Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Educating Yourself on a Raw Food Diet for Dogs

If electing to become a dog owner, then you are assuming a very tiring, but enthralling responsibility, and truly ushering in a new era of your life. One must be prepared for a non-stop runaround experience. There is no off button on a new dog, especially a puppy. That being the case, there are also few downsides to the company a dog brings. It is a relationship you will want for a long time, and that is why you should be serving the best raw food diet for dogs possible.

That sounds sort of bizarre though. When is a dog's food raw? Isn't it just food from a can or bag?

Well, raw food, just to clarify is the same as what is more popularly called dry food. Really, there's no difference other than the term. As long as it is not the wet food you get from a can, then it is raw food.

A diet called the raw food diet for dogs is clearly quite self-explanatory then isn't it? Of course, that's what one should look for in a healthy diet. You don't want decisions weighing you down. Although, why is a raw food diet better than a wet food diet? What difference does it actually make?

To be honest, the difference is fairly significant. However, we get that people are always looking to understand more, and when the subject matter is your own dog, it is important you hear the extended details of that specific difference in food.

Now, the biggest advantage of making the deliberate change from moist food to dry food, to a raw food diet for dogs, is cutting down on the endless price of dog food, which is always, in addition to everything else, going to be your biggest price point.

To be particularly basic about the issue of cost revolving around the feeding of your dog, there are essentially three methods to the madness. The first situation one can undertake is by far the most expensive of them all and that is to buy only wet cans of food. This is not only cumbersome to your wallet, but cabinet space and your trash can, in less you get excited about cleaning out the residue well enough to not attract the fruit flies. Next in line is a combination platter. It is half moist food and half dry or raw food. While that is certainly a better situation, it is certainly still a pricer situation. By cutting down on dry food, you do not cut down on the price of moist. You only improve it. What's our last scenario then? You guessed it, those heavy bulk bags catering to the raw food diet for dogs. They are not only the cheapest, but not the healthiest.

Should you still need more convincing about their health value though, feel free to get into contact with your veterinarian. They will gladly point you in the right direction, which will no doubt be the raw food diet for dogs.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Understanding the Raw Dog Food Diet

There has been a lot of popularity surrounding raw dog food. This is not something that is unlikely because a lot of pet owners who made the switch to feeding pets with raw dog food reports positive health benefits. Also, it should be noted that feeding raw only includes fruits, vegetables, beef, chicken, lamb, and fish.

There are some concerns though that dogs seem to be drinking less when they finally get into the raw dog food diet. This is something that shouldn't really be alarming because dogs are finally getting the right amount of moisture from the raw food that they eat. When they were still eating kibble, they are more prone to seek water because this type of food is typically dry.

As part of the raw dog food diet, fish like mackerel is an essential source of nutrients. Fish is known to contain omega 3 as well as iodine. But some dogs may not fancy the thought of eating fish. In this case you can try cold water fish on them or using marine oil mixed in with their food.

There's also the concern that dogs would eat less when they feed on raw dog food. This is also quite normal because they already get the nutrition they need from one full meal. Keep in mind that dogs have a different digestive system than that of humans, so they really don't need to eat thrice daily as we do.

The important thing to remember though is to have a specific time when they would be fed. This would help train them and their digestive system to just eat at the exact same time every day. Doing this can also help them develop the necessary enzymes that would help digest food properly.

The raw dog food diet also dispels the notion that dogs cannot be fed with actual bones. Contrary to popular belief, it's not cooked bones that are healthy for them. It is the raw kind. You should also just give them raw chicken bones as well as lamb bones because these are the ones soft enough to be chewed thoroughly.

Veggies are also good for your dogs' health. But just like kids, some dogs may be fickle about eating vegetables. What you can do instead is mix some bits of vegetables in the meals that you prepare for them. This way they would eat it unconsciously.

Also, keep in mind that your dog still needs to be de-wormed so you can avoid parasites from living in their intestines. You should also clean up the food you serve them to avoid any cause for salmonella growth.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Purchasing Grain Free Dog Food

As unexpected as it sounds, pet owners can often be completely uninformed or misinformed about the sort of diet they create for the beloved pet. Granted, it is difficult to actually lay any blame to them. After all, our judgements of pet food, specifically dog food, are usually based on two factors. Either how much the food costs or whether the recommended purchase came from a vet. Neither basis is unreasonable, especially when you think about the sheer number of bags of dog food one buys. What we are here to inform you correctly about, though, is how to buy the best dog food, for the affordable price and the doctor recommended approval. That said, we want to talk about grain free dog food.

You see, there are essentially two schools of thought when considering pet food, and, in particular, dog food. They are wet food and dry food.

With this being the case, we want to speak in terms of raw food, and we want to speak in clear terms. While moist food can be all well and good, we are more interested in the health options based around grain free dog food, as well as the simple cost difference in raw food over moist food, which is often much more expensive. Not to cause any offense, it is simply our focus right now.

For a long time, moist food was seen as the expensive, fancier quality food. While its price has still remained more, its quality has lost some ground.

This is a new generation of grain free dog food, and it should be celebrated. After all, someone has finally found a recipe that processes food in a much different way, one that isn't reliant of preservatives or unhealthy syndromes that were so often found in mainstream dry food and in wet food in particular.

What this means for moist and wet food is, for right now in the situation, we must discount it as a conversation topic. It doesn't mean it isn't a good source, it just means that grain free dog food has reached a new level and, for now, it is important we discuss it and its cost-effectivenss.

Secondly, let's talk about health benefits. Grain free dog food can provide your adored pet with a less processed diet, a better coat, and with the right nutrients to help fight off the spread and production of arthritis that will slow down their way of life. Does that sound like enough of a draw to get you in? If not, then throw in the more affordable pricing, and let's get you over to your local pet store.

What is most important to note though, is that ultimately one needs to have their animal in their best interest. That means they need to provide their dog with a food they are going to want to eat, and a food that is going to make them healthier, revitalizing their lifestyle. This is much the same way we would not fill our diet eating something we didn't like to, or only eating things that could cause us health problems. The best recommendation we can make then, is to go out and find the right grain free dog food brand for your pet that you are able.