Feeding Your Dog On The Go

Do you travel frequently with your dog? Anyone who has done so know that feeding on the go can be a very tricky task. Here are some tips......

Traveling with Kibble

For those who's dog eats a commercial kibble diet, remember to bring plenty of the same brand of dog food for the duration of the trip. Make to sure also keep them in well-sealed containers so that moisture and dirt won't come in contact with the food.

Useful Travel Supplements and First Aid Items

Holistic Blend Seagreens Powder - This is an excellent organic source supplement that will help with chronic ear infections, dry skin, hypothyroid, excessive shedding, and lack of energy.

Holistic Blend Food Booster - Food Booster is great for dogs and cats of any age and activity level. It is great for boosting the immune system, and is a fat and protein enhancer.

Holistic Blend Herbal Calmer - The Herbal Calmer will help settle mental and physical nerves. It is made with drug-free and natural ingredients. This is great for bring with you if you are travelling with pets.



Sources of Information:

Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs: The definitive guide to Homemade Meals by Lew Olson, PhD.

http://www.holisticblend.com/

Spring Naturals Dog Food

Spring Naturals Dog Food

This is fantastic dog food made to really help the natural pH levels in your dogs body. They dont use any meat meals, just Whole prey.

NO: corn, wheat, soy, gluten, by-products, starchy carbs

Comes in a variety of protein sources, grain free and grain diets.

Grain free & Grain Diets : Lamb, Beef, Chicken, Salmon, Turkey

Is You Dog A "Picky Eater"

Why Isn't Your Dog Eating?

Dogs may lose their appetite for many reasons: They may be turned off of eating after recovering from an illness, others because of certain medications, and possibly due to bodily changes as well.

What Can you do?

As mentioned above, there are many possible reasons why your dog's appetite has changed. The first thing you should do is to take your dog to a vet for a blood panel, urinalysis, and check-up for any serious problems. If problems do arise, special diets and changes in the way you prepare meals could possibly help.

Appetite-Inducing Foods

An effective technique for dogs who have lost their appetite is to offer foods most tempting to their palates - foods that are high in fat, such as:

• Parmesan cheese sprinkled on dog food.
• Baby food
• Canned salmon or sardines
• Cooked or boiled ground beef

Just be sure to stay away from highly spiced foods as it may cause upset stomachs. If you need any ideas and suggestions on what to feed your dog, be sure to visit your local pet store and ask the associates!

Tips For Those "Picky Eaters"

• Give your dog plenty of exercise, such as throwing a ball, daily walks, or going to the park. Exercise can help promote their appetites.
• Feed your dog on a regular schedule and stick to it. You dog will become hungry during those times and anticipate their meal.
• Don't hover over your dog anxiously, waiting to see if he or she will eat. Try to act nonchalant by just putting the bowl down and turning away, or go to another room. We sometimes unwittingly teach our dogs not to eat through our own behaviour.

Source of information: Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs: The definitive guide to Homemade Meals by Lew Olson, PhD.

Raw and Natural Nutrition Diets for Dogs

So many people today believe that feeding a raw diet is unacceptable. In fact, its quite easy to do, and readily available in many pet stores. Raw is the most natural way to feed your dog, and if you buy it pre done in your pet store, those diets are usually a complete meal and fully balanced. 

 

After feeding a raw natural diet, you'll start to see results in no time. Expect to see shinier coats, more energy, healthier skin and overall better health.

Here's what you'll need if your going to make raw yourself:

Freezer : for larger dogs especially, you will end up purchasing most of the raw meat in bulk making it more economical for you.

Scissors: meat cutting scissors to be exact, this way you can cut meat like chicken and ribs in to pieces

Plastic bins, containers, or zip locks: these are to store the meat in the freezer and great for thawing and portioning

Mixing Bowls: just to mix all the ingredients together

Knives: great to prepare raw meals, these go along with the scissors

Refrigerator space: the perfect and safest way to thaw meats that you've previously frozen from buying in bulk 

Food scale: used to measure food until you get familiar to what constitutes proper serving sizes

Meat grinder: usually used for toy and small breed dogs

Ingredients you'll need:(50-75% of meal is animal protein)

Holiday Plants..Toxic or Not?

Poinsettias, amaryllis, mistletoe, and holly .. do you know which ones are toxic to your pets and which aren't?

Poinsettias: these are the most common and popular festive plants and are very popular gifts and decorations. 

These plants are not as toxic as everyone thinks they are, the idea dates back almost a century, when an urban legend claimed a toddler died after eating a leaf from on of these plants.  According to Pet Poison Helpline and the ASPCA, these plants are not that lethal. 

The sap does contain diterpenoid euphorbol esters and caponin-like detergents, chemicals that when ingested may cause vomiting, drooling or diarrhea. Skin reactions such as redness, swelling, and itching may also occur. If your pet did eat this plant, they would get mildly ill, but it wont kill them.


Mistletoe: Some sources say European mistletoe is more toxic than American Mistletoe's and vise versa. The ASPCA warns that mistletoe can also cause erratic behavior, a dangerously low heart rate and possibly even cardiovascular collapse. 

The glycoprotein lectins that mistletoe produces can cause cell death by hindering protein synthesis in the body.

Whatever you have heard about mistletoe, be on caution and keep it out of reach for your pet.

Holly and Ivy: From english and European holly to winterberry and American holly, they are have some sort of toxicity. The berries are mildly poisonous, but consumption of the whole plant can do damage to your pets digestive system. Part of this is due to the spiny points on the leaves, which can cause iritation to the stomach and intestines, but the plants also contain toxic saponins, methyxanthines and cyanogens that lead to serious GI upset. 

Like Holly, the ivy family has many different varieties, but they also contain toxins that can harm your pet. Even if dropped leaves are dead, be sure to pick these up. Vomiting, diarrhea, GI pain, and salivation are signs of ivy toxicity.

Amaryllis: These striking plans are a favorite with many indoor gardeners, especially at this time of year. These bulb-grown plants contain naturally-occurring chemicals such as lycorine that can be toxic to your pet. 

The bulb itself is the most poisonous, but other parts of the plant can also cause reactions if ingested. Along with GI upset, amaryllis may cause drooling, depression and tremors. Put this plant on a high shelf away from your pet.

Christmas cactus: This is probably the safer holiday plant. The ASPCA lists Christmas cactus as non-toxic to pets. 

Still allow for caution, some people have reported that they pets have become slightly ill, while others say their pets have ate the entire plant with no upsets. 

Source: Animal Wellness Magazine, Volume 15, Issue 6 www.animalwellnessmagazine.com

petMD Article on Pet Food Labels

A survey on pet nutrition finds some pet owners are unsure about how to properly feed their pets. 

petMD recently completed a survey about pet nutrition, which found a portion of pet owner are confused about the nutritional needs for their pets.

petMD spokeswoman, Dr. Jennifer Coates states that this knowledge gap is worrisome but also represents an opportunity for improving the health and longevity of our beloved companion animals.

The survey states that pet owners are: Misunderstanding terms; Feeding trial importance; Misidentifying potential allergies; Are Unaware of balanced nutrition; and Skeptical of label accuracy.

"Misconceptions labeled on the food can lead owners to make ill-informed choice about what to feed their companions. Coates states that veterinarians are the best source of information about what to feed pets.

Veterinarians can take into consideration a pet’s unique combination of pet’s life stage, lifestyle and health to make individualized diet recommendations. You can also visit your local pet store to see if the staff there is able to help out.

Pet owners confused on pet nutrition, petfood labeling,petMD finds

Caring for Senior dogs Part 2

Some other things to watch for as your dog ages is signs of diminishing hearing or eye sight.

   for example, sleeping more soundly than usual or ignore noises such as the noise of squeak of toy. 

As dogs age, eyesight may get poor. At your routine vet visit make sure your vet is performing a full eye exam to ensure that your dog isn't having any eye issues such as cataracts. However never be discouraged about this if it can’t be improved medically, most pets adapt to use other senses.

Blueberries and broccoli are a great treat to feed to aid in eyesight. 

For your senior dog with health issues such as diabetes, kidney failure, or liver disease, your dog will require special diets to assist in treatment. There are many great options at the local pet store, although sometimes feeding a veterinarians diet is best. If your dog has a heart problem, then feed lower-calorie foods to keep their weight down as well as lower-sodium formulations. Higher-fiber foods are also helpful for diabetic and constipated dogs. Giving your dog foods that contain glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate may help with arthritis and joint pain.

Senior Dog Food:Meeting Aging Canines’ Nutritional Needs

Telltale Signs of Aging - How to Keep Your Pet More Youthful...

Caring for Senior Dogs Part 1

Same as humans, a dog’s ability of hearing, sight, mobility, skin condition, appetite and energy levels, ill decrease or worsen in age.

When your dog is getting older and slower, there are a few things you may worry about, such as weight gain, joint pain, and loss of interest in food. When your pet ages, its eating habit and dietary needs can change.

At what age is a dog considered senior? Well, the different breeds and body weights result in different answers. Usually giant breeds have a shorter life expectancy being 7-9 years old, medium and large breeds are seniors at 7 but have a life expectancy of 10-14, and smaller dogs are known to live longer than the rest, approximately 14+ years old. 

Experts suggest that lower-calorie diets help prevent obesity in dogs, and higher-fiber diets are to improve gastrointestinal health. Because a dog’s energy requirement get lower the older they are (usually), giving the suitable food for the different stages will better the dog’s health.

Another tip for senior dogs is giving the right snacks, such as low-fat, low-sodium treats. Giving some vegetables instead of bones and milk biscuits are great alternatives, try raw broccoli or carrots. The expert states that most dogs like carrots and apple slices.

Senior Dog Food: Meeting Aging Canines’ Nutritional Needs

Beaver County Times – The world world’s oldest pooch dies

Longevit of British breeds of dog and its relationships with-sex, size, cardiovascular variables and disease