PawshPaws

The dietary regimen is an important aspect of survival. The objective of dietary management is to meet the basic nutritional requirements of the individual with proper proportions of protein, carbohydrates, and fat in a well-balanced diet that will promote optimal body weight.

Generally, these dietary regimens are employed to human beings. However, with the growing fondness to dogs, most dog owners and veterinarians recommend that dietary regimen should likewise be implemented on dogs.

Like humans, dogs need the right combination of the basic food groups in order to have a healthy life span. Dogs also need to be regulated on the kinds of food that they eat or else they could end up being obese as well.

Included in the dog’s dietary regimen are the proper minerals and vitamins. These essential health items should be well incorporated into the dog’s daily needs in order to have a healthy body.

With proper minerals and vitamins, dogs will be able to maintain shiny, healthy-looking coat.

So, for people who want to know how to prepare the right diet for their dogs, here are some tips to guide them through:

1. Meat should not be the only food incorporated in the dog’s diet.

In reality, dogs are carnivorous. The dog’s body is especially designed to generate growth and energy from meat products. However, dogs need fiber too to help them digest their foods properly and carbohydrates to provide them the added energy that they need.

So, it would be better if dog owners will feed their dogs every day with the usual dog foods available in the market and give them occasionally real foods where meat, fibers, and carbohydrates are present.

2. Dogs need minerals and vitamins.

Like humans, dogs need complex combinations of minerals and vitamins. These are needed to maintain the luster and shine in their coats and to provide them with healthy gums and teeth.

Lack of minerals and vitamins supplement will result to deficiencies of certain types that could be really difficult to deal with, such as extra dry or super oily skin, tummy problems, frail bones, low-weight, and worst cases are death.

Like humans, these dietary supplements are needed to give the dogs the extra needed nutrients in order to keep them healthy.

3. Real meal treats

Contrary to most popular beliefs, dogs love the real food more than their typical dog foods. Hence, whenever their owners give them real food, they would consider them as treats.

4. Mixed foods

Most people tend to think that deciding whether to give dogs moist or dry foods is a matter of preference. In reality, it is not. This is because mixing different kinds of foods is actually the best diet owners could give to their dogs.

Giving dogs a variety of foods, nutritional value, and texture is the real diet your dog really needs.

5. Dogs need greens.

A well-balanced diet for the dogs includes green leafy vegetables. Even if dogs are carnivorous by nature, they also need the right amount of greens to provide them with additional nutrients that are only available in green leafy foods.

No wonder why you occasionally see a dog chew on grass. This goes to show that dogs really need some greens to provide their body with a well balanced diet.

There are no hard or fast rules when it comes to balanced diets for dogs. However, it is still important to note the needed food groups that should be incorporated in the dog’s diet.

Dog owners should always consult their dog’s veterinarians especially on things like health and diet supplements for their dogs. The veterinarian knows what foods should be included in the dog’s meal and what foods should be avoided.

Dogs, like humans, should not be fed with junk foods like sugary sweet sodas. These will only make them fat without the needed nutrients.

Whenever something about your dog seems abnormal, consult your veterinarian. As they say, veterinarians know best when it comes to the dog’s care.

What dog does not love getting a treat or two now and then? Dog owners also love giving their dog’s treats. If you have a dog, then you have a good idea of what your dog likes to nibble on.

There are so many treats available these days and they all come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and consistencies. But for every great dog treat, there are those on the market that are not so good.

These treats can harm your pet by being lodged in your dog’s throat or intestines. This can cause choking, or worse. If you love treating your canine friend, then you will want to be aware of those treats that can be potentially harmful. Even with treats that are not usually dangerous, you need to supervise your dog when they eat.

1. Greenies: Most dogs really enjoy these treats. They are advertised as a treat that help clean your dog’s teeth. However, you need to be aware that “greenies” can cause choking. This is because dogs eat these very quickly which can cause large chunks to lodge in the throat. Young puppies should not eat this treat nor should dogs that are prone to “scarfing” food.

If your dog eats these treats, be aware of potential vomiting, bloody stools, and difficulty breathing.  If you notice any of these symptoms after your dog has eaten this treat, seek medical attention.

2. Rawhide Chews: What dog does not love snacking on these chewy treats? Rawhides are good because it cleans your dog’s teeth and keeps your dog occupied. However, rawhides are dangerous, as well. Some rawhides that originate outside of the United States may actually be preserved with arsenic-based chemicals that will be ingested by your doggie when he or she chews.

For this reason, make certain that any rawhide treat you purchase is processed in the United States where this preservative is forbidden.  If you cannot tell where a treat originated do not buy it!

In addition, you still need to watch your dog when he her she is munching on rawhides to help prevent choking. Make sure you buy rawhides that are the right size for your dog, too. A small dog needs the smaller sized rawhide treats.

3. Chocolate: Chocolate is a terrible thing to allow dogs to eat. Of course, sometimes dogs get into candy and cake without your knowledge. Chocolate is toxic to both dogs and cats, so you need to be aware of your dog sneaking chocolate nibbles, especially around the holidays.

Chocolate contains an ingredient called theobromine. This acts in the canine about the same way caffeine acts in the human.  A little will make the doggie hyperactive, but a huge dose may be fatal. If your dog has gotten into chocolate, you need to look for vomiting, shallow breathing, and irregular heartbeat.  A visit to the emergency vet may result.

4. Bones: It seems that it is the right of every dog to be able to crunch on a real meaty bone from time to time. Dogs love bones of all types. However, some bones can be dangerous. Both chicken and turkey bones are especially dangerous because they are brittle. When your dog chews on the bone, they can easily splinter and cause choking.

Some pork and beef bones can also cause the same problem. Veterinarians agree that one of the safest bones you can give your dog is a shinbone.

If you must give your dog a bone, make sure you supervise your pooch and if he or she shows signs of bleeding, then you should call your vet immediately for some advice.

5. Recalls: Always pay attention to what kind of treat you give your dog in case of a recall.

This is not to say that you cannot give your dog an occasional treat. That is one of the fun parts of owning a dog. But you do need to watch your dog and make sure that your dog is safe when snacking.

Pet Sitting Advice on What to Feed Your Dog…

Calling all dog owners, dog sitters, dog walkers, and dog pet sitting owners…

It may be confusing to know what’s best to feed to dogs.

Learn what vets and professional pet sitters recommend.

Halloween can be can be a spooky time for pets. The noise, the costumes and the trick-or-treaters may cause them great stress.

Here are some tips for you to follow to help keep all pets safe this Halloween:

• Protect your pet on Halloween by keeping them indoors. A pet that’s out at night with trick-or-treaters might get spooked by noise and costumes, which could cause them to run off and get lost.
• All cats should be kept indoors at all times. Unfortunately, some people are superstitious of  black cats and will try to scare or harm them. So the best way to protect your pets during  this holiday is to keep them indoors.
• Keep your pet confined and away from the door while you’re greeting trick-or-treaters at your home to prevent them from darting outdoors.
• Your dog may feel that their territory is being invaded by the constant onslaught of visitors. Keeping your dog in a secluded area of the house will help them stay calm and prevent them from growling or possibly biting your visiting ghouls and goblins.
• Don’t force your dog to wear a costume if they don’t want to. Halloween is supposed to be fun for everyone and you don’t want your dog to be miserable. There are other ways they can enjoy the festivities.
• Celebrate Halloween with your pets by giving them goodies that are made especially for their species, like dog biscuits or cat treats.
• Keep your dog away from candy on the floor and tables – If your dog eats candy that is left lying around the house, it could make them sick. In fact, chocolate and raisins can be fatal to dogs!
• In addition, dogs often like to eat candy wrapper because of the candy smell, but they can cause your dog to choke.

Remember, Halloween is a fun time for humans, but not necessarily for pets.  So make sure to follow these tips to keep your pets safe on Halloween and share them with others.

Pet Sitting Advice on What to Feed Your Cat…

Calling all cat owners, cat sitters, and cat pet sitting business owners…

It may be confusing to know what’s best to feed to your cats.

Learn what vets and professional pet sitters recommend.