Dogs, just like their human counterparts, need proper nutrition in order to maximize their health. While it's sometimes hard for humans to overcome bad habits and years of improper nutrition, dogs have the advantage that they can only eat what you feed them. To ensure that your dog stays as healthy as possible, here are some helpful tips.
Your first step should always be to discuss your pet's health needs with a veterinarian. This professional can help you fix upon a healthy weight for your dog and offer suggestions about how much to feed your pet each day. The amount you feed a dog depends up the animal's size, ideal weight, age and activity level.
These days there are many choices for dog food, but generally most of us simply must choose between dry food and wet food. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages. Wet food provides a source of liquid and dogs often really enjoy the flavor. Dry food lasts longer, both on the shelf and in the dog dish. Both can supply all the nutrition your dog will need, so the real focus should be on how much you feed and the overall quality of the food itself. Consider opting for brands that contain ingredients that you actually have heard of such as chicken, lamb and rice. If the ingredient list is massiv, and you've never heard of most of the ingredients, it's probably not the best choice.
It is important to note that a dog's nutritional needs are much different than that of a person. For instance, humans need carbohydrates, but dogs actually do not need them. Still, look at the dog foods on the pet food shelves and you will see plenty of carbs listed in the ingredients. These carbs typically will not harm your pet, but just like with humans, look for very healthy carbs such as those with whole grains, sweet potatoes, barley and millet. Typically, also look for foods where sources of protein are listed above carb sources on the list of ingredients.
While there are plenty of safe foods for your dog, it is not recommended that a dog eat table scraps and there are a few foods that you should always avoid giving to your bet. Chocolate is a commonly known food to avoid, but raisins and grapes also should never be given to dog as these can cause kidney failure. Avocado, both the plant and the fruit, is toxic for dogs, containing a substance called persin, which can harm your dog. Dairy products often cause severe intestinal distress and never feed meat with bones or fruit with large seeds or pits.
If your dog accidentally grabs a tiny tidbit of forbidden food, you probably don't need to be alarmed, but it wise to train your dog so that they know to leave an item alone when you command. That way if a chocolate bar is dropped on the floor or you see them chomping on leaves in the garden, you can command them to stop immediately and drop the item. Obedience training is a definite must for your dog, and this will keep them safe in a huge variety of situations, which in turn keeps them healthier. Obedience can be quite easy to accomplish if you use a dog training DVD. Dog training is definitely one of the many components of keeping your dog as healthy as possible.
Your first step should always be to discuss your pet's health needs with a veterinarian. This professional can help you fix upon a healthy weight for your dog and offer suggestions about how much to feed your pet each day. The amount you feed a dog depends up the animal's size, ideal weight, age and activity level.
These days there are many choices for dog food, but generally most of us simply must choose between dry food and wet food. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages. Wet food provides a source of liquid and dogs often really enjoy the flavor. Dry food lasts longer, both on the shelf and in the dog dish. Both can supply all the nutrition your dog will need, so the real focus should be on how much you feed and the overall quality of the food itself. Consider opting for brands that contain ingredients that you actually have heard of such as chicken, lamb and rice. If the ingredient list is massiv, and you've never heard of most of the ingredients, it's probably not the best choice.
It is important to note that a dog's nutritional needs are much different than that of a person. For instance, humans need carbohydrates, but dogs actually do not need them. Still, look at the dog foods on the pet food shelves and you will see plenty of carbs listed in the ingredients. These carbs typically will not harm your pet, but just like with humans, look for very healthy carbs such as those with whole grains, sweet potatoes, barley and millet. Typically, also look for foods where sources of protein are listed above carb sources on the list of ingredients.
While there are plenty of safe foods for your dog, it is not recommended that a dog eat table scraps and there are a few foods that you should always avoid giving to your bet. Chocolate is a commonly known food to avoid, but raisins and grapes also should never be given to dog as these can cause kidney failure. Avocado, both the plant and the fruit, is toxic for dogs, containing a substance called persin, which can harm your dog. Dairy products often cause severe intestinal distress and never feed meat with bones or fruit with large seeds or pits.
If your dog accidentally grabs a tiny tidbit of forbidden food, you probably don't need to be alarmed, but it wise to train your dog so that they know to leave an item alone when you command. That way if a chocolate bar is dropped on the floor or you see them chomping on leaves in the garden, you can command them to stop immediately and drop the item. Obedience training is a definite must for your dog, and this will keep them safe in a huge variety of situations, which in turn keeps them healthier. Obedience can be quite easy to accomplish if you use a dog training DVD. Dog training is definitely one of the many components of keeping your dog as healthy as possible.
About the Author:
Garrett McMahan loves watching dog show. For further information about the best DVD dog training videos, or to find dog training video online, please visit the TheDogsWay website now.
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