Thursday, January 12, 2012

Getting Your Pets to Eat Raw Dog Food

There's a lot of popularity surrounding the raw dog food diet these days. This is also because a lot of pet owners swear by the positive effects it brings. But if your dog has always been fed otherwise, you should take some caution into transitioning them into this type of diet.

One thing that most pet owners fail to remember is that domesticated pets may no longer have the enzymes necessary to feed on raw food. But this does not mean that they could never do that. It would take time for them to develop such enzymes which is why it is advised that they be transitioned into this natural diet.

In addition to this, it would also be best if you can search for the right source first. While many pet owners who get into this raw diet prefer to make their own meals for their dogs, being a newbie might be too overwhelming for you given the choices you have. So it would be best if you simply buy them as packaged to also help you track the stuff that they eat.

It's not hard to come by raw dog food meals anyway. There are lots of shops that offer them these days. You can even find them in groceries as well as pet shops. However, they can get a little expensive because of their "all-natural" selling point.

Among the best ways to also get these raw dog food meals is to ask from your friends and some colleagues who have advised you about the said diet. They might personally know someone who is creating good meals for raw diet and they might give you that referral.

Aside from your friends, your dog's vet might also be able to help give you some referrals. They might personally a dog nutritionist who is into creating these raw dog food meals. The best part of this is that you get the assurance straight from your vet so you can be sure you are feeding the right stuff to your dog.

You can also try to research online about possible options. You might even find a raw dog food shop near your place. With the internet, you can also make some researches on certain individuals selling these types of dog food to make sure that they are legitimate.

When it comes to feeding raw dog food to your pets, just remember to make a good transition. It would also be great if you can get clearance first from your vet before you get into this. That way, you can really be sure that it would be alright to make the shift.

Implementing the Raw Food Diet for Dogs

Although the raw food diet for dogs proves a lot of healthy benefits, it is still something that requires a transition before being fully implemented. This is because pets are wired differently and also because age is a factor for the success of this new food introduction.

There are some tips that you can use to help make this transition a success. Fasting is one, so that your dogs would have an even bigger appetite the following day. Fasting is also a good way of preparing your dog's digestive system for the new food intake.

When you already begin transitioning into raw dog food diet for dogs, it is important to also lessen the treats that you typically give to your pets. This would help them switch into the diet much faster. Also, remember to have some filtered water around while your dog is taking on their new meals.

Among older dogs, it can get quite hard to make the transition because they are so used to eating cooked meals or kibble. The texture and the smells of the raw food meals would be too different for them. That is why variations are necessary when you first begin to feed them raw food diet for dogs.

So to help them transition much faster, you need to really remove treats from their current diet. This would help make it easier to make them less used to it. You can also ease them up into the diet by poaching the meats or lightly baking them in the oven just so their favors and natural smell would come out. Adding food bribes such as garlic powder may also help their appetite.

In contrast, it may be easier for puppies to be transitioned into raw food diet for dogs. This is especially good if they have never been introduced to solid foods before. But because they are already of the domesticated gene, it would still be necessary to transition them bit by bit. It would even be better if you can get clearance from the vet first to feed them with this diet.

{Once they have been cleared of any health issues, you can begin by feeding them first with 1/8 of raw food. As they have reached the third meal, you can gradually increase the raw ingredients by ¼ and so forth until no kibble is being used for the meals.

All About Grain Free Dog Food

The grain free dog food diet has been taking the world by a storm. A lot of pet owners have been making the switch into this type of diet with the intention of feed their pets with the right type of food items. A lot of benefits have also been attached with eating grain free dog food meals which is why more and more pet owners are becoming interested with it.

It all stems from the fact that dogs use up different nutrients than that of humans. As people, we typically need carbohydrates and use that as our main source of energy. It's different for dogs, because these pets would need protein as their main source of energy. This is why when they are fed with a diet that's high on carbohydrates, their tendency is to grow fat and sluggish.

Aside from this, it has been pointed out too that the wild counterparts or relatives of our pets do not eat as much grains as we feed their domesticated cousins. Wild dogs or even wild cats end up eating raw meat and crunching on bones. They do not eat grains except when they have no other choice because game has been scarce.

In addition to all these expert opinion about grain free dog food, there are also lots of pet owners who swear by its immediate positive effects. They note how their dogs instantly improve its coat and also have healthier skin. Even the teeth become healthier and cleaner when they start to feed on grain free foods.

However, transition is necessary before you fully implement the grain free dog food diet for your pets. Your dog may not easily adapt to the taste as well as the texture of these new set of meals. It is also important that you consult your vet first about this decision, just to make sure that it would go smoothly for your pet.

Because feeding grain free dog food means feeding pets with natural meals, it is important to also choose your options wisely. At first, it would be good to choose a trusted food supplier where prepared meals can be easily bought. You can ask for such referrals from your vet or from friends who have started to adapt the grain freed dog food diet as well.

Because a transition is important, this would mean timing and looking at portions. You need to feed your pet with small amounts of grain free dog food first and gradually increase it in time. This way they would hardly notice the changes in texture and taste of the meals that they are currently eating.

Finally, keep yourself abreast with the latest information on grain free dog food. This lifestyle change would continue to develop and improve through time so it would be best to have some updated news about how it is changing the lives of pets these days.