Posts Tagged ‘make dog food’
Is Nutrition Related to Behavioral Problems in Dogs?
July 20th, 2009 | 
Author: There is evidence that suggests that behavioral problems in dogs are related to their nutrition. According to an article by the Examiner.com, dogs that are hyperactive, out of control or aggressive may have been fed diets that are not appropriate for them. Now, just because a dog has these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s their dog food, but it could be.
So how do you find out? Well, obviously the first thing you could try is to change their dog food. Unfortunately, that’s not a simple process, but is doable nonetheless. If you decide to change your dog food, don’t do it cold turkey. You have to do it gradually. Mix ¼ of the new food with ¾ of the old food to start for one day. Then slowly, maybe a ¼ at a time change it day by day. Watch your dog for any unusual changes like getting sick, runny stool, etc. If so, either try another brand or keep the same ratio for a few days and see what happens. If not, then continue to introduce the new food slowly.
What type of ingredients do you want to stay away from? If your dog is out of control or hyperactive, then it’s a good idea to find a dog food that has a low level of wheat, corn and corn meal. If your dog is aggressive, then look for a dog food that has complete proteins present. When a dog is fed incomplete proteins they don’t digest well which can lead to undesirable behaviors.
Finding the right mix in a commercial dog food is sometimes hard. Many people therefore look for homemade dog food recipes to try their hand at making their own dog food. If you decide to go this route, make sure to consult a vet or dog nutritionist before making the change. When you make your own dog food, you can control the amount of wheat, corn, corn meal and types of proteins found in the dog food.
I hope that you’ll see some great positive behavioral changes with your new dog food soon.
To see the original article check out:
http://www.examiner.com/x-13263-Baltimore-Dog-Training-Examiner~y2009m7d6-Homemade-dog-food-may-help-resolve-behavior-problems
Posted in homemade dog food recipes, make dog food | 
Tags: dog food allergy, dog food recipes, homemade dog food recipes, make dog food | 
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What Are Meat By-Products And Why Are They In Dog Food?
One thing that many commercial dog foods have listed as an ingredient is meat by-products. Now when I look for homemade dog food recipes, I do not see meat by-products listed. Why is that? In addition, to take it a step further, what the heck are meat by-products?
According to Wikipedia, “Meat by-products are ground and cleaned slaughtered meat carcass parts such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, bones, heads, and intestines (and a small amount of feathers in the case of chicken meat). The terms meat by-products or animal by-products are often used in reference to the ingredients included in commercial pet foods.” (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_by-product)
Ok, so now that you know what they are, that might explain why when you have a homemade dog food recipe you do not have meat by-products listed. Duh right. Who in their right mind would put those items in the dog food that you are going to feed your pet?
Well, many companies that make commercial dog food put in meat by-products (and other by-products) as filler. Filler is just as the name sounds; it fills up space in the food. It does not add any nutritional value (or very little value) to the food. Why do it? Well it should be obvious and that is to save money. Parts is parts and they do not cost much or nothing if the company is into getting the animals in the first place.
If you want to make sure that your dog lives a long and happy life, make sure that the ingredients that is in their food is of high quality. The quality of the food that you give your dog is a factor on the longevity and health of your pet. When you use homemade dog food recipes, you provide the right ingredients and therefore contribute to having your pet live a happy and long live.
Posted in make dog food |
Tags: dog biscuit recipes, homemade dog food recipes, homemade dog treats, make dog food |
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