Dogs: Leash or Muzzle?

My mission: ALL dogs should be on a leash or wear a muzzle when in public places

Archive for August, 2007

Dog Nutrition

As a dog owner, I was concerned by the recent dog food scare and started to think about making my own food for Monty, so I knew exactly what was in it.

After hundreds of hours researching dog nutrition and reading through hundreds of recipes, the best is Pamper Your Dog

Monty, our dog, is a cherished part of our family. Making sure he is fed nutritious food is important. Making my own dog food is not only easy and fun; it is also very cost effective! Your dog will love the variety of flavors and you’ll see a big difference in the shine of their coat as well as in their energy level.

Nutrition for Dogs
A healthy dog needs a healthy diet. Proper nutrition is important to several functions of a dog’s body. It is necessary for the growth of the dog, as well as the repair of any body tissue that has sustained damage. Additionally, proper nutrition provides the energy the dog uses to go about his daily living activities. The major nutrients that all dogs need in their diet include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Dogs require about 75% carbohydrate foods (grains and vegetables) to 25% fats and proteins (meats and supplements). All pet foods should be served at room temperature; don’t serve food cold from the refrigerator or hot from the stove.

As a general rule feed your dogs in these amounts,
• 6 oz/day for 10 lb dog
• 12 oz/day for 20 lb dog
• 18 oz/day for 30 lb dog
• 24 oz/day for 40 lb dog
• 30-36 oz/day for 50-150 lb dog

Because animals are color blind they choose their foods by smell. Most dogs like gamey flavors best. Dogs may eat a variety of vegetables and some dogs even enjoy fruits! Don’t add salt to homemade dog food; the natural salt in the food is enough for a dog’s nutritional needs. It’s a good idea to always add a grain, such as Kibble (recipe on page 13), wheat germ, cooked oatmeal or whole wheat bread to meat dinners.

Feed your puppy two to three times a day. An adult dog needs only one feeding per day. Try to feed your dog at the same time each day.

Always have a dish of water handy for your dog and keep it clean. Change your dog’s water daily.

Know Good Health When You See It
A dog that is fed a well-balanced diet rich in beneficial nutrients shows many recognizable signs of good health.
• Abundant energy
• Brightness, a sparkle in his/her eyes and a sense that s/he is enjoying life
• Healthy coat that is soft and shiny and doesn’t mat easily
• Little or no Doggie odor
• Strong immune system, which keeps him/her healthy
• Well-muscled body
• Well-formed stool that is not voluminous and is easily produced, with no straining

Problems Associated with Low-Quality Diets
Common problems associated with low-quality diets include:
• Dull, greasy coat, usually accompanied by dandruff
• Low energy level
• Skin odor
• Susceptibility to generalized infections, such as ear infections that become chronic or skin infections caused by greasy, seborrheic skin
• Thin, undernourished appearance
• Voluminous stool

Foods that are good for your dog.

DAIRY
• Eggs
• Grated Cheese
• Cottage Cheese
• Plain Yogurt

FRUITS
• Bananas
• Blackberry
• Blueberry
• Cherries (STONE REMOVED)
• Kiwis
• Melons
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Apples
• Bananas
• Oranges

MEATS
• Beef
• Deer
• Chicken
• Fish (DEBONED)
• Ground Beef
• Lamb
• Mutton
• Organ Meats such as heart, kidney and liver
• Rabbit
• Turkey

VEGETABLES Veggies need to either be boiled and mashed or pureed
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage: Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Dandelion Leaves
• Kolrabi
• Kale
• Okra
• Parsley
• Parsnips
• Peas
• Pumpkin
• Rutabagas
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Swiss chard
• Turnips
• Zucchini

SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS
• Canola Oil with vitamin E
• Cod Liver Oil
• Crushed egg shells
• Oyster calcium
• Vitamin C

Use your imagination as you combine items from these lists to make some incredibly tasty and nutritious meals for your dog. Remember to use the supplemental items as they will aid in digestion and make the coat shine!

For more recipes see Pamper Your Dog
dog health

1 Comment »

khealey on August 24th 2007 in Dog Health

Dogs, Fleas and Natural Remedies

Everybody wants to protect their dog from fleas and nobody wants to be bitten by their dogs fleas!

Fleas are small dark insects that run through the fur rapidly.

Dogs will show signs of infestation by grooming and scratching excessively, some dogs will show signs of hypersensitivity to flee bites (the saliva) with raised red bumps on the skin which may even appear like eczema and could cause loss of fur.

FAdult fleas live 3-4 months laying tiny white eggs constantly. These hatch into larvae, which live in cracks and crevices, carpets, upholstery, blankets and even earth and sand, living on the dried blood from the droppings of the adult fleas. 1-2 weeks later they turn into pupa and 2 weeks later hatch and hop onto the nearest warm body to feed and multiply.

This cycle can take anything from 2 to 20 weeks to complete depending on the temperature of the environment; it only takes approximately 2 weeks in the summer months.

There are a few natural remedies for the avoidance of fleas and also for flea control, BUT a healthy lifestyle, including a good natural diet and exercise can help to prevent fleas. Parasites are attracted to animals with ‘tasty’ blood, therefore feeding a lesser quantity of a high quality food may avoid the build up of toxic waste in the system which attract the parasites.

Cleanliness in the pet and home is paramount to keeping fleas at bay. Vacuum around the house at least weekly, paying attention to cracks and crevices. Empty the vacuum straight away as the fleas could breed quite rapidly amongst the dust and debris in the bag. Launder your pets’ bed weekly in hot soapy water. Heat above 40 degrees will kill fleas, larvae and eggs, so if possible dry the bedding using as high a heat as possible.

Natural Remedies for Fleas

If your pet is infested, bathing may help using a gentle natural shampoo, containing flea and insect repellent. You could make your own by adding a few drops of Pennyroyal or Eucalyptus essentail oils to a bottle of natural shampoo. Wet and lather around the neck first to avoid the fleas escaping up to the head and then do the same over the whole body, rinse lightly and shampoo again, keeping the shampoo on your pet for 5 minutes if that is possible. Rinse with a homemade rosemary infusion (1tsp dried or 1 tblsp fresh rosemary to 1 pint of boiling water, steep for 10 minutes) pour over the pet and towel dry.

Herbal flea powders can be used or again make one up using one part each of as many of the following powdered herbs as possible: Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Fennel, Yellow Dock, Wormwood and Rue. Apply sparingly to the base of the hairs paying attention to the neck, back and belly.

Regularly grooming your pet using a flea comb will also eliminate a lot of fleas, dip the comb in hot soapy water as this will kill the fleas.

A natural skin tonic for your pet can be made by thinly slicing 1 lemon and adding to 1 pint of boiling water, let it steep overnight. Sponge onto the animal and let it dry. Lemons contain a natural flea killing substance called d-limonene.

Garlic can be offered as a flea repellent either daily or every other day in small quantities (large amounts can cause anaemia). Brewers yeast either taken internally or again on the skin can also help.

Fleas can build up a resistance to any remedy and also to the chemicals we use to control them, so it may be wise to use different methods if possible.

Be vigilant! Keep a look out for the first signs of fleas. Its much easier to get rid of a few fleas with natural remedies, but if the infestation has become severe you may need to use insecticides first then use natural remedies to prevent further infestations.

For more info www.leadormuzzle.co.uk

dog care

2 Comments »

khealey on August 8th 2007 in Dog Health