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Nutrition

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OH MY GOODNESS, LOOK AT ALL THE DOG FOODS, SUPPLEMENTS, BOOKS, INTERNET!

Do I feed kibble, canned, natural, table food or all of it?  TV, internet, network marketing, magazines, trainers, nutritionists, and more, are giving us an abundance of choices.  With these choices comes the perplexing, and oftentimes hair-tearing, cross-eyed frustration of whittling down what works for our individual dogs, not corporate revenue.  Take a deep breath!  You know yourself and your dog(s) better than anyone. 

Education is empowering, but you can decide which works, what is needed, when, for how long, how much and YES, you can change it when it doesn't serve your dog's needs any longer!  If I could offer a mantra:  moderation is best and observe your dog.  How do they look, feel and act for their size, age and health?       

The key to designing your dog's daily diet is based on your lifestyle and the dog's optimum health.  Consider cost, time involved and commitment.  Your dog's overall health, age and activity level is important.  Every dog needs well-balanced nutrition (carbohydrates, proteins and fats), healthy exercise, grooming and regular wellness checks. These are conducive to longevity and a quality life for our dogs.  However, if you dog is sick, the story (and nutritional needs) change!  With sick dogs, consult (in my opinion) your Primary Vet, the Specialist if you are using one, and an holistic (integrative) Vet.  With sick dogs, "feed the dog, not the disease."  Click above at Library.

In the long run, it is far more cost effective to feed premium natural dog foods and/or a healthy combination of homemade and/or prepared natural and raw food.  We do not advise switching any dog's food quickly.  A gradual change is advised.  Consider your dog's lifestyle and their stages of development (phases in life).  Consider the environment!  Dogs have allergies too.  If one of my dogs experiences any difficulty with a food, including allergic reactions, it goes to the dump! 

In a nutshell and at the very lease:  all kibble style dog foods should be approved by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officers).  Then, you have some confidence in knowing that some standards are met.  All kibble is processed in one form or another whether it says "natural" or not.  Fact:  some foods are better than others. 

During processing, essentials vitamins, minerals and live enzymes are lost.  Canned dog foods are high in protein, but some dogs need canned dog food, depending on their situation.  Dogs who eat nothing but canned foods will loose their teeth at an early age.  The dog doesn't get the opportunity to chew and clean their teeth or exercise their jaws.  So, give them a healthy chew alternative.  Rawhide is not recommended, unless it is quality rawhide (do your homework).  Even at that, be aware of your dog's chewing style!  Some dogs will tear rawhide apart.  Others will swallow it whole.  Ask your Vet. 

The following is a basic-food-plan-at-a-glance that we use.  There are many excellent plans.  One of our favorites is Monica Segal's.  There is no point in re-inventing the wheel, so click on www.monicasegal.com to learn more, then make adjustments as needed. Click "Our Library" above for more on natural foods & healing for dogs and cats. 

You may need to make adjustments for your puppy or dog through-out their life.  Log onto the web, consult with your Veterinarian (and especially Holistic Veterinarians) on optimum nutrition and combination diets for your dog:

  • Switch or begin with a natural base dog food offering "whole" ingredients.  This is always a good alternative to cheaper, generic brand dog foods, and there are many! 

  • Recommendation:  Stick to food manufacturers that focus on DOG AND CAT FOOD.

  • Add a vitamin/mineral/enzyme supplement (moderately) and fresh vegetables (grated in the food processor). 

  • Dogs are not born with the enzyme lactase.  Therefore, they are lactose intolerant.  Dairy products probably won't kill your dog, but they can cause gastrointestinal issues.  Non-fat or low-fat milks, (goat milk) yogurt and and organic eggs or egg whites are healthy additions. 

  • If you choose, incorporate healthy table scraps (people food) and healing recipes into your dog's meals.  Be mindful that integrating table scraps can cause behavioral issues (begging at the table).  Plan ahead at what you are willing to live with.  Put the scraps in their dog food dish.  Dogs learn to discriminate very well, but if you begin feeding at the table, YOU have set a precedent, that can be difficult to modify.  

  • Decide on a food plan that you can stick too!  We like keeping our dogs on about 40%  kibble (Innova, Evo, California Natural) because when we travel, it's easeir. Their diet consists of raw and natural food with lots of veggies, low or no-fat yogurt (live acidophilus cultures) and hard bones for their teeth.  We use BRAVO (www.bravofood.com) that offers a variety of already ground necks, organ meats and veggies.  You can grind your own too, if you have the time and energy. We offer the dogs marrow bones. 

  • Omegas:  I rotate Alaskan Salmon Oill, Flax and regularly give Omega 3 (occasionaly 3, 6, 9)supplements in a dose appropriate for the size of the dog. 

  • Our dogs get table scraps (healthy ones) like turkey, only whole grains, chicken and fish (especially Sardines, Tilapia and Salmon) in their food bowls (not handed at the table).

  • Always consider caloric intake, the dog's lifestyle (sedentary, active) and use observation.  Don't panic if their digestive system creates loose stools, as long as it doesn't persist for more than 48 hours.  Any change, even to a healthier diet, can wreak havoc on the system.  Very often, the dog is getting rid of toxins and waste.  Observe and check their stools, eyes, coats and emotions.

There is a plethora of information on the web regarding dog food.  Read, then use what's makes sense for you and your dog(s).  Let the rest float by.  There is no one right or wrong way, but there are better ways to feed our dogs.  Here are some of the brands we recommend:

Innova, Evo, California Natural, Healthwise (all made by naturapet), Wysong, Solid Gold, Wellness, Sojourner Farms, Canidae, Flint River Ranch, Lick Your Chops and Nutro Max Natural. 

Bravo and BARF www.barfworld.com are good resources to read about Biologically Active Raw Food diets, but again, I like Monica Segal's idea of combination diets. 

In our Basic-I, II and Intermediate/Varied training classes, we integrate talks on nutrition, grooming and other helpful wellness tips for our dogs (see Programs). 

~ Bone Appetit ~

Excerpt taken from Train Your Dog, Change Your Life

by Maureen Ross and Gary Ross, Howell Book House, Wiley Inc., 2001.

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