduce the likeliness of allergies.

Making homemade puppy food for the newest edition to your family will not only save you money, but it will also reward you with the confidence that you are doing the very best job possible caring for your puppy.

When it comes to taking care of our dog, there is nothing wrong with focusing on trying to ensure that our dog receives all of the things needed to be strong, healthy, and happy. The best dog food will in most cases be different depending on what you read, but as long as you are feeding them something that contains as many natural ingredients as possible, then you are certainly on the right track. With the amount of misinformation out there, also remember that the best rated dog food is not always going to be the best dog food for your dog.

Different kinds of dogs can handle different dog food brands in a strange way. What seems to make one dog energetic and healthy may cause another to not be able to hold itself from going to the bathroom for very long. So, when you are looking for the best dog food on the market, don’t forget to remember that it may very well be a trial and error situation for some time until you actually find the best one for your pampered pet.

Places To Find The Best

If you are shopping for the most suitable dog food around you may sense that the local big box store is not the best place to begin your search. While this is merely an opinion, it is one that several dog owners have. The reason is because the local supermarkets and warehouse clubs do not seem to have the more suitable and higher quality types of dog food. Because of this, you may head right to the pet supply shop. Should you happen to stumble across the best pet food there, you might be shocked by the cost. But this is quite normal since these are largely more expensive stores.

Saving Money On Organic Dog Food

Most of us know that good quality really doesn’t come cheap. However, if you are vigilant in keeping your eyes wide open, you will most likely score a coupon or two that can save you some money. Now, it may not seem like a lot of dough compared to the overall price of the best dog food, it is much better than paying full price.

One excellent resource is Dog Food Help (http://dogfoodhelp.com). This website introduces the best healthy dog foods around, and even has an entire category discussing dog food coupons that can save you substantial dough on your next pet food purchase. You’ll also find some helpful articles on what’s best to feed your dog including a list of 10 top dog food brands, as well as what to do if your dog is too picky about food.

Go to Dog Food Help and keep your dog healthy and happy!

Is there really much of a difference in quality between “wet” (canned) and dry dog foods? Of course you know that wet food invariably costs more than an equivalent amount of dry food, but are you really paying for better ingredients when you purchase wet food for your pet? Or is wet food simply a marketing gimmick?

As an owner, you probably want to find the natural dog food you need to best assist your dog.

There are owners who believe, sometimes wrongfully so, that the wet foods are better in quality due to their expensive price tag. Seeing wet foods as “gourmet” does not mean that it is better in a dietary sense. So what are the advantages of one over the other?
Dry food works best for people who leave their food down all the time (free choice) because it won’t dry out when left sitting for long periods. It’s also less expensive per meal than canned, too. But, hey, some pets can be really picky eaters. Some will only eat certain flavors or brands of food. Others will eat only dry food, and still others will eat only wet food. By the way, unless your dog is a self-regulator (meaning he only eats to feel full and then quits), free choice isn’t a great idea as it often leads to obesity.

Most dry dog foods are corn, soybean or rice based. Some of the better brands, however, have meat or fish meal as the first listed ingredient(s). Although higher priced, nutritionally speaking, they are worth checking out.

Dry dog foods have greater caloric density – meaning there is less water in a cup of food as compared to a canned food diet. This isn’t really an issue for smaller dogs, but your larger dog will have a problem eating enough volume of canned food to fulfill their caloric needs because there is also a lot of water in the food. Generally speaking, larger dogs, meaning those that weigh over 30 pounds (13.60 kg), should be fed a dry or semi-moist food.

Usually the only difference between the dry and canned versions of food is generally the water content. Another advantage of canned food is that it is very digestible and most do not contain preservatives. Dry food is very good for the teeth, but does not get rid of tartar. For that, you brush their teeth and offer your dog acceptable things to chew on.

It may become necessary to switch from canned dog food to dry dog food. Whether finances, medical conditions, or other factors are the reason, it is important to do the switch in a smart and responsible manner.

Canned food is drastically different from dry food in many ways aside from the texture. Often times, pets will resist the change and respond by acting out or just not eating the new food. This is why it is so important to change their food in a manner that is not stressful. Most owners will slowly add dry food to the bowl and bit by bit reduce the amount of wet food present until the dog is eating only the dry food. This is perhaps the best method as it slowly introduces the dog to the new food. The same method can be used when switching from dry food to wet food.

If your dog is eating around the newly introduced food then you may need to switch brands. And if all else fails, a hungry dog will eat; just make sure that your dog is healthy enough for such a drastic measure. It is best to consult with your veterinarian before attempting to switch food.

Keep a close eye on your dog during any transitions in foods. Improperly switching foods can lead to several side effects like the ones discussed above. A change in your dogs temperament and bowel movements may also be a sign that the switch in foods is not agreeing with them. If this should happen, consult with your veterinarian.

Your choice of wet of dry food should be based not on those mouthwatering pictures on the cans or pouches of wet food, which make it look as if the ingredients could be popped into the microwave, heated and served with a salad and corn bread for a satisfying family meal. You should choose food which will give your dog an adequate amount of calories in a single serving, while providing all the nutrients he or she needs to remain happy and healthy!

Thats it for this article. Hope it was helpful to you.

The massive pet food recall of 2007 had millions of dog owners terrified that they had unwittingly been poisoning their beloved pets. If you and your dog survived that frightening time, you have undoubtedly been more careful in your choice of dog food reviews ever since.

But how is the average dog owner to know what is really going into doggie’s dish? One way to know for sure is to make your pet’s food at home, but that can be very time-consuming. The other option is to know which commercial foods are both safe and nutritious.

The question of what to feed your dog is a sensitive one as there are many different camps advocating many different ideas, facts, and theories. For many owners, the question is answered by finances.

To put is simply, if the owner can afford the dog food then that type and brand is going to go into the food bowl. While this approach may seem sensible, especially when the monthly budget is taken into consideration, it may not be best. Why feed the dog sub-par ingredients and face vet bills later on that may have been avoided in the first place by choosing the right food?

The dog foods found on most grocery store shelves, the generic or store brand ones, are not usually considered among the best foods for your pet. More often than not, these brands are full of ingredients that are lower in quality and inexpensive. While these brands provide a cheaper alternative to the other brands, they are generally not recommended. A quick glance at the ingredients can provide an example of lower quality food.

Generic meat ingredients without a specific species named is not a good thing to feed a dog. Avoid phrases such as “meat byproducts” or “meat and bone meal”. Look for brands that do list the animal that they use as an ingredient, like “chicken meal” or “beef”.

Also, avoid any brands that list corn as their main ingredient. You are feeding a dog, after all, not a pig or an elephant.

But, you say, Fido is delighted with the store brand food, which retails for half of what the brand names do? That’s because Fido’s been tricked. Chemicals have been added to that food, creating a pleasing color and aroma which Fido finds irresistible. These chemicals are easy enough to spot if you know what you are looking for. Coloring agents, drying agents, and texturizers are just some of the tell-tale ingredients that should cause you to sit up and take notice.

There are, of course, premium commercial dog foods which provide the highest grade ingredients free of harmful additives, and in another newsletter we’ll explore how to find them. But they will cost a premium price, and if you are a hands-on dog owner, you might be more interested in preparing your pet’s meals yourself.

This option of making pet food at home has become more and more popular over the past few years as it allows owners to choose directly what is going into their dog’s bowl. Feeding doggie home made food, however, does not mean allowing them to dine on the family’s leftovers.

It means researching the proper balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats for your dog, and finding the foods which will provide them in an easily digestible form. One of the best known homemade diets for the canine set is the BARF diet.

And now–what does BARF stand for? Seems you can say it stands for a couple of things, but the most often cited explanation is Bones And Raw Food. The other one floating around on the Internet is Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which is attributed to Dr. Ian Billinghurst, one of the original Barfers.

The BARF Diet is suitable for many dogs but it takes time and dedication on the owner’s part. While there are noticeable differences between the BARF diet and a diet based on commercial dog foods, the purpose of both diets is to provide the dog with the best nutrients possible.

BARF is about feeding a biologically appropriate diet for a dog that is made up of raw whole foods like those eaten by their ancestors. This would include muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat and vegetable materials and any other foods that mimic what the wild ancestors ate.

The BARF diet, however, is not neccesarily the best method of feeding your dog and it takes a great amount of time to prepare and research the foods.

Conversely, commercial brand dog foods have undergone several tests to insure that they are compatible with the dietary needs of the dog. Basically, a dog will receive just about the same benefits of the BARF diet if he remains on a commercial diet and may even receive more nutrients that way.

The important thing you, as a dog owner, should know is that commercial dog food is not all the same. You can learn much more about what is in each can, pouch, or bag of dog food by becoming profficient label reading, and the AAFCO standards. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what’s right for your pet.

Due to the various brands and types of dog food, choosing one can be difficult. First of all let’s talk about what dried dog food is and how it compares to other types of dog food.

Dried dog food has been cooked or baked into hard small biscuit pieces. It is a good and complete source of nutrition and the crunching and chewing of the dried food acts like an abrasive against the teeth, removing plaque and stimulating the gums it can help keep teeth and gums in good condition. Complete dried dog food is easy to serve because you simply pour the required measurement into the dog’s bowl and it tends not to smell like the wet, canned dog foods.

Most leading dog food manufacturers such as Arden Grange Dog Food develop many ranges of their dog food depending on whether your dog is puppy, adult, senior, specific breed or even having a sensitive stomach. But which food is the best for your puppy or adult dog?

If your dog is aged up to 18 months look at the different brands of food for puppies. These are usually non-breed specific because puppy food contains different levels of ingredients. Like human babies, ALL puppies need more of certain nutrients and less of others. Puppy food can also be split by size of the breed i.e. small (e.g. Shih Tzu), medium (e.g. Border Collie) and large (e.g. Bull Mastiff). So by now you should at least be able to narrow the choice down by the age and size of the breed of your puppy.

Many dog food manufacturers split their ranges by specific breeds and size of breeds so choosing food for an adult dog is sometimes a little easier depending on what your priorities are. If you decide to simply go off the size of your dogs breed, all that is left is narrowing down the manufacturer and maybe the flavour of dog food such as chicken, beef or rabbit (which does tend to be the dogs preference which is where samples come in handy!). Or opt for ranges specifically developed for breeds such as labrador food.

The other factors that can be considered in your choice include personal preference. Brands such as Skinners are animal friendly i.e. animals were not used during the development of the product in what some animal rights organisations consider to be cruel conditions. Price is also an important factor. Your dog could get an upset stomach or even go on ‘hunger strike’ if you were to switch brands due to cost. So make sure you look at what you will have to spend on a regular basis and if you will be able to keep that up.

Handy hint: Many households have more than one dog so why not try to get them all on the same brand.