NaturalDogTreatRecipes

Everyone loves Fruits and Vegetables…even dogs

While holistic dog practitioners debate the merits of feeding our canine companions fruits and vegetables, the pet food industry has taken matters into their own backyard and started a huge campaign to incorporate them into premium dog foods that are available at a wide range of prices with a tremendous menu of variety.

Several pet food manufacturers are now using real fruits and vegetables instead of the synthetic vitamin packs that are commonly used to meet the dietary requirements set by the Association of American Food control Officials, otherwise known as AAFCO.

And many experts contend that vitamins and minerals from whole fruits and vegetables offer long term benefits over the synthetic varieties, the United States Cancer Institute recommended that people get their vitamins from food and not man made supplements.  The same is applicable to our pooch pals.

There has been strong evidence that fruits and vegetables could be beneficial to dogs and may best be classified as functional ingredients since they seem to offer a benefit above that of the base nutrition.

Fruits and veggies are key ingredients in several manufacturers’ foods and costs are able to be kept reasonable by using high quality, low cost vegetables rather than expensive or exotic fruits and vegetables.

How To Change A Dog’s Diet

Health and the Dog treat

Obesity, pancreatitis, arthritis, heart conditions and diabetes are diseases that sound like those that plague humans and they are.  But the rate at which our dog friends are experiencing an increase in these diseases is truly alarming.

Dogs with weight problems should be watched carefully and every effort should be made to help them regain a healthy weight range.  This is not to say that they should not get any treats, just monitor the amount of treats, the type of treats and the overall number of calories per day that the dog is taking in.  Pair this with increased exercise and within a relatively short amount of time, your pooch pal should begin to get back that youthful appearance.

Here are some ideas for reducing your dog’s calorie count while keeping them full and happy.

Offer vegetables:  green beans, red bell pepper, cucumbers and carrots or peas are delicious raw or cooked and added to the daily food allotment in place of some of the food you offer.

Popcorn, pasta and rice:  Rice cake bites, air popped popcorn and cooked pasta noodles add bulk and dogs love them.  They are ideal substitutes for high fat snacks.

Egg whites and cottage cheese or yogurt: Cooked egg whites, plain yogurt or lowfat cottage cheese are super hunger buster snacks.

Watch your dog’s weight and shower your friend with love, exercise and low fat snacks.

Even if your dog doesn’t pick out the dog food pieces that he doesn’t like when eating meals, making homemade dog food is one of the healthiest ways to tell your canine companion that he’s very important.  Naturally, it is simpler to make dog food for your dog if he is not particular about the ingredients.  Otherwise, you might find yourself giving your dog taste tests with ingredients that wouldn’t otherwise purchase.

Don’t take the position that says you can’t prepare wholesome, nutritious dog foods at home, either.  With the exception of a couple of types of meat that don’t wind up in dog food, dog food manufacturers actually use the same grade and types of meats that we ourselves eat.

You may be asking yourself why someone who is so busy, would spend time making their own dog food instead of purchasing it at the store.

Perhaps your dog prefers home cooking to mass market prepared foods.  Maybe it is that your dog suffers from allergies to preservatives, proteins, grains and additives of coloring and flavoring.  Or, it may be as a result of a chronic illness that you have decided to spend some extra bonding time in the kitchen with your furry friend lurking and asking for a few tastes as you prepare the gourmet delights!

You can prepare healthy, high quality dog foods and avoid the addition of salt and oil since they are really just extra stuff that you don’t need.  You won’t have to add sugar or additional flavor enhancers.  Instead, this will give you a chance to experiment with herbs, spices and vegetables and perhaps even alternative protein sources like venison, lamb, or even kangaroo or buffalo.

Just be careful that you don’t add fruits and vegetables that have been shown to cause toxicity in dogs, such as onions, grapes and raisins.  And, you may want to check with your veterinary nutritionist to learn about any vitamins and minerals that will help to make the dog food balanced for your dog’s diet.

Bone appetit and happy cooking with your canine!

Dogs and Arthritis

More and more often these days, both holistic and allopathic veterinarians are seeing dog patients that are suffering the ravages of arthritic conditions, ranging from very minor problems, to the dog requiring surgery for replacements of hips and knee joints.

What, you may ask, is causing some of these problems, and why now more than before has it become so massively prevalent?

Simply and delicately put, the owners are frequently responsible for the cause of the initial problems.  If a dog does not get a proper, well balanced diet, and instead gets a diet that is high in sodium, fat, sugar, and cholesterol, it is likely that the result will be an unhappy, overweight dog.

When there is unnecessary pressure put on the dog’s body, joints, and bones, the result is painful arthritic conditions.  If you maintain your dog’s weight at a healthy level, provide an adequate amount of exercise that does not put undue stress or pressure on the dog’s body, do not allow the dog to jump or do repetitive activities that will cause pain or injury, your dog will be less likely to suffer the ravages of arthritic conditions.

If it should happen that your dog has a condition that has required surgery, or has undergone an operation as a result of a bone break, the chances are increased that the dog may sooner or later, develop an arthritic condition at the site of the injury.  This is unavoidable even with precautions.

Be vigilant to offer your dogs quality dog treats, natural herbs and homeopathic remedies and even functional treats that are specifically designed to offer your dog’s joints assistance in repairing and and rejuvinating cartilage.

Find out even more with Easier Motion with Joint and Hip Supplements.

Your Dog Does NOT have Big Bones

This "weighty" issue does not seem to go away, just like with humans.  Everyone should be concerned about keeping their weight at an optimum healthy level.  Dogs are included in this as well as their humans, who are ultimately responsible for the maintenance of their companion’s good health and general good happiness, naturally.

One of the leading causes of chronic health problems in our canine pals is obesity and the veterinarians are starting to see an overwhelming number of furry clients that are suffering the ravages of poor health. 

When the dog clients are waddling into the office, huffing and puffing, limping and groaning at the thought of taking yet another step, something must be done!  Most of these grossly obese dogs don’t get exercise at all, nor are they inclined to want to play a game of chase or tag.  In fact, most of these dogs are struggling to make it around the house on a good day.

The result of large amounts of food, fat laden treats and table scraps with high amounts of sugar, fats and artificial ingredients and additives are causing our dogs to become unfit and dreadfully pudgy.  Then, they begin to demonstrate the same eating habits as their owners, developing arthritis, liver, heart and kidney problems as well as diabetes that are the same that humans get due to the same causes. 

You can develop healthy eating and exercise habits for your furry friends right from the start.  Share a bit of exercise with your dog, take him for a walk, play a game of fetch.  If mobility is limited for either of you, choose low impact exercises…dogs don’t necessarily crave snacks.  They would prefer just hanging out with you, having a good belly rub and bonding.

Read more in A Weighty Issue for Dogs.

There are Outdoor Hazards Lurking

Being what dogs are, and knowing that they have highly specialized senses, we must be careful to safeguard them from potential dangers that we may not even consider, unless we are watching carefully. 

Dogs love to investigate their world with their nose since it is able to gather far more information about what’s out there than we probably even want to imagine.  Consequently, when you are thinking about putting mulch down around the yard, think carefully about the type of material that you use.

At all costs, cocoa bean mulch should be avoided if you have companion dogs, or are even considering adding a new dog member to your family.   Though the bean pods will degrade into organic fertilizer, have a pleasant color and mouthwatering aroma, they are harmful to a dog that ingests any amount of them. 

The shells contain the residual amounts of the theobromine that is used in chocolate production.  It is this very substance that makes chocolate so toxic to dogs, along with the small but not insignificant amounts of caffeine that are present in the unprocessed beans.

Dogs that consume even minute amounts of the cocoa mulch are susceptible to suffering illness ranging from mild gastrointestinal upset to seizure, irregular or accelerated heartbeat and potential death as a result of their indiscriminant eating of the mulch.

There are remedies but none are certain since it may be difficult to know just how much of the substance the animal has ingested.  Perhaps it is best not to use the mulch around the family fur persons.

Instead, you might want to learn about natural dog treats by reading Treat Your Dog to Biscuits.

How do I Choose a Proper Dog Dish?

How To Feed The “Outdoor Dog”

Nutritional Problems That May Occur in the Pregnant Dog