Is It Time to Scrap the Table Scraps?

You love your dog, and you hate to waste food. Now there’s a dilemma. What to do with those table scraps when there’s still some nice meat on that bone, or the macaroni-and-cheese leftovers aren’t enough to make another meal? Fido’s one of the family, and certainly would appreciate a taste of what was on the dinner table. So what’s the harm in letting doggie, and not the garbage disposal, dispose of the table scraps rather than eat ‘traditional’ dog food?

Table scraps should not be the main source of dietary intake for your dog but may be fed as small treats here and there. Harmful table scraps like chocolate and bones, however, can cause extensive harm and even death to your pet. Digestive problems do occur when dogs eat table scraps that are too rich or that simply do not agree with their stomachs. Be wary of what table scraps you allow your dog to have and never overdo it.

But, you say, Buster won’t eat dog food. Oh really? Then what does Buster eat? You got it, table scraps and anything else it wants. Has the dog really succeeded in training YOU to give it what IT wants? And has its success meant that the dog is paying a physical price for its “victory?” Hard not to overeat when you’re getting the “select” goodies isn’t it? Remember this, it is NOT up to the DOG to choose what it eats in your house – it is up to YOU – the owner.

Table scraps, fed in small amounts, DO have their good points. There is an enormous difference between good quality leftovers and “scraps”. The quality leftovers are the pieces of steak (trimmed of fat), roast beef, chicken or turkey. Adding this to your dog’s bowl is fine, only when done IN MODERATION. In addition leftover both pasta and rice are good, so long as they are minus the butter or other fatty sauces and are plainly cooked.

Don’t overfeed scraps on a continuous basis. Your doing so will expose your pet to a diet loaded with fat and you’ll end up with a pet prone to stomach upsets, diarrhea and other potentially serious gastrointestinal disorders such as pancreatitis, which is life threatening. Even if your dog’s digestive tract can handle a diet full of table scraps, the chances of him or her gaining weight will increase enormously in proportion to the amount of scraps you’re feeding.

Now, there are many people who will claim that table scraps are deadly to your pet and should not be given as snacks. These people are only partially correct. While commercial snacks are formulated for the needs of your pet, there is no harm in allowing your dog some table scraps as long as it is not harmful to the dog and is not in excess. There are human foods that are harmful and deadly to your dog, but most human food is perfectly acceptable for dogs. The trick is research.

You should forget, for example, about serving your dog the leftover macaroni and cheese, even though pasta is OK and the cheese is low-fat. Dogs do not have the needed lactase to break up the lactose the result can be diarrhea.

Turkey, chicken, steak, or any other kind of cooked bones are no-nos, because they can splinter and pierce or obstruct the dog’s digestive tract.. Bones can also cut the roof of the mouth.

Leftover stew is OK, as long as you first discard the onions, and if your family loves sushi, Fido will have to pass Raw fish can create a thiamine deficiency in dogs. As a result the dog will suffer from seizures and possibly death.

Easily digestible foods such as cooked rice or chicken and turkey (boneless) will be fine to feed your dog. Even some fruits and vegetables are well received by dogs, though there are some types to avoid such as grapes. Feeding your dog grapes causes severe kidney damage. While some fruits are acceptable to feed your pet, avoid grapes at all times.

Fido, or Buster, or Sport knows all the moves when if comes to finagling you out of those scraps. So don’t let mealtime degenerate into a battle of wills. Know what are acceptable table scraps, and feed them in acceptable amounts, but never decide to save money and avoid wasting food by making then the main ingredients in your pet’s diet!

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

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When Doggie Hates the Menu

You may well know the feeling of staring at your dog while he or she stares at the food dish, sighs, and looks at you with an expression which clearly says “You expect ME to eat THAT?” At those moments, you may even be wondering why you simply don’t just get a cat, which would at least be coming to you with the reputation of being a picky eater.

There aren’t too many dog owners that have not found themselves in the same situation. And because you are a kind-hearted sort, your dog knows that if it waits long enough, sure enough, something really tasty shows up. Mission accomplished. Owner happy, dog happy and dog just won round one. Many owners are fixated on their dog’s eating habits. That only makes things get worse and worse.

Once your dog knows it can wrangle something else out of you, it will keep on keeping on until it gets right out of hand. And if you think feeding him later will be easier, think again. It only gets worse. This type of behavior needs to be nipped in the bud immediately. Besides, who is the Alpha dog here anyhow – YOU or the dog?

Owners of finicky eaters are constantly changing their diet to get them to eat. This only makes your dog hold out to see if anything better is being offered. But these ongoing switches bring their own set of problems.

If you make sudden dog diet changes, this causes digestive upsets for your dog. Any diet changes need to be done slowly. Add a small amount of new food to your pet’s current food and gradually increase that amount while decreasing the amount of the current food over a seven to ten day period.

But right now what we are discussing is NOT catering to a fusspot – so changing foods constantly isn’t going to help matters any.

You have likely also been in the situation where you have purchased a whole swack of types of dog food (canned and dry) to let your dog figure out what he likes. Not a good idea, because if he doesn’t like anything, three guesses who will be running out and trying to find something better. Right – you! Chances are also that your dog loves people food. Uh-huh! This also isn’t a good idea either. Really, if you were a dog wouldn’t YOU want to have the steak on the table rather than the kibble in the bowl?

What can you do?

The basic rule of thumb is if that any dog which gets hungry enough WILL eat no matter what is in the bowl. Have patience and ye shall be rewarded. Don’t hover, plead, cajole, hand feed, or change the food. Just leave it in the bowl and ——- WAIT!

Establish Regular Feeding Times and Stick with Them

The value of having your dog on a timetable and on a regular dog diet can’t be over emphasized. Dogs thrive on routine, and besides, if you don’t establish a routine and stick to it, your dog will implement one himself. Dogs without routines and a “pack leader” take over the roles themselves and you won’t like the consequences.

If you feed regularly at the same time (or close to it) daily then when the food hits the floor then your dog will be there to eat it – and will in fact learn to anticipate being fed. If you never thought dogs (or other animals) could tell time, try missing your regular feeding time one day.

Here is the most effective thing to do when you feed a finicky dog. Feed at the regular time and if they do not eat the food within 15 minutes, you take the bowl up and put the food back in the fridge. The next time that bowl comes out and goes down on the floor is the second feeding of the day. Period! Watch how fast your dog catches on to the fact if he doesn’t eat when the food is there, it’s GONE.

If your pal is getting adequate amounts of a palatable and nutritious food two times a day, you have fulfilled your responsibilities as far as feeding is concerned. Don’t let doggie involve you in a battle of wills like a spoiled child who won’t go to bed without first having ice cream. That food dish is YOUR domain!

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

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Why BARF Can Be Good for Your Dog

Although its rather unappealing name may certainly have you thinking other wise, putting your dog on the BARF diet may be exactly what’s required to maximize his or her health and longevity. The BARF diet is formulated to resemble as closely as possible the diets of dogs in the wild, where food is fresh, and often freshly killed.

Why is feeding your dog BARF so important for his or her health? It has to do with the digestive organs which secrete enzymes to break down food so that it’s used properly by the body. For instance, when carbohydrates and proteins are eaten at the same time, the protein enzymes start working first. The carbs wait, and while they wait, they ferment and release toxins in the body.

Meats are only to be given at one meal, along with other heavy proteins like eggs or milk. Do not mix this with grains. At the other meal, give the carbs – the fruits and grains, if you choose to use them. Veggies can be given with either grains or proteins. Fruits, except apples, should be fed alone and at least twenty minutes before or after anything else.

Feeding grains at all in a BARF diet is still highly controversial for the same reasons you already read. Dogs are not cows and don’t need grains to survive and thrive. That’s not to say you can’t feed them, it’s just to say it’s not a good idea as it really does them no good.

Supplements and the BARF Diet

Supplementing the BARF diet may be necessary simply because you are not providing your dog with everything he or she would get by killing and eating fresh game. The biggest thing is to avoid over supplementation.

Since BARFers don’t feed the WHOLE animals including eyes, brains, stomach and intestines, adding essential fatty acids like fish oil or flaxseed oil is good. Yogurt also has good bacteria and can be fed as well. Consider kelp now and then for its trace elements and vitamins C and E for their antioxidant properties.

We’re not talking about adding these every day as a normal part of the diet, unless there is good and sufficient reason to do so, such as illness or chronic stress. The question then becomes what do you use and why or what is in it that makes it a good supplement for your dog.

In general, vitamins and minerals at the right levels promote the health of your dog. They help boost their stamina, help with fertility, increase their disease resistance, and promote a longer life. Not a bad list of recommendations, is it? This is pretty much in a nutshell what we would all like for our dogs.

A properly formulated BARF diet will contain a wealth of vitamins and minerals, delivered in the right form for your dog, and honestly, they shouldn’t need a supplement.

However, having said that, there are many factors in the food chain that you can’t really control – e.g. food grown on poor quality soils, harvested before ripening and transported long distances, food left on the shelf longer that it should be, etc. These factors may lower levels of vitamins and minerals in the food you are feeding.

Also, since BARF is so individual in nature, you may have a dog that is older or younger or has a special need for extra supplements in the form of vitamins or minerals. If you are going to supplement, most BARFers recommend you use organic supplements whenever you can for optimal quality and nutrition.

Feeding the BARF diet is not for every dog owner, and eating the BARF diet is not for every dog. The important thing is that you keep mealtime enjoyable for your pet, while at the same time keeping the food bowl full of all the nutrients your pet needs to remain healthy and active. If you have questions about specific supplements for you dog, speak to your veterinarian.

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

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Persuading Doggie That the New Food Really Tastes Better

If you’ve learned enough about dog food to have decided that it’s time to change what your dog has been eating to a more healthy dog food, you need to develop a plan of action. Your dog may have both physical and emotional difficulty in switching to a new food, because just like us, dogs do have comfort foods. So you should do your switching gradually, to spare your pet any digestive problems or stress.

Although we see many dogs as hardy creatures and marvel at what they manage to eat, the fact is that a dog’s digestive system if very sensitive. It is important to gradually change a dog’s diet slowly and over time. Be on the look out for any adverse effects caused by the change, and consult a veterinarian if any symptoms persist for more than a few days.

By not changing a dog’s diet slowly, you may subject your pet to:

• Stomach cramps
• Excess Gas
• Heartburn
• Indigestion
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Refusal to Eat

Even though you have found a healthier alternative to the current dog food, you dog may not know that and as a creature of habit, would prefer the old to the new. With this in mind, the first few tries may be difficult. However, with a few simple tricks and tips, the transition should be easy.

Gradual change to a more healthy dog food is the key, so start by mixing the old and new food together in a 25% to 75% ratio of new to old. Over the next few days, slowly increase the ratio of new food while decreasing the old food. At the end of this process, the new food will make up 100% of the food bowl.

The Kibble to BARF Transition

The switch from dry kibble to the BARF diet needs to be done with a few considerations in mind and a more watchful eye, as some dogs will have problems switching. There are two methods used when switching dogs over to the BARF diet.

The Quick Switch

This is the popular choice as it is easy, fast, and hassle free. You simply make the switch with the next meal. Considerations to keep in mind when making the Rapid Switch whether or not you believe your dog can handle such a change. Usually, younger dogs and those dogs that have a healthy, normal gastrointestinal system are the ones able to handle such a switch.

Dogs that are older or that have problems with their digestive system may have issues, as they can not tolerate kibble and raw food in their digestive tract at the same time. This can result in vomiting and diarrhea. This also means that owners have no choice but to hold off the rapid switch food.

The Slow Switch:

This method takes time, sometimes a significant amount of time, to fully switch from kibble to the BARF diet. It is not recommended to continue feeding the dog both kibble and BARF as this will lead to digestion problems. It needs to be one or the other.

There are three ways to go about the Slow Switch.

The first is simple enough; you feed the dog a meal of the BARF diet and a meal of the old food. Each day decrease the amount of meals of the old food until your dog’s meals are nothing but the BARF diet.

The second way is mixing the old food in with the BARF diet and gradually decrease the amount of old food until the dog is eating nothing but the BARF diet. A problem with this way comes in when the dog can not keep both kibble and BARF diet in its systems at the same time. If this is the case, you will have to follow the Rapid Switch method.

The last way is for owners who were already feeding their dog home cooked foods. Slowly introduce the dog to rawer states of those foods until he is eating nothing but the raw food. However, if the dog suffers from an immune deficiency and can not eat raw food, owners can cook the BARF diet, though this is not recommended for healthy dogs.

If you realize that your dog is not eating a healthy diet, then by all means make whatever changes are necessary to rectify the situation. Just do it in a way which eases the transition for you pal so that meal times still remain the high points of his or her day!

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition“.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

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Store-Bought, Or Home Made: What’s A Dog Owner to Do?

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 foods ever since. But how is the average dog owner to know what’s 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 food is the the best dog food, that is 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 solved 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 can 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, and not a pig or a cow.

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 and which hides the fact that the food is not one of the best dog foods. These chemicals are easy enough to spot if you know what to look 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 homemade food, however, does not mean allowing him or her 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 always 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 educated in label reading, and the AAFCO standards. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what’s the best dog food for your dog.

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

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Finding the Right Adult Dog Food

The AAFCO has different testing standards for commercial puppy and adult dog foods, and the ingredients in and AAFCO approved puppy food will not continue to meet your dog’s changing nutritional needs. The AAFCO’s Growth testing protocol applies to puppies, and its Adult Maintenance protocol applies to all adult dogs. So if you are enticed by a commercial dog food labeled as “Senior,” don’t think it has been tested by the AAFCO on older dogs.

With your dog coming into adulthood, you will have to change the food from puppy chow to a food formulated for older dogs that is one of the best rated dog food. This should start around the one year mark for your puppy. Changing foods should be done carefully and with great care and consideration.

Pay close attention to your dog’s likes, dislikes, and attitude toward the new food. When choosing the new food, make sure that it contains the six major nutrient groups which will provide your dog with a healthy diet. These groups are the proteins, fats and oils, minerals, water, carbohydrates, and vitamins that can be found listed on the Guaranteed Analysis on the dog food package.

It is also important to consider your dog’s special needs and circumstances while choosing an adult formulated food. Breed and size are two factors as well as any health issues and if your dog is active or inactive. Smaller breeds metabolize much faster than larger breeds and will need twice the calories. Larger breeds will need to eat more and will also need food that helps strengthen their bones and joints. Active dogs will need food with high levels of fat which will not help the inactive dog.

The dietary needs for adult dogs will vary dog to dog depending upon condition, size, and breed. In general, the aim of adult dog food should be the continued maintenance of well being for the immune system, skin, coat and muscles. Always try and buy one of the best rated dog foods.

No matter what food you choose, make sure that it will meet your dog’s dietary needs. Remember that the feeding recommendations below and those found on other food’s labels are merely guidelines. You, as the owner, will be the first to know if your dog is benefiting from the diet or that adjustments are needed. And, as always, do not hesitate to consult with your veterinarian if you should have any questions or concerns.

Adult dogs will be eating less often than their puppies, averaging two servings a day; some breeds will only need one serving a day. It is vital to ensure that your dog is meeting all of the nutritional requirements at each meal to keep it healthy and happy. Routine is also important and allows your dog’s digestion system a sense of regularity.

It is important to remember that with a regular feeding schedule and consultations with veterinarians, feeding your adult dog should not be stressful. Usually, there should be two feeding times for healthy adults; morning and evenings with enough food to sufficiently meet the dog’s daily requirements. To do so, simply divide the daily nutritional requirements in half.

With a stable routine, your dog’s body will come to expect meals at the appointed time which will help the digestion process and even his mental health. When deciding what time to feed your dog, take into consideration your own daily habits and choose times that will allow you to follow through with the plan each and every day. In time, you and your dog will fall into habit of reducing stress and making life much easier for both.

One thing you should keep in mind when feeding your adult dog is that his or her metabolism will begin to slow over time. While properly balanced adult dog foods will not by themselves make your adult dog fat, continuing to feed a dog with a slowing metabolism the same amount of food will. So you should either give your aging pet more exercise to burn off the calories which aren’t being burned by his or her slowing metabolism, or cut back on the portions at meal time.

What you decide to feed your adult dog, whether you go with a commercial food or decide to try the BARF diet or your own home made dog food, will be the single most important factor in his or her continuing health and happiness. So do your research before you make the switch from puppy to adult food, and pay attention to how well your pal is responding to the new food.

It’s perfectly alright to try a variety of adult foods until you discover the one the best rated dog foods which has you dog both thriving, and looking forward to mealtime as the best part of the day! But make an educated choice!

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

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Garlic Breath Instead of Doggie Breath?

Health-conscious humans, and there are billions of us, are always on the look out for nutritional supplements which will improve our physical well-being and mental outlook. And concerned dog owners are always on the lookout for nutritional supplements which will keep their canine companions as happy and healthy as possible throughout their lives feeding healthy dog food.

If you are wondering whether your pet will benefit from some nutritional supplements, talk to your vet instead of prescribing them on our own, because most healthy dogs will not need supplements. Dogs with specialized needs, however, and owners using the BARF diet for their dogs, may prefer that extra boost that supplements can provide.

A popular supplement can be found in garlic powder. Garlic contains organic allyl sulfur components – S-allyl cysteine and other cysteine derivatives like S-alkyl cysteine sulfoxides. These components are responsible for many of its anticancer, antibiotic, anti-lipid and anti-diabetic properties. Pretty powerful stuff, isn’t it?

Those who advocate giving garlic to dogs point to garlic protecting against cancer, enhancing immunity and reducing the formation of athero-sclerotic plaques and thrombi. It has even been found to be beneficial in reducing cholesterol levels, and lower blood sugar levels. Raw garlic is antibacterial and anti-fungal. This action, however, is lost when garlic is cooked or dried. TIP: Dry ginger is also a good anti-inflammatory. Together with garlic, dry ginger can replace the need for aspirin-like (NSAID) drugs.

When choosing to feed your dog any human food or supplements such as garlic, you must consult your veterinarian. There are two sides to every coin and garlic clove. Keep this in mind if you choose to use it to supplement your dog’s diet.

A few more ways raw unprocessed but pasteurized garlic supposedly helps your dog are for skin boils and other bacterial infections. Crush a bulb of garlic and extract the juice. Apply it on the infected areas. Wound healing will take place within a week.

Using a raw, unprocessed (not preserved in any way) clove of garlic, mash it well and add it to your pet’s food daily. Large dog – ½ a clove. Small dog – ¼ clove. This helps prevent cancer, tone the circulation, and purify the blood.

This helps keep dogs from having worms and gets rid of them if he or she already has them. It keeps fleas and ticks off dogs because neither bug likes the smell of garlic. This actually works for horses to keep stable flies and other gnats away. Your dog doesn’t smell like garlic to a human, by the way.

The easiest way to give garlic is by liquid. Either spray or pour it on the food, and mix well. The researched recommended daily dose seems to be:

● 5-20 lb. dogs – 4 sprays or 1/4 ounce in food daily.

● 21-50 lb. dogs – 6 sprays into food and mix well.

● 51 lbs. and over dogs 8 sprays into food and mix well.

Now, if you think the doses are too high, then opt to do what many breeders, vets and animal lovers do: feed the dog. In other words, just give them what they seem to tolerate. Actually, it would be best for you to just start off slowly with smaller amounts if this is what you would like to try for your dog.

Because garlic belongs to the same plant family as onions, and onions are known to cause deadly hemolytic anemia in dogs, some vets are now recommending that no dogs should be given garlic in any form. But the amounts of thiosulphate (the anemia causing ingredient in onions) found in garlic are so small that you would have to be feeding your dog two large cloves each day for an extended period to risk harm.

Garlic is a readily available, inexpensive supplement which can be used to benefit your dog in a number of ways. Still, you know your pet better than anyone else, you want to feed healthy dog food and you are the one who will be watching to see if supplementing with garlic seems to be helping or harming your pet!

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

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Who’s Minding the Pet Food Store?

While the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that US pet owners are feeding their pets safe and nutritious foods lies with the Department of Agriculture and the same Food and Drug administration which oversees the safety of human food, both of these agencies turn to testing done by the American Feed Control Officials, or AAFCO, to set the standards for what ingredients should be permitted in dog food.

You, as a caring pet owner, will benefit from knowing just how the AAFCO arrives at its recommendations so you are able to then choose the best dog foods for your best friend.

The AAFCO Standards

When it comes to pet food, the AAFCO has created a uniformed model and definition for the ingredients which provides a common understanding of what is in each serving, including a common labeling procedure. That way there is no confusion and no contradictions between differing brands and types of pet food. This information is provided in an annual publication: the AAFCO Manual.

The AAFCO Statement, also referred to as Nutritional Adequacy, is given to those pet foods that have passed the requirements found in the AAFCO Manual. This statement is required on all pet foods and helps to ensure that the pet food is safe. Of course, many manufacturers such as those common to the Premium foods will make strides to go above and beyond the standards set forth by AAFCO.

There are generally two types of AAFCO statements:

• Pet foods with a statement such as “Tested…” have seen an actual trial with cats or dogs eating the product and receiving positive results.

• Those foods with a “Formulated” statement have not seen an actual trial but the product has been manufactured to meet the recommendations and the guideline set forth by AAFCO.

To meet the AAFCO guidelines and to receive the AAFCO Statement, pet foods sold on the market have to be graded and judged before distribution. With AAFCO being the only body to grade and judge the quality of the pet food, it is important to look for the AAFCO statement located on the label.

There are two nutritional profiles used to grade dog food; Adult maintenance and Growth (used for puppies). With these profiles in mind, AAFCO determines the nutrients that are needed for each category. The nutrients must meet standards above the minimum requirement and below the maximum requirement as to avoid deficiencies and over-nutrition respectively. These profiles must be defined on the bag. There is a third profile “Fit for all life stages” which meets stricter requirements and are suitable for both puppies and adults.

The testing protocol that is used by AAFCO has come under fire recently, but the tests used have proven adequate when it comes to determining safe products and products fit for the different nutritional profiles. Dog food manufacturers follow the findings of these tests in order to deliver quality products to the consumer and, of course, to the dogs which benefit from the information and diet that is provided. AAFCO’s tests are among the most trusted and one of the only tests performed on dog food and pet food overall. They have been followed and used as guidelines since the organization’s formation in 1909. These protocols are enough to determine which foods go to the market and which foods are unfit to feed to our dogs.

Now, the AAFCO tests are for a relatively short amount of time compared to the length of the dog’s life span. With this in mind, it is important that other factors are taken into account when deciding the best diet for your pet. While the AAFCO tests are important and even vital when choosing dog food, also keep in mind that your dog may have specialized requirements and circumstances that will affect the results. Trial testing in home is also recommended to make certain that your dog is receiving the needed nutrients without the adverse results.

The AAFCO tests do show us the performance of the food being tested, the digestibility of the nutrients in the food and how willing the dogs are to accept the food. When deficiencies are detected in the AAFCO trials, they are able to be corrected and improved, creating a superior product.

It is important to look for the AAFCO statement when purchasing dog food along with quality ingredients which can be found in Premium foods. While lower quality foods, those containing corn based feed, or items like bone and meat meal, may pass these tests, owners must understand that AAFCO needs to make sure lower quality and higher quality dog food are suitable for purchase.

So don’t settle for the cheapest food with the AAFCO approval statement. You know your dog better than anyone else, and you know his or her special health and energy requirements. Give them the best dog foods you can, within your budget. We’ll discuss in much more detail what the various label ingredients on AAFCO foods really mean for your dog, and you’ll feel much better when the AAFCO’s vigilance is backed up by your own!

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

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Overfed Dogs Are Overweight Dogs.

Perhaps you’d like to ignore the situation, but if your dog is fat, you are cheating it out of the chance to live the best possible life. Overweight dogs are at increased risk of developing painful conditions like arthritis and life-threatening ones like cardiovascular disease or diabetes. They need to go on a dog diet.

Your dog is at your mercy when if comes to meal and snack time, and the only discipline being exercised in doggie’s diet is yours. If you have a hard time turning away from those pleading eyes (and what dog owner doesn’t?) perhaps realizing that you are doing your pet much more harm than good with each unnecessary bite will help you. Statistics show that a recent pet population survey in the USA showed that 40 percent of the pets are overweight.

If your dog is overweight then it is eating more calories than necessary. Period! If your dog is overweight and is otherwise healthy then it is eating way too much. Certainly have your pet examined by your Vet to check for heart, thyroid or other metabolic disorders to rule out a possible medical cause. Be honest with your vet about how much or how little exercise your dog gets, and how often, as well as how much you feed, what and when you feed, and how often you treat.

THE EXCUSES

“Buster won’t shut up unless I give him a treat and he won’t settle at night unless he gets his special smokie sausage.” Bravo for Buster who has successfully learned that if he kicks up a fuss he will get a reward. Talk about negative conditioning here. The owner hasn’t trained Buster properly to have some manners and instead Buster is being rewarded for being a nuisance – a nuisance who will get fat if he keeps eating like that.

And the classic excuse for overweight dogs is the one that goes “Buster won’t eat dog food.” Oh really? Then what does Buster eat? You got it, table scraps and whatever it wants. Once again the dog has succeeded in training the owners to give it what IT wants. And it worked, but the dog is paying the price for it physically. Hard not to overeat when you’re getting the “select” goodies isn’t it? Remember this, it is NOT up to the DOG to choose what it eats in your house – it is up to YOU – the owner. And you choose the best high quality nutritious feed on the market or make it at home.

BUSTER YOU NEED EXERCISE AND GO ON A DOG DIET

First take a good hard look at the food you are feeding. The FIRST ingredients present in the bag of food should be MEAT or meat products, NOT grains like corn.

Before you and Buster start your weight loss journey, get an accurate record of his weight. Then, reduce his total daily ration by one third. That includes his total daily intake like treats and snacks. At the end of two weeks, weigh him again. In the meantime, if he begs – do NOT give in.

If Buster has lost weight at the end of the two week dog diet, then stick to this schedule. If he hasn’t lost any weight, reduce his intake by another one third and also find out if someone else in the house is treating Buster.

If you’re wondering about low cal diets for dogs, you CAN get them, but many vets don’t like to recommend them as they have very restricted fat levels BUT because the fat is reduced the carbs are increased. Increased carb production produces extra insulin that tells the dog’s body to store the unused calories as fat.

CONCLUSION

There are far better ways for you to let your dog experience your love than with too much food. Your pet will almost certainly enjoy spending more time on walks or playing games with you than he or she will when eating alone. There are plenty or nutritious foods which have loads of doggie palate appeal out there, so you should never feel like Buster is missing something by not dining at the family table.

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

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You can never underestimate the importance of understanding the AAFCO pet nutrition standards and of knowing how to read dog food labeling when choosing a commercial diet for your pet. The AAFCO will give its approval to both low and high quality ingredients, and unless you know exactly what’s in the commercial pet food your dog is getting, you might think everything is just fine.

But there have been problems with many of the lower quality dog foods and the ingredients that are used that have been brought to light in the early part of 2007. Speaking of problems with dog food will of course trigger the memory of the most recent devastating loss of canine and feline lives due to contaminated food.

Various dog food recall reports indicated the numbers of affected cats and dogs hit the 39,000 mark across the country. Animals became extremely sick or died due to the contamination of commercial pet foods with an industrial chemical – melamine, used to make plastics and fertilizers. This chemical was found in more than 100 brands of pet food that were recalled in Canada and the USA starting in mid-March.

The major culprit was identified as rice protein concentrate (otherwise called rice gluten), NOT brown rice. Then in June, concerns were raised about reports of acetaminophen (Tylenol) being found in dog and cat food, followed by salmonella poisoning in others.

The second chemical also found with the melamine was cyanuric acid – deadly when combined. Both were found in the cat and dog food recall in March 2007. Cyanuric acid is commonly used to slow the breakdown of chlorine in swimming pools and hot tubs. It has NO place in pet food!

It was speculated then (and some still hold the same opinion now) that those two chemicals were in dog food because it was a sneaky and unethical way to increase the reported nitrogen content. But the rice gluten contaminate with the melamine was simply what is known as a “filler>”

The dog food recall of those contaminated pet foods has done nothing to stop the use of fillers in lower grade commercial dog foods. Many pet food manufacturers keep their costs down by loading then with bulk which has absolutely no nutritional value. Your pet’s food could have one or more of a number of fillers, including:

• Cereal by-products
• Cottonseed hulls
• Citrus pulp
• Peanut hulls
• Weeds
• Straw
• Corn and corncobs
• Feathers
• Soy

These fillers are unfortunately used in the place of quality fiber, and can irritate the walls of your pet’s intestines. Yet as food prices continue to rise, the use of fillers will undoubtedly continue so that dog food manufacturers can keep their costs down.

Even the meat meals which you might think are protein sources in your pet’s food, if they are not of good enough quality, are nothing more than fillers. All the plant materials used as fillers carry a risk of toxic herbicide and pesticide contamination, and soy is one of the top cited allergens by veterinarians, which causes severe allergic reactions. Reactions can include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, hives, diarrhea, facial swelling, shortness of breath, swollen tongue, difficulty swallowing, fainting, and anaphylactic shock.

Higher end brands of dog food, are products both devoid of any byproducts, and containing the healthiest choice of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and other nutrients.

These nutrients are best when provided with a recognizable name and not some chemical number. Avoid obscure listings like potato product, rice or peanut hulls, and grape pomace. Look for something more recognizable than words that give you only a vague notion of what you are feeding your dog.

Diligence is required in avoiding these foods as many of them are masked with euphemisms and phrases such as “Moist, chewy” or “contains vegetables,” among many more.

Pet food manufacturers pay people good salaries to come up with the words which will entice you to buy their products. You need to know how to read the ingredients behind the descriptions, and decide if they really belong in the dish of your best pal. Don’t let your dog fill up on fillers!

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

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