Although you may think
all pet food manufacturers
have your pet’s best
interests in mind, this is
not always the case. Current
pet food regulations allow
manufacturers to use
ingredients that you would
never knowingly give to your
pet. In fact, you may be
shocked to learn what some
brands of pet food really
contain. For example: the
use of by-products (feet,
bones and intestines, etc.),
chemical preservatives (BHA
and BHT) and grains that are
often difficult to digest
(corn, wheat, gluten and
soy), which are often used
as a protein source instead
of meat.
Now that
you have made one of the biggest
decisions in your family and life.
You will need to make sure that you
feed your new baby the BEST. Most
vets can recommend a food to you. I
my self like and use all natural
human grade food. When you feed your
baby a good quality food with NO BI
PRODUCTS in it you are allowing your
baby to get the best nutrition they
need. This allows them to live a lot
longer and a lot healthier. Many of
today's pet ailments are caused by
incorrect feeding. This often
results in obesity, leading to
arthritis, heart disease, Diabetes
etc. A good balanced diet is the
best way to ensure your pet's
health.
TO FIND SOME OF
THE BEST FOOD YOU CAN FOR YOUR NEW
FAMILY MEMBER CHECK OUT
Growing
dogs require greater amounts of
protein, calories, vitamins and
minerals (particularly calcium).
Puppies often double their weight in
a short time. Animal protein sources
are best for growing dogs (beef,
lamb, fish, eggs, poultry). It’s
important to weigh your dog
throughout the first 12 months to
check if the weight is normal - you
need to know the full adult weight
for the breed (estimate mixed
breeds). For example, if you know
your dog will weigh 50 pounds when
full grown, then at 6 months she
should weigh 30 pounds you can
adjust the diet accordingly.
NUTRITION AND YOUR PUPPY
People want to
get the very best they can when
purchasing products. They research
all of the alternatives and select
what they feel is the best suited
for their needs whether a car,
washer/dryer or a pet.
In selecting a puppy, many follow
the same protocol to determine which
breed would be the best for their
family.
They go to the library and take out
books about particular breeds. They
will call their local Veterinarians
and Dog Trainers to ask for
suggestions or recommendations on
particular aspects of a certain
dog’s characteristics. They attend
dog shows to meet with and speak to
various breeders. This selection
process many take several months
until the perfect pet is found.
Upon bringing their new pet home,
they will then do the unthinkable,
putting their dog on any dog food.
Dog food after all, is after just
dog food, right? Wrong, dog foods
are not at all the same in quality,
nutritional aspects and as a support
to your pet’s immune system.
As a matter of fact, many commercial
dog foods have chemicals and food
derivatives which can and are
harmful to your pet’s health! Think
about this! If you go to the
supermarket to buy food for your
families’ dinner, you will buy the
most wholesome, nutrient rich foods
available, why? Nutrition is the
building block and foundation our
bodies need for health and
longevity.
Although the protein may all be
labelled BEEF, all cuts and quality
are not the same and cost vary
depending on this quality.
Dog food is the invisible protein!
You can look at all the labels which
will indicate protein or meat and
there is nothing included with the
label to identify the quality or
source from which the protein is
derived. The USDA has allowed a very
broad interpretation of what dog
food manufactures can use as meat
sources. To save cost, manufactures
use meats which are not suitable for
human consumption in our dog’s food.
The old adage of, "If you knew what
was in a hot dog, you wouldn’t eat
one!" applies here.
Nature determines what your dog’s
basic needs are. You should consider
the balance of the food itself. A
new trend is to sell designer foods
for different stages of life. If
each individual piece of kibble is
perfectly formulated and works in
balance with the next to ensure your
dogs health, your dog will be able
to take what it needs from the
foods. Single source meat products
do not meet the needs of a growing
puppy nor the senior dog that needs
to build and repair as they age
simply because it lacks in all
essential amino acids. Both ends of
the age spectrum need the foods for
the same exact reason, but their
body’s individual nutritional needs
will determine what and how much to
take from each feeding. There are
three proteins from chicken, fish
and egg which are complete in Amino
Acids and digest easily.
The carbohydrates are complex and do
not become simple sugars producing
energy swings or highs and low
behaviors. The Probotics in the food
balance and digest more easily,
which is not only perfect for the
nervous or shy dogs, but ensures all
dogs are receiving the nutrition
they need from food.
WAYS
THAT NUTRITION EFFECTS YOUR DOG'S
BEHAVIOR
Correct nutrition is crucially
important for every aspect of your
dog’s life. It affects their health
and wellness by offering a vital
balance of proteins, fats, complex
carbohydrates and the trace
nutrients and minerals their bodies
need for the growth and repair of
their immune systems'. Nutrition is
a vital part of your dog’s ability
to think clearly, lower his/her
stress levels and a produce a calmer
demeaner. The act of thinking takes
a lot of energy. Dogs involved in a
training program expend a lot of
mental energy focusing on the tasks
they must learn.
If your dog starts with minimal
nutrition, they become lethargic,
grouchy or hyper when they are asked
to perform the simplest of tasks.
They simply are not able to focus
properly and lose concentration
after a short period of time or they
may become confused. If the dog is
constantly being asked to do
something they can't comprehend,
their confusion can lead to an
aggressive form of acting out. In
training dogs, the first thing I
look at is the dog’s diet. I work
from the inside out. Training
becomes less and less if the causes
for the behaviors are not addressed.
Hyper, unfocused and out of control
dogs and puppies often are eating
foods with extremely high levels of
cereal foods such as wheat, corn,
and/or corn meal. Aggressive dogs
eat food containing higher levels of
incomplete protein which do not
digest well. Shy and stressed dogs
do not digest their foods well at
all and often suffer from intestinal
complications such as diarrhea.
Their coats are often extremely dry
and shed heavily. One way to test
the foods you are feeding is to soak
the food in water for about fifteen
minutes. If it swells in size and
becomes somewhat mushy, it is mostly
cereal. Are you dog’s stools often
soft and loose or is the dog gassy?
They are not digesting the food
properly. By looking at their food,
you will do more to help balance
their behavior, as well as
contribute to their health and
longevity.
