Discover Winning Nutrition Tips For Brilliant Canine Health

by Rebecca Foxton

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.

It’s essential to use common sense and look carefully for the truth. Supporting your dog’s health is clearly an important matter, especially when you take into account the expense of vet treatment as well as your adored animal having to suffer. There is more to dog nutrition than simply choosing the right food.

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.

In addition, you should pay special attention to mouth and paw care, so give your pets pads and claws a regular visual inspection. Healthy teeth will help your furry companion to have proper digestion from the get-go.

If you start out with a raw food diet, or at least one with no byproducts or gluten, your pet will rarely need to see a vet. If your pet happens to have medical needs, your vet may prescribe a prescription pet food diet.

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 contain parasites and bacteria, like; Roundworms, Hookworms, Tapeworms, Trichinella - Trichinosis, Protozoa, Trematodes, Toxoplasma (cats only), and Salmon Poisoning Disease (dogs only).

But the reality is that when we say Bones and Raw Food (BARF) for dogs, we mean meat & meaty bones fit for human consumption. When non-raw advocates talk about the parasite risks, they neglect to mention that parasite levels are negligible in human grade quality raw dog food.

When you freeze raw meat and bones you will kill most parasites and bacteria; for instance, freezing salmon will destroy any parasite that can kill a dog. An effective and fast way to get rid of parasites in salmon and trout is to simply deep freeze them for a couple of days.

About the Author:

About the author: Rebecca Foxton can help you give your pet better health with FortiFlora. For an excellent source of nutrition tips for dog and cat owners, visit her pet nutritional supplements article series on Dog Buffs.