Nutrition Overview
Proper Nutrition is the Foundation for a Healthy
Life
One of the easiest and fastest ways to increase your
dog’s health is feed him a better diet. The saying
“you are what you eat” is also true for our pets.
How do you know if your dog or cat is eating a
well-balanced diet? First, examine the overall
health of your pet. The eyes should sparkle, the
ears should look clean and smell fresh, and the coat
should be glossy.
If your dog or cat has chronic ear or eye
infections, or lots of thick, dark wax in their
ears, licks its paws all
the time, or consistently bites at itself (no
evidence of fleas), your pet may have food or
environmental allergies.
As professional dog trainers, we talk to many
owners who are concerned about their dog’s
hyperactivity, lack of focus, general inability to
learn, aggression or sudden changes in behavior. Owners are often surprised
to learn some of their concerns can be resolved, in
part, by a change of diet. Since a dog’s diet can
have a dramatic influence on the animal’s mood,
ability to learn and overall health, behavioral
counseling at Pets Behave always includes
information on choosing the best food for your dog.
If your dog or cat displays any of the problems
mentioned, or if you would like to improve your
pet’s overall health consider, a change in diet.
I
will be glad to consult with you and help you
find the best diet for your dog.
What
should you do ?
Educate yourself
Study the labels on the foods that you are currently
feeding your pet. On food labels ingredients are
listed in order of their volume percentages. A
great place to compare foods and learn what each
ingredient means (i.e by products, corn meal, BHA,
BHT) is at
www.naturapet.com
What to avoid:
Animal by-products.
These are the parts of an animal that are left-overs
from the human food chain. They can include,
intestines, duckbills, chicken and turkey feet,
feathers. Ingredients listed as chicken, beef,
poultry by-products are not required to include
actual meat.
Preservatives and stabilizers:
Ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT are chemical additives used as
preservatives. Ethoxquin was developed as a rubber
stabilizer and is also used as an herbicide.
Fillers:
Kibbles high in corn or wheat are best avoided.
These are cheap grains that are associated with
allergies and yeast infections. Other fillers that
have no nutritional value for your pet; brewers
rice, beet pulp, feathers, soy, cotton hulls, peanut
hulls, corncobs, and cereal by-products.
Recommended books:
‘Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate
Diet’ by Kymthy Schultze
‘Food Pets Die For’ by Ann Martin
‘Raw Dog Food-Make it Easy for You and Your Dog’ by
Carina Beth MacDonald
‘The BARF Diet’ by Ian Billinghurst
‘Raw Meaty Bones’ by Tom Lonsdale
‘Pet Allergies-Remedies For an Epidemic’ by Alfred
Plechner and Martin Zucker
Recommended periodical:
Whole Dog Journal- Covers all aspects of canine
nutrition, healthcare, training and behavior.
Excellent! 1-800-829-9165
www.whole-dog-journal.com
There are many different views on the pros and cons
of all dog and cat foods. I hope this encourages
you to educate yourself and consider feeding your
pet a more species-specific diet, with less grains
and fillers. Your pet will thank you for it!
Wishing you and your pets health and happiness!
Debbie Revell R.N. CDBC |
