Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

How To Take Care Of A Pet Dog

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In deciding to have dogs, you should be able to absorb the fact that having pets means being more responsible. Caring for one’s self is far more different from care for another. If you got a pet to care for, you would realize that you should double your sense of obligation to make sure that your pet will be healthy and safe. Also, being well informed about all the things that concerns your pet is a must. As with dogs, here are some areas and some information that you should know in order to let your dog grow with a healthy and good development:

Health

Health is one major part of living things’ life that is dealt with utmost importance. And this also applies to dogs. To bring your dog’s life to its full quality and extent, you should concentrate on his health above all. Under the health category, there are subcategories that need focus. Here they are:

Diagnosis of illnesses

Giving your dog a regular checkup will give him early diagnosis of any medical illness he is having. For older dogs, arthritis can be an issue. Popular arthritis med is Etodolac 400 mg. If you see any change in your dog’s behavior, bring him to a vet immediately to know what exactly he is experiencing.

Physical exercise

Dogs need physical exercise to make their bones and joints stronger. This can also stop arthritis and can help the dog enjoy a healthy and energetic physical body for the longest time. This is also something that dogs can consider as play time.

Food

Feed your dog healthy foods. Giving your dog junk foods or neglecting to feed him will result to an unhealthy and weak dog. Ask the vet for the best food that suits your dog particularly. Different dog foods taste differently. So try different ones to know which one your dog likes the most.

Training

For pups, coaching will need to start as early as possible. For older dogs, coaching would be tougher. This is why you will need to train your dog as soon as you get him. The program done by dogs on their first weeks will mold their future. So if you teach him obedience and home training as soon as possible, you would encounter fewer difficulties when it comes to his behavior in the future. Read Secrets to Dog Training review to support you in dog coaching.

Play

Fun time is the best time for your dog to have leisure. Give him toys or stroll him around your local community. You can also play with him to develop his believe in to you. Dogs can be a really tender pet as soon as they trust you. They can be protective and loyal. So give your dog ample time for fun and bonding to show him that you care for him as well.

First Aid

You should really be well informed of the first aid techniques in case of emergency circumstances. You should also secure yourself a first aid kit to be stored at home so you would have the things that you would need to have in occasions of emergencies. First aid kit will need to consist of ointments for injuries and common treatment medicines such as aspirin for dogs, etc.

Caring for dogs is not hard as long as you do it wholeheartedly. Just give your dog enough attention and the rest will just come along.

Dog Health Care – Master The Basics First

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If you have recently gotten a new dog or are considering to own, there are several aspects in relation to caring for a pet’s health that should be considered. Dogs need to be fed the right kind of food; they need exercise; they need vaccines and preventative treatments; they need to be groomed; and they need to have proper dental care. Here is a short overview of the most important health aspects to consider when owning a pet:

First of all, a healthy diet goes a long way! If your pet is being fed table scraps or dry food that is primarily composed of vegetable and grain, you may want to reconsider Fido’s diet. If your dog is often being fed “people” food from the dinner table, it can easily cause obesity. Dogs metabolisms and organs do not function just like humans do, dogs require special diets and food types to thrive…human food does not simply cut it. Also, dogs thrive on diets that consist of high protein and low vegetable and grain levels. Dogs are classified omnivores; that means they thrive on meat and vegetable diets. However, recent research strongly supports the theory that dog foods that are high in protein are more beneficial to pets. Talk to your local vet and they will help you find the best food choice for your dog.

Dogs also need exercise. Some dogs need more physical activity than others, depending on their breed. Be aware of your dog’s physical activity requirements and stick to them. If your dog’s breed needs a lot of exercise, give it to them! Keeping your pet healthy and happy should always be a top priority.

Next, dogs need vaccines and preventative treatments. Talk to your vet to find out what vaccines your dog needs (it sometimes varies on where you live or your dog’s breed), and make sure your pet gets vaccinated. Most dogs will also need heartworm treatments and flea and tick preventive treatments- several of these are applied topically between the shoulder blades.

Another important aspect of your dog’s health is simple grooming. Keep your dog clean; give him a bath regularly, brush his coat frequently and trim his nails. Many local pet supply stores offer grooming services, so you can shop while Fido is at the spa. Also, in many towns there are mobile pet grooming services that does home service and will ndrop by your home and groom your pet in their clean and safe mobile facility.

Finally, good dental health is always important not just for people! Buy your dog a doggie toothbrush and toothpaste (often sold at supply stores) and learn to brush your dog’s teeth. Dry dog food also aids in the reduction of plaque and tartar on the teeth and gums as well. There are also special chew toys that are designed to aid in keeping teeth clean as well.

As you adjust to your new dog or consider getting one, your pet’s health should always be a priority. A healthy pet makes for a happy pet!

Visit Dog-Training-Collars.org and Hunting Dog News for more great content.

Article Source: Dog Health Care – Master The Basics First

How Fasting Can Clean Your Dog’s System From Years Of Poor Diet

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When you feed your pet too much second-hand, poor quality protein such as cheap hamburgers, hot dogs, cold cuts, semi moist sugar-preserved dog foods – or any meats full of DES, nitrates, nitrites, aldehydes, and other assorted harmful additives – the particular pancreatic enzymes that are needed to digest the proteins in your dog’s system become depleted sooner than necessary.

Additionally, these meats have been so thoroughly cooked that they no longer have live enzymes of their own. Without enough pancreatic enzymes to digest the protein, the food begins to putrefy and can lead to pancreatitis and toxemia. We can give more food but it is not being utilized. If the body can’t use the nutrients, this is tantamount to not having them. The body begins to feed upon itself in order to sustain life, and the animal loses weight and muscle tone in spite of the quantity of food provided. In the case of malignant tumors, the body feeds the tumor while starving itself, so the tumor grows to robust proportions while the body shrivels like a dehydrated prune.

If you suspect ill health in your pet, don’t stuff him with food, hoping that he will regain strength. You will actually be further depleting his impaired vitality. Withholding food for a day or so will cause a revitalization of the body, because the body will have a chance to fight the impairment without the continuing added burden of processing food. This applies whether the food is wholesome or second-rate, but even more strongly when it is of poor quality. Then the digestive organs are not working in the processing of food, they have an opportunity to apply themselves to the digestion of debris in the body.

Fasting is nature’s most perfect medicine, since the body works to rid itself of the debris, or harmful toxic matter, first, thereby effecting a most marvelous housecleaning of cells. Cells drowning in toxic waste have no room to absorb nutrients. They must first rid themselves of this obstructing waste. The process by which the body feeds upon and digests the debris is called autolysis. Some types of tumors or cysts can enjoy resorption into the body through this gradual, natural purification process.

If you have an older dog, the chances are that through years of dietary indiscretions, his enzymes have become somewhat depleted. Whatever sturdy stock remains can be reinforced by adding pancreatic enzymes to the diet. This will serve to bolster the forces of protein, fat, and carbohydrate digestion, and you will be augmenting the metabolization of your animal’s food. Pancreatic enzymes can help turn the tide of sluggish digestion, enabling the digestive process to perform with much increased efficiency. This will provide a most harmonious relationship within the digestive tract. The surplus enzymes can now effect a cleansing process by breaking up the toxic debris stored throughout the body.

How Commercial Dog Food Became So Popular

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After World War II, the success of commercial dog food was part of a sweeping societal trend toward modern conveniences that would both improve the overall standard of living and maximize the consumer’s leisure time. Women embraced anything that would free them from the kitchen or ease their household chores. Like drive-through restaurants and frozen dinners, prepackaged dog food was just one more culinary advantage.

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Dog Food Secrets You Need To Know!

“In This Shocking FREE Video Report You Discover Why 87% of Dogs Die Too Early & 3 Easy Things You Can Do Today To Stop It Happening to Your Dog”

Dog Food Secrets

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Beginning in the 1950’s, companies switched their promotional strategies to emphasize the convenience of canned and bagged dog foods. “Feeding a dog is simple today,” declared  one dog food company advertisement. “It is unnecessary to cook special foods, measure this and that – why bother when it takes less than a minute to prepare one of our meals for your dog?”

Another dog food company in those days played on a similar theme, promising to do “away with all the fuss and bother in preparing food for your dog.” They bragged about the lightning speed with which their dog food could be served and cleaned up, since it did not “stick to the feeding bowl and is easier than ever to mix.

As the pet food market became increasingly lucrative through the 1960’s, it caught the eye of American industrial giants looking to diversify. Quaker Oats, Ralston-Purina, and other breakfast food conglomerates began producing grain-based kibbles and biscuits, and meat packers such as Armour and Swift marketed the first canned dog foods with a meat base. (During this time., too, questions about the safety of cigarettes first prompted tobacco companies to diversify their holdings, and pet food was one of the more popular investments.) Competition among these industrial “big boys” brought new, stylishly packaged products and eye-popping promotional campaigns, which torpedoed smaller, independent companies like Spratt’s, as well as most regional “mom and pop” pet foods.

But too many dog owners persisted in supplementing commercial dog food with table scraps, so companies retooled their marketing strategies. Advertisements ceased to even acknowledge the idea of home cooking for dogs, and put an increasingly derogatory twist on “scraps,” while commercial foods were powerhouses of proteins, minerals, and vitamins.

At a 1964 meeting of the Pet Food Institute (PFI), a Washington-based lobbying association representing American companies, George Pugh, an executive of Swift and Company (makers of Pard dog food) described ongoing efforts to discourage the feeding of anything but commercial dog food. PFI staff also “assisted” Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and fourteen other popular magazines in the preparation of feature articles about dog care, which not incidentally advocated commercial pet food to the exclusion of everything else. And a script prepared and distributed by PFI, warning of the dangers of table scraps, got airtime on ninety-one radio stations throughout the country.

The Right Food For Your Dalmatian: Part 1

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Having the proper nutrition is one of the most important aspects of raising a healthy Dalmatian and yet it is often the source of controversy among breeders, veterinarians, pet owners and dog food manufacturers.

All Dalmatians are susceptible to forming life-threatening urinary tract “stones”  though these can be effectively managed with diet.  Although susceptibility to forming these “stones” is present in almost all Dalmatians, keep in mind that not all Dalmatians will necessarily form “stones” in their lifetime.

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Dog Food Secrets You Need To Know!

“In This Shocking FREE Video Report You Discover Why 87% of Dogs Die Too Early & 3 Easy Things You Can Do Today To Stop It Happening to Your Dog”

Dog Food Secrets

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Most dog foods are sold based on how to make a product appealing to owners instead of what would meet the needs of dogs, like a Dalmatian.  Some foods are marketed on the basis of their protein content, others based on a “special” ingredient and some are sold because they do not contain certain ingredients such as preservatives.  We want a dog food that specifically meets our dog’s needs, economical and causes few, if any, problems.

Most foods come in dry, semi-moist and canned forms, and some can now be purchased frozen.  The dry food is the most economical, contain the least fat and the most preservatives. The canned food is the most expensive, contain 75% water, usually contain the most fat, and have the least preservatives. Semi-moist foods are also expensive and high in sugar content.  In feeding the Dalmatian, the critical part of the diet is not the amount of protein but rather the type of protein.

Purines are a form of protein known to promote urinary “stones” in Dalmatians.  We need to provide our Dalmatian with a diet that is low in purine, not necessarily a low-protein diet.  Vegetable-based diets are not always satisfactory. While broccoli, kale, tomatoes, and carrots  are low in purines, asparagus, cauliflower, beans, peas, mushrooms, spinach and whole grains are high in purines. The same is true for meats and dairy. Cheese, milk and eggs are low in purines, but most fish such as herring, mackerel, or sardines, organ meats such as  liver, kidney, sweetbreads, poultry such as chicken, duck, or turkey,  and meats such as beef, lamb, pork, and veal, are high in purines.  The worst offenders are organ meats, and fish. In most commercial diets suitable for Dalmatians, poultry, lamb and eggs are usually the preferred sources for protein while rice is considered as the main source for carbohydrate.

There are commercial low purine diets available from veterinarians.  You can also select other diets by paying close attention to their ingredients.  In addition, it is also important to pay attention to treats that you give to your Dalmatian. The best treats for this breed includes fruits and cottage cheese.  Last but not least, Dalmatians should be encouraged to drink large amounts of fresh, clean water. This not only keeps a Dalmatian hydrated, but it helps flush out their urinary tracts to keep large “stones” from forming.

8 Guidelines For Feeding Your Adult Dalmatian

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Here are some feeding guidelines researches have learned over the years and recommend for an adult Dalmatian:

1. Never feed a Dalmatian organ meats such as liver, kidney, sweetbreads or brains in any form, whether cooked, raw or as an ingredient in a pet food or
snack.

2. Never feed a Dalmatian game meat such as venison or elk in any form, cooked, whether raw or as an ingredient in a pet food or snack.

3. Never feed a Dalmatian red meat, cooked or raw, or as an ingredient in a snack or in a pet food where it appears as one of the first three ingredients listed on the label.

4. Never feed poultry cooked or raw, or as an ingredient in a snack or in a pet food where it appears as one of the first two ingredients listed on the label.

5. Feed them plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains as snacks, except those known to be high in purine yields such as mushrooms, asparagus, legumes, oatmeal, spinach and cauliflower.

6. Feed adult Dalmatians dog foods such as corn, wheat and rice, (in that order) whose protein and fat content are moderate: about 22% protein from low purine
sources and no more than 10% fat.

7. Fresh, clean water must be available at all times.

8. Divide the dog’s total daily ration into two meals so that blood levels of uric acid will remain fairly stable.  Soak meals in warm water to improve water
consumption.

Dalmatians are only one of about 140 recognized AKC breeds.  Because they have different dietary requirements than all the other breeds, it is understandable that the ingredients in most premium pet foods are not aimed specifically at keeping Dalmatians fit.  What new Dalmatian owners do not know is that pet food representatives do such a good job at marketing their products to various pet food outlets, that the store salespeople often become excited for certain brands, which may very well be outstanding overall but are quite harmful to a Dalmatian.

If a meat product is listed as the first or second ingredient in an adult dog food, it is more likely that the food is less suitable for Dalmatians than others that list grains, especially corn, as main ingredients.

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Dog Food Secrets You Need To Know!

“In This Shocking FREE Video Report You Discover Why 87% of Dogs Die Too Early & 3 Easy Things You Can Do Today To Stop It Happening to Your Dog”

Dog Food Secrets

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