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Your dog depends on you for all his nutritional requirements. Proper nutrition is essential for a healthy pet to help resist disease and illness, to maintain a lean, healthy weight, and to give your furry friend a shiny coat.

Each dog is different, and your dog’s lifestyle (active or sedentary? young or old? hunting dog? racing dog? lap dog? healthy? pregnant?) is the main factor in determining his individual nutritional requirements.

When to feed your dog is an important first question. Puppies need lots of calories every day because they are growing so quickly. It’s best to feed puppies small meals several times a day at first. Most adult dogs only need to eat once a day to sustain their energy and nutrient levels. If you work all day and no one is home with your dog, it’s probably best to feed him in the evening, so you’ll be able to let him out after he eats. But a morning feeding schedule is fine if someone is home with your dog during the day.
Whatever time of day you choose to feed your dog, there are six basic nutrients that he must eat every day to balance his particular needs: water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins.

Water is key. Your new best friend needs plenty of fresh water daily…it is one of the most important things you can provide your dog. While a dog can go without food for a while, he will quickly dehydrate without water. This is especially important during the summer months when your dog is outside in the heat. We can’t stress enough how important it is to ALWAYS have a fresh bowl of water available for your dog. (A medium size dogs requires about two quarts of water each day!)
If your dog is a normal, active, healthy dog, he only needs a small amount of protein daily. However, young and active dogs need more protein for growth, and older active dogs need more protein as well. The proteins you feed your dog need to come from an animal source.

Carbohydrates help provide your dog with energy, as well as help keep the intestines functioning properly. Most commercial dog foods use corn as their source of carbohydrates. As important as carbs are, however, they should make up no more than about 50% of Fido’s diet.

Fats are an essential part of your dog’s diet, but they need to be properly balanced with other nutrients. If you’re feeding your dog the proper amount of a good, commercial dog food, he should be getting the right amount of fat in his diet.

Your dog doesn’t really need a lot of minerals. As long as you feed him a complete, balanced diet, there is no need to supplement with minerals. Most commercial dog foods will provide him with all the minerals he needs.

Dogs require the same vitamins from their food as you do, except for Vitamin C (dogs are able to make their own Vitamin C). Vitamins that are water soluble (such as the B vitamins) need to be replenished every day. Fat-soluble vitamins (like A, E, K, and D) stay in your dog’s system longer. It’s important that your dog maintain a healthy diet to keep him from developing serious health problems.

For more specific information and recommendations on your particular dog’s nutritional needs, be sure to talk with his veterinarian.

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–Lisa Pallardy is the owner of http://www.BarkTalk.com an interactive site for dog lovers to find articles and information on dog training and care, post photos of their pets, and talk with other dog-lovers. She is also the mother of 6 children and lover of 3 dogs. In her spare time, she makes greeting cards from children’s artwork at http://www.MyLittleRembrandt.com

For more articles like this one on dog care and dog training, or for links to resources where you can purchase dog supplies, visit http://www.BarkTalk.com.

Tags: dog, dog care, dog health, dog nutrition, dog supplies, dog training, puppy care, puppy suppliesdog, dog care, dog health, dog nutrition, dog supplies, dog training, puppy care, puppy supplies

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Distemper: Spotting This Dog Killer Before it’s Too Late

Canine distemper is a devastating disease. It often crops up in seemingly healthy pets without any warning. What’s more, distemper often mimics benign problems, like the common cold. This is truly the most insidious aspect of this illness. Sadly, many cases progress to the point where they are no longer treatable before the owner even realizes what’s happened.

How to spot the early signs of distemper

First and foremost, understand that distemper can often be diagnosed very early if regular trips to the veterinarian are scheduled and kept. This cannot be stressed enough, especially for new puppies! Because afflictions like distemper most often strike very young pups when they have weaker immune systems, it’s crucial that owners visit the vet often in the first few weeks of life. Early diagnosis means a chance to survive distemper.

Owners who suspect distemper, but haven’t had the animal seen by a vet yet, can detect it by a couple of signs. First, yellowish-green or dark green discharge from the eyes and nose is a classic symptom. It’s often accompanied by sneezing and general lethargy. Unfortunately, many pet owners assume this is just a sign that their dog has contracted a cold or has allergies and they ignore it.

If you remember nothing else about what you read here, remember this: any greenish discharge from the eyes or nose means distemper is a real possibility. RUSH your pet to the vet at the first sign! In most distemper cases, the only chance your puppy or dog has is early detection and aggressive medical therapy.

While distemper can manifest differently from one dog to the next, another hallmark of it is constant shaking or twitching. This happens in the more advanced stages of the disease, when the infected dog’s neurological system has been compromised and muscles fire continuously. Unfortunately, by this stage it’s rarely treatable and the humane step is euthanasia. Having said that, always get your pet checked out thoroughly to rule out some other condition that may be causing the tremors. You never know. Dogs are like people, in that they are susceptible to a wide range of illnesses and diseases that can share very similar symptoms. Never assume!

It isn’t easy for pet owners to prevent diseases as serious as distemper. It’s infamous for sneaking up on otherwise healthy puppies. But starting a new puppy out right - with good nutrition and regular visits to the vet for vaccinations and check-ups - will go a long way toward keeping him healthy and disease-free. Know and watch for the signs of distemper and your dog will have a strong ally in you!

© John Schwartz http://www.puppies-dogs-supplies.com (all rights reserved)

John Schwartz is a web site publisher and professional writer. For more information about dog toys and other dog supplies, visit his site at Puppies-Dogs-Supplies.com today.

Tags: canine distemper, dog diseases, dog health, dog supplies, dogs, pet health, pet supplies, pets, puppiescanine distemper, dog diseases, dog health, dog supplies, dogs, pet health, pet supplies, pets, puppies

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Should I provide my new puppy with supplements?

In order to ensure the optimal health of your puppy a quality premium diet is essential. However, there are times when your puppy’s diet alone cannot provide the essential ingredients or proper absorption necessary to support their daily maintenance, as well as their vigorous growth. A daily multi-vitamin such as Excel Daily Multi-Vitamins for puppies can help to ensure that your growing puppy get’s all the vitamins they will need for healthy tissues, strong bones, and overall good health.

Should I provide my adult dog with supplements?

In addition to feeding a quality premium diet to your adult dog it is important to remember that just like humans, dogs can benefit from the use of vitamin and mineral supplements. A daily multi-vitamin such as Missing Link provide your dog with the essential vitamins and minerals that their diet may be missing, while providing your dog with fatty acids to improve both skin and coat! Also, Missing Link is specifically formulated with foods, so “over-supplementation” should not be a concern.

Should I give my senior dog supplements?

Older dogs have more specific nutritional needs. Often, even if fed a quality premium diet, your senior dog’s body will not absorb all the essential vitamins and minerals needed to combat the effects of aging. Supplements such as Inhancer Joint Protection correctly balance the joint saving nutrients necessary for older pets to maintain their hip and joint health. Also, products such as Acidophilus For Digestion provide your older dog with the proper nutrients to aid in the reduction of constipation and other bowel related problems, which often occur in older dogs.

It is important to remember, that healthy diets, as well as supplementation are only a couple of pieces to your dogs health. Make sure to discuss these options with your veterinarian and peers. Especially today, there is a renewed interest in treating our pets, as well as ourselves naturally. Because of this, there is a wealth of products available to you, many times with little or no “real” information about them. At Dog.com, we pride ourselves on choosing some of the best, most noted products available today for your pets overall health and well being. We’ve done this since 1969, so that when it comes to your dog’s health, you know you can trust us, and that you can trust the products purchased from us!

Mike Steele

http://www.dog.com/

Tags: dog, dog health, dog supplement, dog supplements, dog suppliesdog, dog health, dog supplement, dog supplements, dog supplies

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