Reprinted Articles

Pet food marketing spiel will generally seduce you with images and messages which strike an emotional chord, such as food which echoes the breakdown of the human diet, or one which appears to be based on natural ingredients but is still heavily processed.

We need to read between the lines and use plenty of common sense. If we take into account the suffering animal and the expense of vet treatment, supporting your dog’s health is clearly an important matter. Dog nutrition is not just about selecting the right food for your dog.

Deficiencies in minerals and vitamins could cause problems with the health of your dog’s eyes (the eyes are very sensitive and like in humans, can get infected). In many cases of poor canine health, eyes can be a key indicator that all is not well. Be sure to look your pet in the eyes often, and tell him how much you love him.

Give your pets pads and claws a regular visual inspection, paying special attention to paw care, and to help ensure your pet has healthy digestion from a young age, be sure to keep their teeth healthy.

If your pet has specific medical needs your vet may deem it necessary to give you a dog food prescription diet, however if you feed raw to begin with, or at least no byproducts and gluten, you’ll probably almost never need to go to the vet.

BARF & The Parasite Myth. Many pet owners are providing their pets with raw food since recent scandals have shown that major brands had dangerous ingredients in their composition. The BARF diet, despite common misconceptions, is quite safe for dogs and cats.

Raw food can transmit parasites and bacteria such as Roundworms, Hookworms, Tapeworms, Trichinella - Trichinosis, Protozoa, Trematodes, Toxoplasma (in the case of cats), and Salmon Poisoning Disease (in the case of dogs).

When we discuss Bones and Raw Food (BARF) for dogs however, we are discussing meat and meaty bones that would be suitable for humans to eat. When non-raw aficionados discuss the risks of parasites, they fail to mention that the level of parasites is practically non-existent in human grade quality raw dog food.

Freezing raw meat and bones usually does kill most parasites and bacteria, like the parasite in salmon that can kill a dog. Deep freezing salmonids (which include trout) for a day or two takes care of that parasite very effectively.

Last 5 posts by Rebecca Foxton

• The Dog Rescuers - July 19th, 2008
• Wonderful World of Dog Accessories! - July 19th, 2008
• Canine Accessories Galore! - July 18th, 2008
• Give Your Dog A Little Charm. - July 17th, 2008
• Ear Mites & Symptoms To Care For Dogs & Cats. - July 17th, 2008

Tags: Cats