Dog Biscuit Recipes

John Williams Dog Training asked:


An overweight dog is something many owners should be very aware of especially after the middle age of about 7 years of age (depending on dogs’ size). A dogs weight can seriously put your dogs health at risk and cut their life short as well as causing a unnecessary painful ending.

Dogs tend to be able to eat as much as we choose to feed them at times and feeding your dog till he/she is full is a bad idea at the best of times. A set amount should be given to your dog each day and some notification next to your dogs bowl might help the confusion of who’s fed the dog and who hasn’t.

As your dog becomes older, you will need to check their weight more often as their metabolism will slow down and overeating will become out of control and a problem for your dog. Obviously dogs come in different sizes and shapes so there is not set amount of food that has to be given to your particular breed of dog and a small amount of research or a trip to the vets will be needed to see how much your dog should eat.

Determine the weight of your dog is correct by checking that your dogs’ ribs can be easily felt with little pressure, and are not visibly noticeable. Your dogs’ hips should be easily felt and not are surrounded by too much flesh and fat, and from looking down on your dog the body curves inwards after the rib cage slightly.

If these are all in place then your dog appears to be a healthy weight and this should be maintained throughout their life. Always ensure your dog has plenty of exercise and play time to maintain a healthy dog. If your dog becomes too thin then a vet should be contacted for advice and support as well as if your dog is very overweight.



Dog Food Secrets

Organicpetfood asked:


Responsible pet owners know to look at the ingredients contained in the products they purchase to feed their four-legged best friends.  Finding healthy dog food, though, can sometimes be a challenge.  Have you read those long names of ingredients that read like a scientific journal?  The problem of choosing the right food for your dog can be mind-boggling.  Nevertheless, you owe it to your sidekick to do your very best to find the most nutritious and wholesome foods available.

The ideal dog foods are those considered 100 percent human grade dog foods.  Nutritious options exist within this category for all types of dogs (i.e., puppy, adult, senior) and throughout a variety of food versions (i.e., dry, canned, treats, sauces).  There are also products specialized for dogs with medical conditions (especially important for them), such as kidney, joint, or intestinal issues.

Man’s best friend, it has been discovered, needs vitamins, minerals, and much of the same nutrition that humans need.  It stands to reason, then, that you should look for a dog food with much of the same nourishing qualities as you would in your own food (notwithstanding, of course, the occasional junk food that you might indulge in).  Some experts believe that one good standard of measure to look for in dog food ingredients is based on the ratio of 40 percent meat, 50 percent vegetables, and 10 percent grains.

Many pet owners believe that some of the illnesses that may plague dogs come from the kinds of foods they eat, just as is the case with humans.  By avoiding the entrapment of chemically altered and processed manufactured foods, dog owners believe they can prevent at least some of the medical issues that would seek to interfere with their best friend’s enjoyment of life.  Gourmet dog food that is healthy, wholesome, and nutritious for your pet can, literally, be a life saver.  A variety of specialty dog food and recipes that can be prepared by you are available to satisfy healthy dog food requirements.

The bulk of commercial dog food is created with low-quality fillers that enables the manufacturer to get more products for the dollar, but that doesn’t necessarily provide the best ingredients for your dog’s food.  To give your dog the best quality of life, ensure that you make the best choices for foods that are healthy for your pet.  Your dog will love you all the more for it.



Dog Food Secrets

Dog Care Tips asked:


All pet dogs should be treated as members of our family and adequate attention must be paid to the canine’s health. Sometimes dogs become sick but may not look so. It is very important to recognize and understand dog illnesses symptoms.

Since prevention is a better cure, we must learn something about dog illnesses and symptoms so we can better understand their conditions. This will help us recognize some common dog illnesses. If appropriate and adequate vaccinations are administered to the puppies, most of the common dog illnesses can be easily prevented.

Some elementary observations are useful to recognize certain common dog illnesses. Dogs take a lot of sleep but their sleep is marked by alertness. If a dog is sluggish then there may be various causes contributing to it, right from anemia to old age. If the dog is limping then you should check for prospective painful areas using a firm and yet gentile hand. Check out for any signs indicating lameness from time to time.

The appetite of the dog is bound to be affected by ill health. Look for any signs of loss of appetite. An important sign of dog health problems is excessive thirst. A pronounced weight loss is also an indicator of ill health. Check the eyes for any ulcers, discharges, veins or sores.

The mouth of a healthy dog is pink. There should not be any discoloring or cavities in the teeth. Look for signs of discharge from ears. It is advisable to clean the ears from time to time. The dog’s head should be regularly checked for sore patches, hair loss, or deep wounds.

Investigate the limbs and trunk for the same signs. If the dog is vomiting, there may be various underlying problems. If the body temperature of your dog is not between the range 38 to 39 Celsius it is an indication of some kind of illness. Check the female dogs for any kind of foul smelling vaginal discharge, which needs attention of a vet.

The symptoms of pain and discomfort experienced by a dog can give us many clues about the possible underlying illness. If the dog is suffering any abdominal pain, it may be due to canine hepatitis, enteritis or it can be a simple case of constipation. The abdominal swelling dogs indicate canine bloat and roundworms in puppies. Aggression of the dog may be caused by rabies. Roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms my cause anemia in dogs. Any behavioral changes in dog can be an indicator of hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms, canine arthritis, heart disease, canine, or parvovirus.

Kidney diseases sometimes cause blood in urine. Eye infections and entropion cause bloodshot eyes in dogs. A ruptured diaphragm, obstructed airway, lungworm, bronchitis, pneumonia, food poisoning, heatstroke, allergies can cause respiratory problems in dogs.

There are various reasons of sudden change in weight of dogs like heart disease to heartworms. Hernia might be caused due to long term constipation in dogs. Allergies, parvovirus, hepatitis, lungworm, TB, pneumonia or distemper may be one of the reasons of coughing in dogs. Cannine parvovirus can also cause dehydration in dogs. Any pancreatic disorder, food poisoning can give rise to diarrhea in dogs. The dog may suffer from hair loss due to mange, red mange demodectic, scabies, cheyletiella mange, or cushings syndrome.

If dog indicates any signs of failing ******* bleeding, persistent constipation, projectile vomiting, fainting, hair loss, seizure, stumbling, trauma, trembling, mouth bleeding, rectal bleeding, lethargy, shaking, ********* problems contact a dog care specialist.



Dog Food Secrets

Gerald Mcnicholl asked:


We all want what is best for our pet. Yet sometimes because of your hectic schedules, we tend to put our dog’s care at the bottom of the list or it just becomes a habit of chores we perform every day without giving it much thought.

We stumble out of bed in the morning, let the dog out, fill the water bowl, dump some food in the dish and go on with our daily routine. Are we really thinking about ways to make our dog healthy and happy?

There are no hard and fast rules to maintain your dog’s health but essentially it comes down to 3 main rules you need to follow:

1. A good diet 2. Plenty of fresh water 3. Exercise

A good diet is essential to your dog’s health. Be careful of what you feed your dog! Your dog has very little sense about what’s good and what’s bad for him to eat. So you have to take charge. An all natural dog food is what you should be looking for, try to avoid reconstituted foods that are packed with fillers and by-products. Remember you get what you pay for.

Although an all natural dog food may be more expensive, studies have shown that your dog will in almost all cases eat more of the “bargain brand” than the all natural, nutritious dog food. The “bargain brands” will pass through your dog more quickly because they do not contain as much of the daily nutrients your dog requires. This leads to your dog being hungrier more often and thereby eating more. Your dog will retain more of the nutrients contained in the all natural food which means they will be less hungry, have healthier coats, more energy and better overall health. Do not over-feed your dog - do not feed him between main meals, except for those small treats you reward your dog during training. Avoid feeding your dog with small bones of any kind from chicken, fish, chops etc as they can splinter in the throat or intestines and seriously hurting your dog in the process. Instead, give your dog a very large marrow or knuckle bone to chew on.

Give your dog plenty of fresh water. Change it as often as you can. A good rule to follow is that every time you get yourself something to drink, add new water to your dog’s bowl.

Exercise your dog daily. Most dogs love having playtime with their owners, take long walks, throw a ball or stick around the backyard or park. Remember your dog’s cardiovascular system, heart and muscles need exercise just like yours.

Also it is important to take your dog for regular checks and treatments with the veterinarian including things like worming, proper vaccinations and teeth cleaning. There are many diseases that you dog could face - fleas, ticks, worms, ear mites and infectious pests or parasites. While most of these afflictions are fairly common, preventative techniques and new treatment methods will reduce the discomfort or pain that your dog suffer from and ensure it leads a healthy life.

It is wise to spay or neuter your dog if you are not a breeder or do not wish to deal with a pregnancy. Neutering your male dog will make him less aggressive towards other male dogs but this reduced aggression does not mean you have impaired his ability to be a guard dog. A trained guard dog will do his job irrespective of whether he has been neutered or not. Other health benefits include eliminating crying, whining and irritability, eliminating the vaginal discharge that accompanies heat for a female dog, reducing territorial marking, minimising dominance issues with your family and reducing sexual mounting behaviour (leg-humping) in your dog.



Dog Food Secrets

Lizzie Novotny asked:


In order to eat healthy we must follow some very basic rules and stay away from foods that are full of fat, sugars, and preservatives. What we tend to forget is that the same should be done for our pets. Too often you will see a dog that is overweight from too much fat or underweight because there isn’t enough nutrition in the food and they burn what they eat too quickly.

Nowadays, the issues that surround what you are feeding your pet can range from problems with food allergies to food that is harmful and needs to be recalled, or simply just does not have any ingredients in it that will provide a healthy diet for your dog nutrition. Let’s first take a look at food allergies.

You may be surprised to hear that dog’s have food allergies just like we do. So it is very important that if you have to change their regular brand of dog food, to keep an eye out for any changes in them. The changes you should watch for are in their coat as well as changes in their behavior like being lethargic. When a dog is lethargic it means that they seem limp and lifeless, seemingly too sick to get up and move around. If you notice any issues like this after giving them the new food, you should consult with your Veterinarian to find out what they think you should do. More than likely they will recommend you keep them on a bland diet until they are recovered. But what happens when a food brand is recalled?

We have all heard the headlines over the last few years about the pet food recalls. Some animals were just made sick by the food while others died. It is a very scary idea to not be able to trust the food you buy for your pets. However, with this onslaught of food recalls, the FDA is reported to be working harder to regulate the issue’s surrounding these problems.

What many people are turning to now in order to regulate what their pet eats is to make their own food. Yes, that is right they buy and prepare homemade meals for their best friend. And what’s more, you will be amazed to learn that often times this alternative is cheaper in the long run. The reason behind this is because it will require less money in vet visits, and because what you make is more filling and healthy, your pet requires less of it. In fact, making homemade food is what many people who own hunting dogs have done for years.

These pet owners know that their animal needs to be in peak condition and they know how to ensure this. Figuring out a balanced diet that you can make yourself is a great way to have piece of mind, and can be a much healthier way to feed your pet if you do it correctly. For idea’s on good pet recipes, check online or ask your veterinarian.



Dog Food Secrets