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With slick advertising, colorful bags, and multiple aisles of different brands, choosing the right food for your dog can be a confusing and daunting task. However, a number of key factors that contribute to making the right decision can be found right on the dog food label!

The first thing to remember when selecting a food for your dog is to completely ignore the bright and colorful pictures on the fronts of the bags! Many dog food bags are designed to attract the attention of the humans seeking them out and use adorable pictures of dogs and appealing colors to give the impression that the contents of the bag are as wonderful as the outside design. In many cases, however, this is not the case and, in fact, this is usually an indication of the exact opposite! Although people are often fooled by cute pictures, clever slogans, and perfectly shaped and colored nuggets of food, the reality is that the most important aspect of any dog food is its nutritional content and not the clever packaging design or delicious-looking nuggets.

One of the best indicators of the quality of a particular brand of dog food is the list of ingredients and, by far, the most important ingredient to look at is the very first one that appears on the list! Generally, the first ingredient comprises between 70% and 80% of the total content of the food and the first three ingredients combined make up 90% to 95% of the food! Dogs are naturally carnivores and, as such, they require their main staple to be some kind of meat in order to achieve optimum health.

Therefore, it is always best to choose a food that uses some type of meat as the first ingredient. The best foods will list meats as all three of the first ingredients and others will list one or more “fillers”, or digestible content that adds little or no nutritional value to the food. Nearly all dog food manufacturers use some kind of filler in their food, such as corn or wheat and the general rule is that the highest quality foods will have the least amount of fillers.

Dog foods can basically be broken down into three separate categories based on nutritional content and quality of ingredients used: Super Premium, Premium, and Generic. Super Premium foods are often manufactured by smaller sized companies and are usually only available in specialized pet stores. They use the highest quality ingredients and have an outstanding nutritional balance that can possibly add years to a dog’s life! Some Super Premium brands include, Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo, and Artemis. Premium foods use good quality ingredients and generally have a proper nutritional balance. Some Premium brands include, Iams, Science Diet, and Nutro. With the exception of Iams, Premium brands can usually only be pound in pet stores. Generic foods are usually the least expensive and the easiest to find (these are the one found in grocery stores, Walmarts, etc). They use the least expensive ingredients and some brands change ingredients frequently, based on meat market prices (this can be very detrimental to a dog’s digestive system, especially in sensitive breeds). Some Generic brands include Pedigree, Alpo, and Beneful.

When choosing a food for your dog, it is important to understand what each brand offers nutrition and quality-wise. With a quick glance at the ingredient label, you can often make a fairly accurate assessment of the quality of any given brand and make the right choice for you and your dog!

Learn more about Dogs and Puppies on Don Krnel’s site dogsandpuppies.info

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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.

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As part of your dog’s regular grooming session, it is important that you frequently examine his coat and skin for dog flea bites. Dog fleas can cause severe irritation by sucking on your dog’s blood. If your dog should develop an allergy to dog flea bites, it could cause him to scratch uncontrollably, and develop sore, weeping skin. Fleas are also known to spread tapeworms to dogs that happen to accidentally eat them.

Fleas need an ample source of blood in order to lay their eggs, and your dog is a perfect source. They can easily jump onto your dog anywhere outside your home. And once they are done satisfying their blood thirst from your beloved pooch, they will usually stay in one area of your home, such as your carpet or bed, until they lay their eggs.

Fleas are not at all shy about having their presence detected. Chances are your dog has at least a few dog flea bites on him if he is scratching, biting, or shaking more than usual. If you happen to notice that he looks a little irritated, you should check him for fleas. To do this, start by pushing back the fur around his neck, along his back, and on his rear end and belly. Be sure to keep a look out for black and white particles similar to sand. These are flea eggs and waste material, a sure sign of a flea’s presence. You can also use a fine-toothed comb to search for fleas. Run the comb over his coat and see if you can catch any of these annoying culprits. There are many options available for controlling dog flea bites on your dog. Your vet is the best person to discuss these options with you.

Visit PuppyTowne.net for more info on Dog Flea Bites.

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Tags: dog care, dog flea bites, flea collar, fleas, getting rid of fleas, pet care, pet pests, puppy caredog care, dog flea bites, flea collar, fleas, getting rid of fleas, pet care, pet pests, puppy care

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