1. Knowing ingredients
Understanding the elements of your dog's foods is a must for the dog lovers or dog owners. Whenever you nourish/feed the dog with different kinds of foods, you should always study the label and fully grasp the content about the dogs feed types that are being used in such commercial preparations. You should fully grasp the ingredients while buying food for your dog and also know what to look for.
Feed items involve dry and fresh produce. The fresh canine foods that is ready in homes usually includes elements like fresh cut-chicken strips in addition to the cranberry extract fruit juices, blue-green plankton or algae, so-to-speak etc.
If you come across any different kinds of additives and if the dog develops all of a sudden signs associated with the food allergy, suspect the undesirable component in the feed items given. In the same way, understand about the wetness/moisture status. If the meal is having more wetness/moisture, then the dog may choose this as well.
Beet pulp, pasta, Soy bean oil, wheat middlings, calcium carbonate, mineral magnesium oxide, copper mineral sulphate, iron sulphate, zinc oxide, choline chloride, etc. are often the elements in situation of vegetarian centered diet plan items offered to the pet creatures like dogs.
Raw egg, poultry, various meats (beefs), mutton, seafood, quail etc. are often the preferred elements/ingredients in case of dog diet plan that are ready on the basis of the non-vegetarian items. Taurine is one of the essential ingredients for the dog’s nourishment. Like wise, in the case of dogs feeds with cold seafood items, the supplement known as thiamine needs to be supplemented as a component.
Many top quality type of canine food preparations contain essential fatty chemicals (acid), carbohydrate food with adequate fiber content, natural vitamins like A, D, E and B complex natural vitamins.
Furthermore, nutritional value like zinc oxide, is an important component for skin health status and calcium mineral, which is an important component for bone growth, tonicity of muscles. They should be rich in these food items. However, the price of those food preparations are comparatively more costly than the food preparations with common elements. Though it may be better for your dog's over-all health.
2. Pets need different diet plan at different ages
Yes. This is definitely a true statement. For example, the puppy dog needs milk items as the major meal while an adult dog may need various meats or poultry in addition to the boiled egg and milk. So based on the age aspect, the diet plan routine differs in reality for the dogs like any other species.
Puppies need bigger amounts of necessary protein, fat and carbohydrates than a mature dogs. Furthermore, puppies dogs need more frequent feeding plan/schedules in a day, compared with an mature dog. The activity based requirements of diet plan are more in the case of puppy dogs, since they are often more active than the mature dogs.
Elder dogs need limited necessary protein but the necessary protein needs to be easily digestible and assimilated in the body. The diet plan/schedule should have adequate supply of normal water for them. Feeding older dogs too much necessary protein may finally cause to over pressure to the renal structures and ultimately, the dog may end up destructive filtration in the kidney.
This is true, especially when the defense mechanisms (immune) of these dogs is compromised due to many aspects. In the same way, the elderly dogs need less food only because the motions of the mature dogs are highly restricted and hence, they have to spend a limited of energy.
Female dogs in the maternity level need not be fed a full stomach since it may cause some difficulties to the creature. However, the expecting creature and the nursing creature need special type of foods that deliver a healthy type of nourishment with appropriate supplements of natural vitamins and minerals.
The nursing creature with puppies dogs need to be fed with enough amounts of calcium mineral and hence, there will not be any calcium mineral based deficiency and the bone fragments of the puppies dog will be strong without any curving.
3. Vitamin and supplement
Vitamin and mineral items are the most important components in any dog’s feeding. If there is a stability in the vitamin and mineral items, then the creature will have a healthy life and hence, the level of resistance is not affected in an undesirable way. This essentially implies that the dog will be more illness resistance against various illnesses or diseases so-to-speak.
Pet owners should know that natural vitamins A, D, E, and K are the fatsoluble natural vitamins and others are water-soluble natural vitamins. Vitamins like thiamine, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin are important for the functions of neurological system. Lack of supplement results in night blindness and skin lesions wounds and absence of supplement D results in the softening and weakening of the bone structure.
These issues are many a time encountered by the dog owners. Among these, supplement A toxicities may happen if you feed them in excessive amounts, like supplement D. Hence, give emphasis on this while you are using these natural vitamins in the dogs. Cod liver oil from selected fish has more vitamin "A" in them and are globally good nourish for dogs.
All dogs may not need items of nutritional value or natural vitamins to live well for the moment, but it is important for their future. If they become ill or older or very young without appropriate feeding, supplementations are needed for the maintenance of health status in them. However, one has to do as instructed of animal doctor in this respect.
If the dogs are fed with seafood in cold conditions, then they may be struggling constantly from supplement B1 deficiency and hence, such dogs need to be given specifically B1. Reckless usage of supplements minerals may cause diseases and hence, animal vets always need to be consulted on the supplements of nutritional value or natural vitamins.
Minerals like calcium mineral, mineral magnesium, zinc oxide, manganese, iron, copper etc -- are given more emphasis in addition to salt (sodium) and potassium. Zinc is relevant to epidermis (skin) health and potassium is relevant to the muscle health and calcium mineral with phosphorus is relevant to the bone structure health.
However, if you nourish/feed the dog with poultry, mutton or various beef meats along with needed fresh vegetables, synthetic supplements of mineral or vitamin pills may be extremely reduced but supplements need to be thought of when you are not able to maintain a balanced diet as this happens with most of the dogs, due to multi-dimensional causes.
4. Boredom and misbehaving
Boredom and misbehaving are always inter connected in situation of dog acting up. Yes. This is true. Many a times, boredom can be handled with a wide range of elements that will distract the creatures to a higher level. Hence, the dog may not do the irregular or undesirable action arising out of the boredom experienced by it.
Boredom experienced dogs may have different kinds of behavioral styles. For example, some dogs will be seen barking continuously and some may be involved always in some digging activities.
There are many ways to get your dog out of its boredom activities. Many toys and games are available which simulated goose, dog, rodent etc.
These may be kept inside the cage and in particular, puppies love these items. A buster cube with several snacks may be placed in the dog’s house/cage and the creature soon is aware of on how to roll the buster cube to get the snacks it likes. A Buster Cube is an ingenious toy use for replicating and initiating your dog during play and feed time. Instead of putting the foodstuff monotonously in one position, change the position of feeding instantly.
Such activities will be helpful for eliminating the boredom like activity in your dog. Activities associated with boredom need to be redefined well by the dog owners. This will help them to a greater extent to drive away the undesirable habits in their dogs.
For example, some dogs may often have dangerous biting characters and will be seen biting chairs, fabric, pads, and everything that can see. After ruling out the teething issue if it is a puppy, provide it with some large scaled balls, mineral combination based bone-materials, etc. Such wide range of elements help to decrease the boredom relevant activities.
5. Price of feeds
The expense of dog feeds is one aspect that is most important in the case of feeding of dogs with different kinds of foods. Yes. This is true. The price aspect needs to be researched into various viewpoints during the planning of the foods, needed for the healthy balanced feeding of dogs with appropriate supplement and mineral supplementations in the foodstuff.
Price will not always matter much because the dog’s value is being assessed with regards to companionship and the pleasure produced from the dog to the dog proprietor. Though the price of the foods is comparatively more, many dog owners don’t mind much due to the increased benefits based on their dogs with regards to protection, guiding, etc.
Selection of elements/ingredients for the 'Self-made or Homemade food needs to be however in accordance with the high quality aspect. Even when the high quality is more, general persons may seek some less costly items only. Recommended nutrient content may be obtained from the national nutrient academies in all countries and this will provide recommendations.
One can link the cost aspect with items available in their own country. Generally, the commercial foods are very expensive especially the ones that use the modern technological innovation of food preparation like oven-baking, cleanliness of containers/cans, air dehydrating or freeze drying of content etc.
Canned items are more costly than the dry foods. However, the cost of the items relies on what type of meal to be used for the dogs. Food allergies need to be supervised during utilization of different foods in situation of dogs due to the less costly expense of the items. Often the high quality need not be affected because of the cost aspect.
Most of the dog foods these days have described their cost in the brand itself. Hence, the dog proprietor need not have any issue in making a decision on the purchase.
6. Dry vs. Processed Canned foods
These kinds of food elements are different with different grades of preference by the dogs. Pets like dry foods only if they are delicious only and however, on comparison, the dogs choose only the canned foods. Reason for such preference by the dogs is that in situation of canned foods, the wetness/ moisture is about seventy to eighty % but in case of dry food, it is only about ten %.
However, if you view it with regards to nutritional value, often the dry food contains nearly 90 % nutritional value whereas the canned food items contain only less % of nutritional value and most of the times -- It is only soy items that are organized so well to look like meat pieces.
Hence, to make up the nutritional stability in one's body program systems, the dog has to eat more amounts of canned food elements than the dry food elements. Hence, just compare the cost aspect relevant to this feature by you. Many dry foods are soybeans and rice grain based.
Now some dry foods are based on corn. Sometimes, beef based or poultry base foods come in the containers/cans along with mineral and natural vitamin supplements suited for the maintenance of the dog’s health status. Larger dogs that weigh more than thirty pounds need to be fed with partial wet/moist foods or dry foods in most occasions.
This is to fulfill the food receptors in the stomach. This is due to the fact that the bigger dogs need to eat plenty of wet/moist food or the canned foods to fulfill these requirements. But it may not be practically possible in these bigger dogs. The small dogs may have a acceptable level of nutritional value if fed even the wet/moist foods. However, the calorie density of the dry food should not be neglected. Enriched dry foods are extremely welcome ones than the non -enriched foods.
7. Self-made diets (DIY)
Self-made or Homemade diet plan are important in the dog feeding. Many a times, the commercial diet plan involve foods that have synthetic coloring agents and flavor agents that are harmful to the dog's body system. Selfmade foods have the guarantee of quality in the preparation compared with the ready-made commercial items.
The additives included in the commercial foods may not be the suitable ones to the dogs from the health perspective. Even in situation of renal illnesses/diseases or in dogs, the homemade-selfmade diet plan may be made with ground chuck or ground beef, pieces of bread, calcium mineral carbonate, boiled egg etc.
The objective is to have the limited necessary protein supply in the feed items prepared. This should be carried out with homemade diets prepared only for the dogs affected by renal illnesses. Water is included in adequate amounts to help the appropriate metabolism in the digestion-impaired renal cases.
The dog may have delicate allergic symptoms like serious itchiness, which may not get fixed by different kinds of medicines employed over a time period. Such situations may get quickly handled once the dog food is changed from the commercial type of food to the selfmade/homemade foods.
Often, the selfmade/homemade foods items are prepared using the freezing procedures to destroy the viruses or by adding grapes seeds extracts ingredients to offer adequate anti-oxidants to the homemade food items. Food-grade white vinegar is also included in many times to the various meats items prepared in a fresh way. All these can be rich with vitamin supplements that are available in fruit essences, seafood oil etc.
Cranberry juice, bananas, seafood and various meats are prepared in a quality manner and no additives are included during the preparation of these kinds of foods and the dog becomes more active after the consumption of such foods.
8. Meals/foods and allergies
Food allergies are something that is challenging to recognize unless one is well aware of the guideline information with respect to this type of delicate allergy reaction. The main signs of food allergies in dogs involve the facial itchiness,limb chewing, tummy itchiness, repeated ear infections or epidermis(skin) infections.
Since the dogs eat lot of prepared food elements including various kinds of necessary protein, filler, coloring agents and more; in the commercial food elements, the situations of food allergies are more than one can imagine. Allergic reactions mostly involve the epidermis(skin) or the gastro colon.
If you come across your dog itchiness after the provision of particular food elements, then suspect the food delicate allergy reaction in this creature. However, circumstances like fungus attacks/infections need to be ruled out in general before the conclusion of itchiness as a indication of food delicate allergy reaction.
There are many documented situations of allergies of dogs to corn or to wheat. However, the food allergies vary from dog to dog. Read the brands clearly before feeding your dogs with canine food elements, in such events. Too much colored food elements may be prevented since they may cause allergies to your dog.
Food allergies are often connected to the extremely effective behavior noticed in the dogs. Added colors, additives, and high fat diet might cause such food allergies in the dogs and hence, one has to be careful in offering new type of diet plan to their dogs and carefully observe the dog for any signs of delicate allergy reaction.
There are many events those meals/food allergies might be diagnosed in the dogs but the dog may have other issues like pancreatitis. To rule out the food allergies, observation your dogs whenever you feed them, look for things to link signs of dog with food given, particular signs encountered, differential analysis/diagnosis etc. are the important features to be given emphasis.
9. How much should I nourish my dog
Many people will provide with different kinds of solutions based on their experience with their dogs. However, the medical facts relevant to the feeding aspects in situation of dogs need to be given emphasis during the feeding activities maintained in situation of dogs.
Usually the puppy dogs should not be separated before they are eight weeks old. However, some times the orphaned puppy dogs may exist. Usually about five % of the bodyweight may be taken as requirements for the quantity of food to be given to the puppy dogs. However, the quantity that is consumed by the dog differs with dimension the dogs also.
However, one can have a thumbs concept of feeding the puppy dog goes until you see noticeable fullness of the stomach to a average level. If you are going on feeding the creature without giving emphasis to the animal’s stomach appearance, then the puppy dog may encounter some kinds of abdominal problems and the diarrhoea may happen in them.
This may cause many distractions to the proprietor/owner as well as the puppy. Unlike mature dogs, the puppy dogs need to be fed with restricted amounts of food but in more frequencies. However, once the age advances, the quantity may be increased at some level but the frequency of feeding is often reduced in many events.
A dog on a raw food diet plan may eat only two to four % of their bodyweight. Just notice carefully the feeding pattern of the dog and the body condition of the animal. If the dog becomes overweight, just decrease the quality of food and if the dog becomes slim, then have an increase in the feeding items.
As described earlier, puppy dogs and middle dogs (teenage) so-to-speak eat more than the mature dogs. Likewise the geriatric dog consumes less than the mature dog due to the reduced motions of the dog. However, remember to limit the amounts of necessary protein during the feeding of diet plan to the older dogs.
10. How often should I nourish my dog?
This often becomes an question asked by many dog lovers and dog owners. If it is a puppy dog within age of the first six weeks, the puppy dogs need to be given milk at the rate of five to seven times per day. The puppy dog will make some sound if it wants to nourish/feed in general.
However, the feeding regularity may be reduced when the puppy dog becomes six to eight weeks old. By the time the dog reach the age of four weeks, it may begin on some strong or solid foods. Hence, mix the strong food with normal water in majority and nourish/feed your dog once or twice in the beginning and if the dog produces some diarrhea, then delay the feeding.
Most of the times, it is due to experimentation but taking some basic steps actions in feeding, so you need to watch out. The feeding frequency may be changed to two to three times after the assumption of age of eight weeks old. However, if the dog is seen starving cravings for food, then offer food once than the approximated figures. This differs with different types of dogs.
However, avoid feeding too many times in this age number of dogs. Around 3 months to 6 months of age, the puppy will be teething. Hence, limit the feeding to two times only but the balanced type of nourishment needs to be provided to the dogs of this age group to avoid the avoid the deficiency based symptoms in them.
From 6 months to one year, try using puppy dog food that is available from the commercial companies. However, from first year forward, the adult food may be given progressively. However, when the dog becomes an older dog, limit the regularity of feeding since the motions of such mature dogs are extremely reduced due to multiple reasons. However, the expecting/pregnant creature may be fed an a longer period based on the desire of the creature and limit the quantity of the food -- but without limiting on the high quality of food.
11. Signs of sickness
Signs of sickness are the most important signs of the health status in your dogs. For example, if the dog has ongoing nasal discharge, it indicates the existence of nose blockage and if the discharge is dense, most of the times, the dog may have pneumonia.
If the dog throws up one or two times sometimes, this may not be taken as a serious indication of sickness-- but if the dog carries on this vomiting, then this is something significant to be researched.
If the dog has ongoing itchiness, then one needs to examine the dog first by closer observation and evaluation of epidermis(skin) by separating the hairs content especially in situation of long haired type dogs. You may also come across a lot of ticks, or fleas on epidermis, which may look obviously normal at a distance.
If the dog passes loose feces(stool) for one or two or three times, this need not be given more emphasis-- but if there is ongoing passing of loose feces, then the dog is definitely suffering from intestinal(bowels) problems. If the dog does not successfully pass feces for two to three days, the abdominal problems needs to be ruled out carefully.
Just with consideration notice the dog’s strolling motions and rule out any irregular motions in the dog. If the dog is limping, the creature may have foot patches or lesions. In the same way, if the older dog has hesitant strolling and less feed intake along with recurring throwing up, then acute renal problems like 'nephritis' needs to be ruled out.
If there is whiteness in the eye sockets, suspect the 'cornael opacity' that may happen in illnesses/diseases like trypanasomosis. When the dog becomes anemic, the mucous tissue layer of the sight becomes paler and in serious situations, this may have wall white-colored shade. If the dog bites chains and owner or others, look for behavior disorders problems and rabies needs to be ruled out.
12. Heartworms, fleas, ticks and other parasites
Heartworms, fleas, ticks and other harmful bacteria parasites in dogs need to be eliminated by following appropriate medicines in them. Many products have come up in the pet commercial industry to protect the dogs from heartworms viruses, fleas, and other harmful bacteria parasites like hookworms, roundworms, lice, ticks etc.
Among the heartworms, fles and other harmful bacteria parasites, the fles produce the extremely delicate reactions in the effected creatures. Hence, the creatures swarmed with fleas begin severely itching of body. Many times, the itching is so serious and the epidermis(skin) becomes more hyperemic and dermatitis happens in the impacted area.
Animal will not lie down or sleep perfectly due to the constant bites by the fleas. Hence, creature looks as if infected by some severe skin illness. If the creature is not properly cared for-- this tick/*flea bite problem, there will be often additional microbial invasions in these parasites and there may even be a bad fragrance originating from the epidermis(skin) area.
Closer observation of the dog is extremely important to concept rule out the occurrence of fleas distressing the creature to a higher levels. Similarly, the epidermis(skin) of the creature needs to be examined for the presence of fleas, lice etc. For this, the hair elements need to be separated and the close observation with patience is needed for the proper diagnosis.
In many situations, if anemia is present, the blood vessels protozoa need to be ruled out in addition to the to the hookworm issues. The clinical issues like anemia, decrease activity, pot tummy etc. might be recognized by the dog owner themselves and however, the dog needs to go through the routine medical relevant evaluation such as waste evaluation, hematological evaluation and blood vessels smear evaluation.
Many pet commercial items have come up in the marketplace, which are useful to deal with all these circumstances by single dose. Medication like 'ivermectin' are extremely useful and are available in both hypodermic injection and oral type in addition to the solution type that can be applied on the epidermis(skin). These drugs in dogs can lead to the prophylaxis of these circumstances also.
13. Heartworms preventive measures
Beef flavorful chunks are available in addition to the various beef meats flavorful pills or solutions that can be given by mouth to the dogs as a measure against the occurrence of heartworms viruses. Avoid insect bites by offering appropriate mosquito-proof protection facilities to the dogs.
Just plan whether there is any need to go for the heartworm prevention though out the year or only in some a few months of the year. For example, in situation of some countries, the nasty flying mosquitoes bugs may be inactive in most of the chillier weeks or months.
However, in some countries, this is not a position. Many a times, medications are available for oral administration to avoid heartworms along with hookworms etc. Such medicines need to be taken as per the recommendations. However, be careful about the occurrence of any negative medication responses in the dog given with such prophylactic therapy.
Adverse event reviews need to be sent if you come across any sorts of negative medication reactions in your dog during the preventive treatment.
Soft beefy meats flavorful pills are extremely preferred by the pet creatures as the protection against heartworm viruses. The pet proprietor needs to seek advice from a animal doctor if the quantity for the prophylaxis of heartworms is skipped for a few weeks or months. In such events, the pet creature needs to go through the heartworm analyze/test.
Heartgard, sentinel, interceptor, revolution, etc. are available in the commercial industry as drugs for the protection measures. Avoid water stagnation around the dog house/shelter protection and the shrubs around the area that facilitate mosquito insect reproduction. This analyze/test needs to be carried out in assessment with a animal doctor who is specific in the pet animal health proper care and medication.
As a protection for the heartworm viruses, the dogs need to be examined for the proof of these worms viruses at an age of 6 months. Real beefy eatable pills are available containing medical agent like ivermectin.
14. Typical concerns about heartworm
The common concerns about heartworms are often relevant to the species infected by heartworm viruses in addition to the dogs. One should know that in addition to dogs, the cat, fox, wolfs,sea lion etc. are also infected. Can this be treated or not? Yes. This can be treated.
What is the medication used often for the protection of hearthworms in dogs? Ivermectin is the medication used often to have precautionary activities for these heartworm viruses. Pets infected expose continuous coughing, panting and dullness in many events.
What will be the dimension of the worms? In the situation of the females, it is about twenty-seven cm and in the situation of male, it is about 17 cm in length. Is there any vector involve in the transmitting of the disease? Yes. Mosquitoes often get associated as vectors in which the early development of eggs(larvae) of heartworms viruses happen in them.
Is the prophylaxis intend