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September 26th, 2009 by K.C. Jones

Your dog’s health is largely dependent on the dog food you are feeding. Understanding your dog’s nutritional requirements will go a long way in keeping them healthy and happy.

In order for your dog to grow, they need essential nutrients. Without these nutrients, your dog may experience poor health, stunted growth, shortened lifespan, and allergy symptoms.

All animals need five basic nutrients to survive: protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Without the proper balance of these five nutrients, they can provide the different functions necessary to sustain the health and well-being of your pet.

Proteins are made up of amino acids. They are considered the building blocks to your dog’s health. Some, but not all, necessary amino acids are synthesized by the dog. However, the other essential amino acids must come from your dog’s food.

You need to make sure your dog food has an adequate amount of protein, mainly made up from animal, not grain, sources. But like all things, too much is not good and can lead to obesity (since protein that is not used is converted to fat) and has been linked to temperament problems in dogs.

Fats are as necessary for dogs as humans. Most people don’t think about the fat content, or the kind of fat, that is in their dog’s food. But without the correct kinds and amounts, your dog will suffer. Fats are needed for a healthy skin and coat, proper kidney function, and to transport the fat-soluble vitamins to cells. But just like with proteins, too much can cause problems, such as obesity.

Carbohydrates are your dog’s main energy source. But like fats, not all carbs are created equal – at least in your dog food. Look for dog foods that have whole grains, not by-products of the grain, as these contain less of the necessary nutrients that your dog needs. Certain grains, such as corn, soy, and wheat, are common sources of carbs in your dog food and also common allergy triggers.

Vitamins and Minerals are the last area of necessary nutrients for your dog. These should be supplied naturally through your dog food. However, some dog foods will need to add in a lot of vitamins and minerals because they get destroyed in the manufacturing process of the food. But these vitamins and minerals will start to diminish in both quality and quantity the longer the bag of food is opened – so you won’t get as much by the bottom of the bag as you do when you first open it. To ensure optimal health for your dog, you should provide a specially formulated vitamin supplement.

August 26th, 2009 by Moses Wright

Diabetes mellitus is a disease that can be potentially fatal if left untreated. Diabetes in dogs causes uncontrolled blood sugar levels. The dog owner can make the necessary changes to keep the dog’s blood sugar levels within a healthy range.

Diet and exercise are a vital part of diabetes management for dogs. With proper diabetes management, the dog may live a considerably long time and be happy and active.

There may be initial signs that a dog has developed diabetes. Those with diabetes often experience an increase in thirst and drinking as well as urination.

Diabetes mellitus must be diagnosed by a veterinarian. The veterinarian may want to do blood or urine tests and may require the dog to be fasting at the time of the test.

Diabetic dog diets need to be consistent and scheduled. A specific routine for feeding the dog at administering the insulin is likely to be prescribed by the veterinarian.

Fiber and complex carbohydrates are key ingredients for diabetic dog diets. If the dog should lose weight, the veterinarian may recommend dog food that is low in fat.

Diabetic dog diets need to be consistent. Feeding a dog treats, table scraps, or making homemade dog food are considered potentially dangerous for dogs with diabetes since these can cause too much variation in the contents of the dog’s diet.

Drastic changes in the dog’s weight should be avoided. Managing diabetes in dogs can be easier if the dog maintains an ideal weight. Any necessary weight loss should be done gradually.

Regular checkups by a veterinarian are necessary for dogs with diabetes. The dog owner may have a number of questions regarding the management of diabetes in dogs. The dog owner should feel comfortable asking the veterinarian any questions they may have.

In addition to regular veterinarian visits, the dog owner can test the dog’s urine for sugar with testing strips. The veterinarian may instruct the dog owner on testing without urine and making any necessary adjustments in the dog insulin.

Diabetes management for dogs can benefit from regular exercise. Consistent exercise helps keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range. Having a regular daily amount of exercise such as half an hour a day is best.

August 6th, 2009 by Ray Baker

If you own a dog and you love him very much, you may want to take some time to strengthen the relationship between you two. Playing is a great way of doing this. Especially playing fetch.

Some dogs know instinctively how to play fetch. Other dogs need to be taught. Luckily, dog training for playing fetch is a fairly simple process. You need to stick to a few simple guidelines for a couple of weeks. The three simple guidelines are listed below.

1. To start with, your dog needs to show interest in the ball. If he has no interest in the ball, the game of fetch will go absolutely nowhere unless you teach him this first. You can do this by waving the ball around in front of your dog’s face. Eventually, your dog will sniff the ball. Once he does this, praise him a little and repeat this a few more times. This way, your dog will learn to show interest in the ball.

2. Once your dog has learned to pay attention to the ball, he must learn to pick it up in his mouth. It’s possible that he will do this all by himself. In this case, you simple need to praise him and feed him a dog treat. If he doesn’t pick up the ball on his own initiative, you can make the ball more enticing by smearing some peanut butter on it. Keep this up long enough and your dog will eventually learn to pick up the ball.

3. Now that your dog has learned to chase and pick up the ball, he needs to bring it back and then let it go. Throw the ball away until your dog follows it and then picks it up. Now you can lure him back to you by waving a dog treat around. Once he comes back to you, he will likely drop the ball so he can have his treat.

After about a week of repeating these simple steps, you can try a few fetches out in the field. Take your dog into the yard or any other area with enough open space, and throw the ball a short distance away. If your dog has understood his fetch training, he will eventually chase the ball, pick it up and take it back to you. Every time he gets it right, praise him and give him a dog treat. Then, throw the ball a little further.

If you stick to these simple training steps, your doggy should learn to play fetch in a matter of days or weeks. In time, your doggy will likely gain a better understanding of what playing fetch is all about. The game then becomes its own reward and you won’t have to stock up on dog treats anymore.

Dog owners all over the world know how fantastic it is to have a dog around the house. Dogs are very loyal creatures that are good company. If you love your dog, chances are you are always looking for ways to get closer to him. A good way of doing this is to play fetch with him. So follow these guidelines and teach your dog how to play with you!

June 24th, 2009 by Alex Baker

The Yorkshire terrier is a dog that comes to us from Scotland and England. There is plenty more to learn about them than just what meets the eye.

The Yorkshire terrier comes from a mix of other breeds that has been tweaked over decades. The result is a very small but energetic and loveable breed of dog.

Most people find them to be quite adorable and a great companion. This is good news because Yorkshire terriers do require a great deal of attention and interaction.

They love to socialize with people but not so much with other dogs. It is best to have only one or two pets to care for if you have a Yorkshire terrier.

The coat on a Yorksy is very beautiful and very shiny. It will have a higher gloss to it though if it is eating a proper diet.

The vitamins and nutrients found in those foods are what it needs in order to really thrive. Proper grooming of this coat is essential.

When you look at a Yorkie you will no doubt not realize all of the work the owner has put into caring for it. This involves having the hair trimmed regularly, choosing a haircut that works well for it, and combing it every couple of days.

Failure to pay attention to these important grooming issues can result in the Yorkshire terrier not looking very well at all.

When you view the Yorkie Rescue up close you will notice some distinct features about them. Their coat has a variety of colors in it including but not exclusive to shades of gold and tan. Dark brown and black are also very common.

If you look very close you may even find some dark blue colors on it. The Yorkshire terrier has a very short but thick tail and the ears stand up straight.

This isn’t standard on the breed though but rather a process that is developed through a process. The owner should understand this process so they can get the right results.

It involves using a stick across the two wears with them taped into the proper position. After a length of time the ears will be permanently remaining that way.

While Yorkshire terriers are prone to many different health problems, they can do quite well with proper medical care and the right diet.

Making sure all of their basic needs are met from the very start is going to help you be successful in keeping them both healthy and happy. On average a Yorkie will live to be from 12-15 years of age.

The personality and temperament of Yorkshire terriers are quite interesting. These dogs don’t carry themselves in a way that suggests they are small in size. They are very active and extremely protective of their owners.

They don’t like to share attention though so they can become aggressive towards other pets you may have in your home.

To defend their owner and to get recognized they often engage in a very high pitched bark. It is certainly a sound you better grow accustomed to if you want to have a Yorkshire terrier around.

It is important to understand that due to their small size they are often the victims of falls and being stepped on. Make sure you do all you can to keep your Yorkie safe from such occurrences.

June 11th, 2009 by Michael Considine

Does anyone remember the dog food recall of 2007? I think if you asked the thousands of pet owners that lost their loved ones, they would tell you they’ll never forget.

According to Wikipedia 5300 pet food products were involved in the dog food recall in 2007. There has been many more commercially made dog foods hit the dog food recall list since 2007, but none have killed the amount of pets as in 2007.

Pet owners are scared to death as to when the next big dog food recall will hit the news, but there are scarier issues about pet food that should be worrying pet owners. There are many toxins being legally added to dog foods during the process that will never trigger a dog food recall.

It is now well know that Melamine was the cause of many pet deaths in the 2007 dog food recall. The pet food industry legally allows chemicals to be added to the process that might not kill as quickly as Melamine, but are as deadly long term.

There is a reason that more dogs are dying from diseases like cancer and kidney failure. Why when the life expectancy of a dog is twenty are they dying at half that age? Is there a reason for my Beagle to just start to have seizures at six years old?

When I started my research on how to help my Beagle the biggest question was why is he having seizures. The findings of my research stopped me in my tracks. A dog food recall was no longer what I feared most.

I am outraged about the toxic waste I was buying and feeding to my dog, and I decided to do something about it. Right then and there I decided if I wanted my dog to live longer I needed to change what I was feeding him.

There are important things you need to learn about nutrition if you plan on taking your dog off commercial food, but its’ well worth learning to have your dog live longer. The changes I see in my dog after only one month is unbelievable and others are saying the same thing.

“Only One Month Has Pasted and My Dog Already Acts Five Years Younger”

Justin Kyle & ‘Crackers’ Salt Lake City, Utah USA

“Now it’s Easy and Quick to Find Quality Dog Food I Can Trust”

Cassie Overton & ‘Sweetpea’ Orlando, Florida USA

“Maxine Has Lost 8lbs In 5-Weeks, She Looks Better, Smells Better & Behaves Better!”

Darleene Christchurch & ‘Maxine’ Sydney, NSW Australia

There are many more people finding out that if we want our dogs to live longer and be healthier, then we need to learn how to feed them the right food.

Some Vets and other so called experts are going to tell you that learning to feed your dog home made food correctly is too hard. This is not true and the little bit of effort it takes to learn is well worth never having to worry about another dog food recall alert.