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.

Dog Food & Supplements: An In Depth Look At Nutrition For Your Pet (5)

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Dog Food & Supplements

Of the twenty six nutrients needed by dogs in their dog food, none can be left out of the ration, or added at inadequate levels, if optimum growth and performance are expected.

Because the nutrients interact with each other, they must be included in precise ratios. If a large excess in the dog food of one nutrient occurs, then the quantities of other nutrients in the ration must be increased accordingly. Otherwise, a deficiency of certain nutrients exists.

This can be a dangerous situation.

————————————————————–

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

————————————————————–

A good example of this is the relationship between calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. All effects are interrelated.

The ratio of calcium to phosphorus must be maintained at 1.2 or 1. If additional calcium is added to the dog food, creating an imbalance, there would be an inefficient assimilation of these minerals.

The result could cause a disease known as rickets.

Considering that vitamin D acts as transportation for calcium, one can begin to see how these three elements are connected and their importance in dog food.  While a deficiency of calcium predisposes to rickets, an excess of calcium will do likewise.

In adult dogs, the condition would be referred to as “paper bones”.

A more common example is an excess of fat in the diet. If fat increased to high levels in the dog food, then fat will satisfy the energy requirements of the dog before the requirements for other nutrients are met. The result would be a nutritional imbalance. An increase of fat requires a corresponding increase in vitamin B12.

Of particular concern are those professional breeders who attempt to bred over-sized, large boned “super dogs”. Nutritional experts state that certain supplements such as oils, enzymes, and minerals should be used only under a veterinarian’s supervision or recommendation. This is especially true of calcium and cod liver oil (vitamin D), both of which are frequently used by breeders during growth. In excess, they can cause serious problems, particularly with bone development.

In this regard, it should be added that excess vitamin and mineral supplements may be the aggravating cause of heart problems, hip problems, and lower the all-around health of a dog.

With the hip dysplasia problem being so rampant, and no longer confined to just one or two breeds, professional breeders must become more aware of the dangers up upsetting intricate balances with their “home treatments” and super “bone builders” (genetic inheritance notwithstanding).

Drugs have a very definite place in our society. It is the misuse and abuse of drugs that creates a problem. Likewise, vitamin and mineral supplementation has an important place in the dog world, but misuse and abuse outside their dog foodcreates a dangerous problem.

Dog Food & Supplements: An In Depth Look At Nutrition For Your Pet (3)

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Dog Food & Supplements

Labeling in the dog food industry is carefully controlled by state and federal regulations. Words such as “complete” and/or “balanced” cannot arbitrarily appear on a label.

Before any labeling claims that a product is complete and/or balanced, manufacturers must prove it to the satisfaction of the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

————————————————————–

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

————————————————————–

The AAFCO is made up of representatives from each state, and representatives from the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration. The AAFCO is closely affiliated with the individual state departments of agriculture. Manufacturers must prove that the product actually meets or exceeds the acceptable guidelines as set forth by the National Research Council.

Because of the variety of dog food now available to the consumer, he finds himself faced with the question, which is best? Canned, dry, or semi-moist food?

Complete and balanced dog food is available in all three forms

Nutritionally, they are the same. Only the means used to arrive at the end result (putting it in a can, bag or box) are different. In canned foods, fresh or frozen meat or meat by-products are used as a source of protein, though they are not the only source of it.

In dry dog food, the very same products are dehydrated, and other ingredients added to compensate for any loss of nutrients during the dehydration process.

This raises another set of questions.

Why then is there such a wide diversification of prices? How can some dog foods be priced at just a few dollars while seemingly the same amount of nutrients in a more popular brand be priced triple that amount? If both foods are labeled as “complete” and “balanced” then what is the difference?

The answer can be found in the list of ingredients the manufacturer uses to make the product. The ingredients used will affect the palatability of the product – that is – how it tastes and smells.

A person sitting down at the dinner table with a plate of broiled lobster, french fries, corn on the cob, and homemade yeast rolls would really savor the taste and smell of the meal, provided he enjoyed such cuisine. Then again, the smell of Hungarian goulash emanating from the table alongside wouldn’t turn him on at all. A person adverse to lobster meal might very well relish the Hungarian goulash. The price paid for each of the two meals would vary greatly.

In other words – people’s tastes differ – and likewise, dog’s tastes differ.

The manufacturer strives to develop the one taste in their dog food that will be enjoyed by the largest percentage of dogs.

To this end, each manufacturer strives for consistency. The job for proper blending of dog food to achieve taste and smell falls directly upon the manufacturer’s quality control staff.

Dog Health – Matching Your Dog’s Diet With His Lifestyle

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What you put in your dog’s food bowl has a direct correlation to dog health and happiness.

There are several similarities between humans and dogs concerning nutrients and proper feeding. Dogs, like humans, are omnivores.

————————————————————–

Dog Health 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

————————————————————–

This means that we need both meat and vegetables in order to be healthy. Our diet should include the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals that is necessary to acquire optimum health.

We also need an unlimited supply of water to keep our body functioning and alive.

Similar to humans, dogs need to be fed according to their age, size, shape, and lifestyle for optimal dog health.

For example, a sheep dog that is working in a field will have a different diet then a spoiled Chihuahua that is living in a small house.

Similarly, a pregnant female dog will have a different diet than that of an average male dog, and her puppies will require a higher amount of nutrients in order for them to grow healthy and strong.

The aging dog will require different levels of nutrition than that of a growing puppy for good dog health.

Therefore, it is crucial to know what type of food to give your pet, as well as the type of food to avoid. It is also important that you do not overfeed your dog.

Although you may think that you are being a good owner by giving him big meals and lots of tasty snacks, what you are actually doing is harming the animal.

By giving your dog more food than what his body requires, you are encouraging obesity and paving the way for illnesses such as diabetes.

There are many different kinds of dog food on the market today. The majority of these foods contain the right amount of nutrients that your dog needs for a well-balanced diet.

The three types of food that you can choose for your dog are canned foods, semi-moist foods, and dry foods.

In addition to his regular meals, there are also a wide selection of snacks and treats that you can give him for those times that he is well-behaved and during training sessions that are not damaging to dog health.

Dog Health – The Powerful Role Of Water To Your Dog

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Water is as important in dog health as it is in human health. Your dog’s body is made up of 70% water. He can live even if he loses all the fat and half of the protein in his body. However, he will die if his body loses even just 1/10 of his water.

In order to survive, a full-grown dog requires, at the very least, two milliliters (mls) of water for every pound he weighs every single day (keeping in mind that there are 30 milliliters of water per 1 ounce). The two milliliters are just enough for the dog to produce urine in his body.

Without enough water necessary for urine production, your dog, any dog, will not be able to live and their overall dog health suffers.

When given an unlimited amount of water, your dog will drink much more than the required two millimeters. This is especially true when you always keep a fresh bowl of water.

Giving your dog just the least amount of water every day may be enough for him to survive, but not for long.  Deficiency in water harms the body and gradually terminates its functions. He will eventually turn weak, get sick, and die.

The importance of giving your dog more water than the least amount needed for dog health is used in several ways:

1. Water is used to help digest and absorb nutrients.

2. It is used to burn fuel, which is turned into energy.

3. Water is responsible for maintaining a normal body temperature.

4. Drinking enough water replaces the fluids that are lost in the body during secretions.

5. Water is also responsible for mixing different types of chemicals in the body as they dissolve and transform into different chemical reactions.

6. Water carries nutrients to the cells and also transfers toxic waste products from the cells to the organs for proper elimination. With the absence of water, these organs will not be able to get rid of toxins from the body.

7. Last but not least, water is needed to regulate the blood’s acid level.

As you can see, water is almost always required for every function that takes place in the dog’s body.

And because of its versatility and the degree to which it is used, water is considered to be the most important nutrient for dog health required on all breeds of dogs.

So, in order to successfully maintain good dog health, don’t forget to fill the water bowl

Dog Food & Supplements: An In Depth Look At Nutrition And Dog Health (6)

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Pet food manufacturers have made it quite easy for the average dog owner to feed their pets and positively effect dog health without having to be an expert nutritionist.

All of the work has been done by the modern manufacturer for easy and effective measures to ensure proper dog health.

Since it isn’t possible for manufacturers to list all of the nutrients and their required percentages as published by the NRC (National Research Council) on their labels, the terms “complete diet”, “nutritionally complete”, “balanced”, and “balanced diet” are used.

————————————————————–

Dog Health 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

————————————————————–

This tells the consumer that the product inside the can, bag or box, contains all the essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats the average dog needs to satisfy his daily requirements.

The nutritional requirement for good dog health puppies, however, is somewhat different than that required for adult dogs. The diet of the adult dog is usually referred to as a “maintenance diet” where a puppy diet is referred to as a “growth diet”.

In 1974 a regulation went into effect that required all dog food manufacturers to specify on their labels whether the product is complete and balanced for the adult dog (maintenance), complete and balanced for puppies (growth), or complete and balanced for growth and maintenance both. Since all manufactures comply with this regulation, the only thing left to the consumers is to read the label.

Among the varieties of canned, bagged, or semi-moist dog foods, there are certain drawbacks, as well as advantages. This is true even though they are nutritionally identical if advertised as “complete” and/or “balanced”.

Because canned dog food may contain up to 78% moisture, a dog necessarily has to eat a larger quantity of a canned product to get the same volume of food that he would get if fed a dry product. It takes three pounds of commercially prepared canned dog food to be equivalent to one pound of dry food.

But manufactures do not fill a can two-thirds of the way with water, then top it off with a little dab of dog food. The moisture content inside the can is there by the very nature of the ingredients. For example, when a human buys a thick juicy steak, he’s buying well over fifty percent moisture. The butcher didn’t inject that moisture into the steak with a hypodermic needle.

The moisture content in canned dog food serves a definite and useful purpose toward dog health, both in processing and in the dog’s digestive system. The drawback to the consumer insofar as canned dog food is concerned, is usually one of economics. It can be very expensive due to the large quantities of canned food most normal to large sized dogs will need to eat to get in their daily caloric and nutritional needs. Keep in mind, proper dog health can be very expensive, but well worth the love and affection!

Dog Food & Supplements: An In Depth Look At Nutrition And Dog Health (5)

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Of the twenty six nutrients needed for proper dog health, none can be left out of the ration, or added at inadequate levels, if optimum growth and performance are expected.

Because the nutrients interact with each other, they must be included in precise ratios. If a large excess of one nutrient occurs, then the quantities of other nutrients in the ration must be increased accordingly. Otherwise, a deficiency of certain nutrients exists.

————————————————————–

Dog Health 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

————————————————————–

This can be a dangerous situation regarding dog health.

A good example of this is the relationship between calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. All effects are interrelated. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus must be maintained at 1.2 or 1. If additional calcium is added, creating an imbalance, there would be an inefficient assimilation of these minerals.

The result could cause a disease known as rickets.

Considering that vitamin D acts as transportation for calcium, one can begin to see how these three elements are connected.  While a deficiency of calcium predisposes to rickets, an excess of calcium will do likewise.

In adult dogs, the condition would be referred to as “paper bones”.

A more common example is an excess of fat in the diet. If fat increased to high levels, then fat will satisfy the energy requirements of the dog before the requirements for other nutrients are met. The result would be a nutritional imbalance. An increase of fat requires a corresponding increase in vitamin B12.

Of particular concern are those professional breeders who attempt to bred over-sized, large boned “super dogs”. Nutritional experts state that certain supplements such as oils, enzymes, and minerals should be used only under a veterinarian’s supervision or recommendation. This is especially true of calcium and cod liver oil (vitamin D), both of which are frequently used by breeders during growth. In excess, they can cause serious problems, particularly with bone development.

In this regard toward dog health, it should be added that excess vitamin and mineral supplements may be the aggravating cause of heart problems, hip problems, and lower the all-around health of a dog.

With the hip dysplasia problem being so rampant, and no longer confined to just one or two breeds, professional breeders must become more aware of the dangers up upsetting intricate balances with their “home treatments” and super “bone builders” (genetic inheritance notwithstanding).

Drugs have a very definite place in our society. It is the misuse and abuse of drugs that creates a problem. Likewise, vitamin and mineral supplementation has an important place in the dog world, but misuse and abuse creates a dangerous problem in dog health.

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