Increase Your Dog’s Health
Provide a Good Healthy Diet
You finally decided to buy a dog. How excited and happy your family must feel. Learn what healthy food you can feed your dog. The proper diet for my dog will help you with the biggest decisions and the most important one is to determine the food you will be feeding him and his sleeping place in the home or apartment.
Pet parents must ensure that they provide their pets with a balanced diet which is essential in keeping your dog healthy. Just like humans, having a good diet is important for better health, so it is with your pet. The proper diet for my dog will assist you in making the best decision on your dog’s food.
You must become familiar with his nutrition, vitamin and mineral needs before buying his food. All dogs have the same needs regarding their nutrition. New pet parents must be aware and know how to read the dog food labels. Knowing this, will help them to determine that the food is going to provide the best nutrition their pet needs on a daily basis. Another factor to consider is not all dog food is the same.
Before choosing the brand or type of dog food, be sure to take into consideration their size, breed, and age before choosing a specific diet for your dog. Another point, never feed your pet any table scraps as they are extremely unhealthy for your dog and lack the nutrition your dog needs for good health. Make sure that you feed your dog at the same time your family eats. This should prevent him from begging for table scraps from other family members.
Another huge factor in pet food is to learn about which ingredients to avoid when choosing your dog’s food. The link will provide information on the bad ingredients that manufacture’s use when making dog food. This is whether you select wet (canned) or dry (kibble), as some ingredients are just not good for your dog to eat.
If you are interested in providing your own pet’s food, here is an excellent website with some great dog food recipes you can use. A lot more pet parents are doing this knowing that the food being fed to their pet is healthy, nutritious and has the proper well balanced diet which includes the vitamins and minerals they need. However, this form of feeding can be more expensive than kibble and canned food.
The following topics will be covered: vitamins, proteins & fatty acids, minerals and carbohydrates, healthy treats, over feeding your dog, and a balanced diet.
- Vitamins
- Proteins & Fatty Acids
- Minerals & Carbohydrates
- Healthy Treats
- Over Feeding Your Dog
- Balanced Diet
- Here Are Some Ideas To Provide The Proper Diet For Your Pet
Watch this short video on pet nutrition.
Vitamins
Vitamins are important to maintain your dog’s healthy immune system. The vitamins you should consider in his food are A, B, D, E & K. Vitamin C is important. However, the dog’s body naturally provides 18mg of C per each pound of his weight. So, you don’t have to add any additional vitamin C supplements into his food. This also is true for vitamin B. His body stores this as well so he won’t need B supplements.
The other vitamins (A, D, E, & K) are not naturally produced by his body and must be provided by the food he is being feed. Be sure that the food you buy has these missing vitamins. Or, you will need to add these vitamins as additional supplements into his food.
Excellent vitamin sources to look for:
- Vitamin A: Liver, fish liver oil, carrots, green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, yellow fruits.
- Vitamin D: Is only found naturally in animals and animal products. Halibut and cod liver oil, saltwater fish, cheese, yogurt, eggs.
- Vitamin E: Wheat germ, corn, nuts, seeds, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, asparagus, vegetable oils.
- Vitamin K: Cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, cereals, soybeans, and other vegetables.
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Wheat germ, rice and other whole grains, lean meats (especially pork), liver, fish, yeast, dried beans, peas, and soybeans.
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Lean meats, liver, fish, eggs, yeast, cheese, legumes, nuts, green leafy vegetables.
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin): Liver, lean meat, poultry, fish, nuts, yeast, legumes, asparagus, seeds, green leafy vegetables.
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): Eggs, fish, lean beef, legumes, yeast, broccoli and other vegetables in the cabbage family, white and sweet potatoes.
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Meat, fish, eggs, bananas, whole grains.
- Vitamin B8 (Biotin): Bananas, cauliflower, egg yolks, legumes, mushrooms, nuts, sardines, and Swiss chard.
- Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid, Folate): Carrots, yeast, liver, egg yolks, melon, apricots, pumpkin, beans, rye and whole wheat, green leafy vegetables.
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin, Cyanocobalamin): Fish, liver, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese.
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, cauliflower, potatoes, green leafy vegetables, green peppers.
Protein & Fatty Acids
Protein
Your dog should have a high amount of protein in his food. It should be the largest source of calories being provided by the food he consumes. Be sure that the source of this protein is meat sources and not fillers. Fillers do not have any nutritional value for your dog. Food with fillers should not be given to your pets. Look at the first ingredient. If it’s not meat, do not buy that brand of dog food. Look for another product.
Protein amounts are the highest in puppies and should be 28%. Adult dogs should have 18% protein levels. If you have a performance dog increase his protein level to 25%.
High protein food sources in dog food:
- Eggs
- Fish
- Real Meat
- Meat Meal
- Cheese
- Corn and Wheat
Fatty Acids
Fatty acids are important for his skin and hair condition. You can find fatty acids in Omega-3 and Omega-6 sources. You should be able to find these items in the ingredient list by looking on the nutrition label that’s printed on the package. Don’t buy any product that does not contain these nutrients.
Good sources of fatty acids (Omega-3’s and Omega-6’s):
- Omega-3 Ingredient sources: wild caught fish or salmon, salmon meal, or trout.
- Omega-6 Ingredient sources: corn, safflower, sunflower, canola, and olive oil.
Minerals & Carbohydrates
Minerals
Minerals are also important for your pet just as in humans. The minerals the dog food should have are the following: calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. If the food you buy lacks any of these minerals, you will need to add them through supplements. Supplements can be purchased in any pet store. You may also want to consider looking at other dog food brands to see if they contain these minerals.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are also needed in his diet. Look for items such as brown rice, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in the ingredient list. These items provide healthy digestion and bowel movements.
Here are some sources of carbohydrates:
- Barley (pearled)
- Oats (or whole oats)
- Brown rice
- Whole wheat
- Whole corn
- Potato (or sweet potato)
- Millet
Healthy Dog Treats
Besides looking for the best quality food for your dog, don’t forget about the treats you will be using for his training sessions. Do not use table scrapes for treats because most table scrapes do not have sufficient nutrition in them.
Look for treats that are high in protein and low in carbs. Avoid bones from chicken and pork as these can choke your dog. Use a good beef bone that has the excess fat removed. Some good homemade treats you can use are: freeze dried liver, turkey strips, and Charlee Bear snacks.
Remember, treats should not consume more than 10% of your dog’s total diet for the day. If you fail to consider this, you may be increasing his chances in becoming obese and obesity is dangerous for all dogs.
Over Feeding Your Dog
It is extremely important that you do not over feed your dog even though it may be tempting at times. This is one of the major causes of obesity in pets. Obesity in dogs will cause them to develop health issues over time and he can get some serious health related diseases. So, when you see your dog gaining weight, you must begin a diet to help him lose the weight. This can be done slowly over a period of time.
Contact your veterinarian to help you plan a weight reduction schedule.
Balanced Diet
Your dog’s balanced food diet should consist of the following:
- Meat 55%: This is beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, fish and eggs (No fillers).
- Veggies 20%: No fillers all natural or organic vegetables.
- Grains & Carbohydrates 25%: Gluten and wheat free grains and organic are the most healthy.
Be sure when you read the dog food label printed on the package that meat is listed as the first ingredient. It should not be any fillers but only 100% meat. Fillers do not have any nutritional value and manufactures use them to help bring the cost of the food down. Do not be tempted to buy food with fillers in them.
Look for only organic and healthy dog food. It will go a long way to give them better health and they will live a lot longer. It’s been estimated that feeding poor dog food will reduce the living age of a dog by up to two years. So, feed your dog only the best quality and healthiest dog food.
Here Are Some Ideas To Provide The Proper Diet For Your Pet
With this information, you can take concrete steps. Here are some great options:
Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet
Ancestors and canine cousins of our dogs didn’t eat “crunchy kibble” or “meat ‘n gravy in a can.” They ate what they found or caught… and it wasn’t cooked or “enriched” either! It was high in protein, with balanced fats, and usually included a few fruits, vegetables and grasses. Steve Brown, an expert on canine nutrition, shows how you can bring the benefits of the canine ancestral diet to your dog by feeding him differently as little as just one day a week. And no, you won’t need to lead a pack of dogs on a hunting expedition! Just follow Steve’s well-researched and easy to follow ABCs to make improvements to whatever your dog currently eats.
The Barf Diet
Feed your dogs and cats the way Mother Nature intended by eliminating grains and feeding them a BARF, Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, diet. Australian veterinarian, Dr. Ian Billinghurst, long-time champion and international lecturer on the benefits and how-to of feeding raw foods to pets, explains in simple, understandable terms why and how to feed your animals for optimum health.
Raw Dog Food
Many dog parents, including breeders and competitors, believe that feeding a raw food diet has improved their dogs’ health, performance and longevity. Learn how to source, prepare and feed your dog simply, economically and efficiently.
Feed Your Best Friend Better
If you would not eat processed food, why feed it to your dog? The Dog Food Dude’s essential nutrition book for dogs is the only one you’ll need, with guidelines, charts, tips, and more than 85 easy recipes for healthy dishes to help your best friend live a long and happy life.From Rick Woodford, the “Dog Food Dude” himself, comes Feed Your Best Friend Better, with easy recipes that will make even humans drool a little bit. Healthy food can enable dogs to live longer, healthier lives, just as it can for humans, and with these meals, treats, and cookies, dogs will never miss commercial kibble.
Feed Your Best Friend Better
If you wouldn’t eat processed food, why feed it to your dog? The Dog Food Dude’s essential nutrition book for dogs is the only one you’ll need, with guidelines, charts, tips, and more than 85 easy recipes for healthy dishes to help your best friend live a long and happy life.
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Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Treats – Chicken Recipe
Real chicken is the #1 ingredient. Small size and large flavor make the perfect training treat that has less than 3 1/2 calories per treat. Wholefood cherries and savory rosemary and turmeric help maintain a healthy lifestyle for your pet. It’s made in the USA and free from wheat, corn and soy.
Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Treats – Savory Salmon Recipe
Real salmon is the #1 ingredient. It’s small size and great flavor make for the perfect training treat. It contains only 3 1/2 calories per treat. It’s made in the USA and is wheat, corn and soy free, which is great for his health.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dog Treats – Lamb & Apples Recipe
BLUE Stix are moist and meaty rolls of pure joy for all treat-loving canines. The perfect reward for good behavior, or just for being a loyal friend, BLUE Stix have a taste that dogs can’t resist. These treats are fortified with natural ingredients that help provide specific health benefits. Contains: Glucosamine & Chondroitin – To help promote healthy joints, Taurine – To help support heart health, and Vitamins A, C and E – To help support the immune system and they are made in the USA. They contain no corn, wheat or soy.
Wellness CORE Pure Rewards Natural Grain Free Dog Treats
These treats are GRAIN FREE for a naturally grain free tender jerky for everyday treating or training. PROTEIN-RICH that provides an all natural jerky, made with premium protein from real beef & venison, using the minimal amount of ingredients. They are ALL NATURAL and contain only premium, all natural ingredients with no wheat, artificial colors or flavors, and made in the USA.
Taste of the Wild, Canine Bison & Venison Formula Dog Food
A grain-free formula with sweet potatoes and peas provides highly digestible energy for your active dog. Made with real roasted meat, this formula offers a taste sensation like no other.
Supplemented with vegetables and fruits, this hearty formula delivers antioxidants to help give your friend a healthy lifestyle.
Taste of the Wild, Canine Salmon Formula Dog Food
A fish protein, grain-free formula with sweet potatoes provides highly digestible energy for your sensitive dog. Made with real smoked salmon, this formula offers a taste sensation like no other. Supplemented with vegetables and fruits, this fish and potato formula delivers antioxidants to help give your friend a healthy lifestyle.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dry Adult Dog Food – Chicken & Brown Rice Formula
Provides the added protection of BLUE’s exclusive LifeSource® Bits, a precise blend of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, Wholesome Whole Grains and Healthy Garden Veggies and Made in the USA. Love them like family, feed them like family Natural, healthy, holistic dry food for adult dogs and contains real chicken, whole grains, garden vegetables and fruit, and precisely blended vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dry Adult Dog Food – Lamb & Brown Rice Formula
BLUE Life Protection Formula is made with only the finest natural ingredients and features: Delicious, protein-rich, Deboned Lamb. Wholesome whole grains, garden veggies and fruit. NO chicken (or poultry) by-product meal, corn, wheat, soy, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Wholesome Whole Grains: Hearty whole grains like brown rice, barley and oats supply the complex carbohydrates that your dog needs for energy. Healthy Garden Veggies: Whole carrots, sweet potatoes and garlic are three of the nutrient-rich vegetables that your puppy will get in every bite of BLUE.
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GREENIES Original Dental Dog Treats
The unique texture of GREENIES Dog Chews cleans down to the gumline to fight plaque and tartar and freshen breath. GREENIES Treats for Dogs are veterinarian recommended and accepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC). Treat your dog fantastically with the great taste of GREENIES Original Dental Treats. GREENIES Dog Treats are made with natural, easy-to-digest ingredients and are nutritionally complete.
PEDIGREE DENTASTIX Large Dog Chew Treats
PEDIGREE DENTASTIX Triple Action works to clean teeth, freshen breath and is clinically proven to reduce plaque and tartar build up. Dental sticks have an X-shape design and are specially designed for adult large breed dogs. Feed one PEDIGREE DENTASTIX Oral Care Treat every day for maximum benefit.
Comsun Collapsible Dog Bowl
PORTABLE & CONVENIENT: Collapsible dog bowl is 5.1 inches wide, 2.1 inches height, each bowl holds up to 12 fluid ounces of water or 1.5 cups of dog food. – 0.5 inches when compact – simply Pop-Up and then fold away. SAFE MATERIALS AND ECO-FRIENDLY: Made with high quality flexible Food-Grade silicone, 100% leadfree, BPAfree, FDA approved. You also can rest assured that when your pet is enjoying food or water from one of our bowls they’re completely safe from toxins. DURABLE AND REUSABLE: The bowl’s durable silicone construction means that they can be rinsed or wiped clean after use. also gives the bowl greater longevity over other similar products. EASY FOR STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION: Non-Slip collapsible dog bowl set great for travel dog bowl, pet travel bowl and cat food bowl – The Bowls include color-matching carabiners clip it or collapse it to your backpack, purse, dog travel crate, dog training leash or collapse flat for your pocket, stroller, glovebox and more!
Providence Engraving Aluminum Pet ID Tags
Premium Quality Anodized Aluminum Pet ID Tags for Dogs and Cats. To complete your purchase Please Click on customize now. In the Customization Utility You May Specify Your size, shape, color and add up to 4 lines of custom text on each side Color Options: Blue, Red, Pink, Green, Gold, Silver, Black, Orange or Size Options: Small or Large.
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