April 22, 2014

Healthy Dog Food: What Goes Into Making It

We love our dogs. Taking care of them is a number one priority for a lot of people – and part of properly caring for your canine pal is feeding him well. To make the right choice on which dog food to buy for your pet, here’s what to look for:

  • Animal protein – dogs are carnivores and it’s ideal to feed them animal protein. It is best to have the dog food you choose have this as a prominent part of its ingredients. Additionally, the ingredient list shouldn’t just say “meat.” The best dog food brands name where their meat comes from whether it be chicken, beef, or lamb. 

  • Animal protein meal – though it may sound nice to have fresh meat on the ingredient list, that’s still not enough for your canine companion. Meat contains a lot of water, lessening its protein content. Adding protein meal adds more of the necessary nutrients to the dog food.

  • Vegetables, fruits, and grains – dogs need a balanced diet like people do. Additional food ingredients contain nutrients that they cannot get from meat is good. Fruits and vegetables have vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants to improve their health.

  • Expiration date – the ideal “best by” date is 10 to 11 months away, which indicates the food was made recently. More than a year or two beyond the manufacture date usually means it has a lot of preservatives.

Check the things mentioned above before buying food or edible treats for your furry pals to assure their continued health.

April 2, 2014

Tips in Giving Treats to Your Dog

If you are a canine lover, you might be familiar with the viral videos of Tillman, the skateboarding Bulldog, and Jumpy the Dog, the backflip-loving hound. You might have even been inspired to teach your dog a few tricks as well. Not to worry since dogs are actually one of the easiest animals to train. 

A big part of teaching your beloved dog is to ready some dog treats as these are a great way to reward him or her for doing a good job. Some dog owners are also quite generous with dog treats when their pet displays good behavior. Whatever the reason may be for giving treats to your dog, it is important to make sure that the treats are healthy and provide the necessary nutrients. 

Unfortunately, many of the dog treats you can buy from your favorite supermarket and groceries are full of artificial color and flavor. Some may even contain gluten, which may have harmful effects on dogs. If you constantly give such treats to dogs, you may be compromising their health, especially if you are excessively generous to pooches. 

Thankfully, you don't have to deprive your dogs of the treats they deserve. Some online sellers offer healthy dog treats that are packed with the nutrients a dog needs to have a full, active life. Some of these products even contain anti-oxidants which can boost your beloved canine's immune system.