Understanding the Basics of Dog Health, Nutrition and More
Dog Health Care| How to Care for Your Sick Dog
Owning a dog is more than just giving your children a playmate. Dogs are a responsibility. Knowing a bit about dog health care and dog health problems will help you have a healthy and happy dog that will enjoy a long life with your children.
Preventative Medicine:
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. You’ve heard it said before and this is no exception for your family dog. Veterinarian bills can be expensive! Although some insurance policies are now available for dog health care, the cost is still there. Are you ready for it?
Have your dog vaccinated. There is some discussion as to whether regular vaccinations are warranted so ask your veterinarian. Animals immune systems are not unlike our own and some professionals have claimed that yearly vaccines are unnecessary suggesting a three year gap for most vaccines. If you question this yourself, take into consideration the lifestyle of your pet. Is your dog outside in the country? Does it hunt? Or is it a city dog with only limited access to other animals?
Diseases can be spread, not only from contact with other dogs and animals, but also in the dung. Eventually the choice is up to you, but make the decision in the best interest of your pet, not as an economic decision.
Accidents and Injury:
Have the number of the local animal hospital close at hand. You may not think of it, but your vet's number should be as easy to locate as your doctor if you want help in an emergency. Basic emergency care can also be found in a dog health book.
General Care and Healthy Eating:
Take care to deal with dry skin, fleas and other irritations as soon as you're aware of them. Gentle shampoo (even a baby formula) is best for regular washing although you may choose a flea shampoo in case of an infestation.
Whether you want to allow your dog to eat ‘people's food’ or not is a personal decision. It makes sense though that you avoid feeding your dog unhealthy, fattening foods such as creams and fried foods. Most dogs will readily take apples, carrots and cooked egg as a special treat if it is introduced early on. You can even find recipes to make healthy treats for dogs
For more information on keeping your dog healthy check out this link: https://fastesaletter.com/esa-contribution-in-a-happy-life/
Dog Food and Treats
In the past, most people prepared their own homemade dog food and used commercially prepared dog foods as backup. Today owners are concerned that their dogs are getting enough antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to keep them healthy and active. Commercial pet food manufacturers take the guesswork out of feeding by ensuring that their products have been scientifically prepared to meet all dog breeds nutritional requirements. Most owners, breeders and kennels use commercial foods as much for the health of the dog as the convenience of food storage and handling. Some dog breeds are more active and will require more daily intake calories per pound of body weight. While other dog breeds can efficiently use all the food they eat and have a tendency to put on weight. Specific information on each dog breed can be found in our Directory of Breed of Dogs resource section.
Types of Commercial Food
There is no best type of food or best dog food from a nutritional point of view. Dry food is usually less expensive than canned food and semi-moist food falls somewhere in between. Feel free to switch your dog between food types for variety or stay with one if your dog expresses a definite preference.
1. Canned food that is mostly meat with added vitamins needs the addition of carbohydrates in the form of dog-meal or dog biscuits. Dog-meal or biscuits should be added to the canned meat in the ratio of 1:1 for small breeds and 2:1 for large breeds.
2. Canned food that provides a complete diet that meets a dog’s nutritional requirements.
3. Dry food pellets or biscuits that provide a complete diet containing meat/fish products, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Remember to keep filling the water dish as dogs will drink more on this diet.
4. Semi-moist food that is a highly processed and packaged complete balanced diet. It usually has a shorter shelf-life than dry or canned food.
Age or Health Specific Food
Pet food suppliers know that dogs have different nutritional requirements at various stages of their lives. Therefore most pet food manufacturers have developed foods that target these specific age or health related requirements.
1. Puppies need about 100 calories per day for each pound of body weight. Puppy food is usually available in canned, dry and semi-moist forms and has various names like puppy chow or puppy kibble. Puppies should be served three times per day up to 6 months of age and twice per day from 6 to 12 months. When you bring your dog home from the breeder, remember to bring a one-week supply of the breeder’s food to transition your puppy to the new puppy food. See the free report on Dog Training which discusses this issue and also talks about food training.
2. Adult dogs need about 60 calories per day for each pound of body weight. Adult dogs probably prefer two meals each day. Also should follow the instruction on the package for each different manufacturer but examples of daily amounts of complete canned food are: small 12 pound dog = ½ can or 14 oz.; medium 24 pound dog = 1 can or 28 oz.; and large 48 pound dog = 1 ½ to 2 cans or 42 to 56 oz..
3. Older dogs need about 25 calories per day for each pound of body weight. The age at which a dog is considered older varies with size and type of dog breed. A large dog might be considered old at 7 years, and a small, long-lived breed might not need the reduced calories until 12 years of age. Special formulations of food for older dogs are widely available.
4. Overweight dogs need fewer calories but still need high-quality protein. Special weight control formulations of dog food are available but watch out for foods that simply contain extra fiber to help the dog feel full as adequate dog nutrition is important. See our article on "The Fat Dog" to help you decide between calorie reduced dog food or cutting back on the amount of dog food. You should also cut back on high calorie dog treats and substitute chewy bones and toys instead.
Dog Bones
Not all bones, such as chicken bones are safe for dogs. Many people insist that beef, pork, or lamb marrow bones are not only safe but provide good dog nutrition and help clean the dog’s teeth. We think that it is safer to err on the side of caution and avoid any chance of your dog ingesting any bone splinters or cracking a molar while gnawing on a bone. All premium dog foods will provide more than adequate nutrition, and you can give your dog rawhide bones or dog biscuits to help clean his teeth.
Dog Treats
There are an extremely large variety of dog treats available from pet supply stores, supermarkets, and internet suppliers. These threats can take the form of chews, biscuits, cookies, and kibble.
Treats can be made from anything that dogs find tasty and products include: meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates. Dog treats have also been developed to target specific requirements such as puppy training, cleaning teeth, improving bad breath, aiding digestion, and delivering medicines such as heart-worm prevention, antibiotics and pain relief.
Dog Training Treats
The use of these treats to reward your dog’s actions are explained in our article on "Puppy Training". It is important that these training treats are small and contain few calories because you will be using them often while training your pet. A puppy shouldn’t be given a large dog biscuit or something similar every time it obeys a command, otherwise it will get full and lose interest in training.
Home-made Dog Treats
If you have the time, it is easy to make your own dog treats from steak, chicken, hamburger, cheese, or even your own complex recipe. In later updates of this page we will be adding a few of our favorite dog treat recipes and even publishing those recipes that our readers send us.
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