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.