If you have a cat and a dog indoors, then you have probably caught them stealing each other’s food once in a while. For both animals, a little snack from the other’s food bowl is not a big deal. However, a cat that only eats dog food or a dog that really enjoys cat food can lead to health and feeding problems. So, before you overlook your pooch eating from the cat’s bowl, there are a few things to consider. If the habit has already started, then you need to work on ways to stop it.

It is important that you realize that cats and dogs have certain (i.e. different) nutritional requirements. If that was not the case, then you could probably find general “pet” food at grocery stores and pet stores. Cats require taurine in their diet, but they cannot produce taurine on their own. A lack of taurine can cause severe eye problems for cats, eventually leading to blindness. Tooth decay and hair loss are also side effects of insufficient taurine. In the wild, a cat will acquire taurine by eating another animal. Cat food (dry and wet) approved by the Association of American Feed Control must contain taurine. Dogs, on the other hand, can make taurine on their own; they do not need additional taurine in their diets. So, most dog food does not contain taurine. If you feed a cat strictly dog food, then irreversible health problems can and will arise.

Cats also require more protein in their diets than dogs require, and their food often has higher caloric and fat content. For a dog that eats cat food, he is consuming more calories than he should. Yes, the food may be tasty, but it can cause weight issues. Many dogs also experience digestive problems from eating cat food; although, they are usually not serious problems.

Aside from the nutritional differences between the two, you need to watch out for your pet to become a picky eater. If the dog gets to eat tasty cat food, then he may refuse to eat his own food. It is okay to let a dog or cat steal a snack from the other on occasion, but a dog should not be fed a cat diet and vice versa.

If your pets have already developed a food sharing habit, then you need to stop the habit as soon as possible. Perhaps your cat likes the dog food, because you feed him wet food. Try to give your kitty wet food every once in awhile, and see if she likes it. If you feed your dog dry food, then find a bag of food that contains larger chunks. It will be easy for your dog to break up the chunks, but a cat will have a hard time doing so. Now, if your pooch is stealing cat food, you’ll need to place the food out of the reach of the dog. It’s easy for your cat to reach food that is out of the dog’s grasp. If your dog only likes the wet cat food, then try giving him wet dog food. You can even buy packs of gravy (for cats and dogs) that can be poured over their normal dry food.

If you can’t keep the two away from each other’s food, then you are going to have to restructure your feeding schedule. The easiest thing to do is to feed both animals at the same time. You may even want to feed them in different areas of your home, keeping them away from each other while they eat. Once the pets have had their fill of food, then remove the food until the next meal. If you leave your pets’ food out all day, then you will have to come up with a way to keep the food out of the other’s reach. To keep the dog away, you can use a pet gate or set the food up high. To keep a cat away, you may have to find a deterrent to place around the food. Remember, there are many materials that cats can’t stand to walk across!

Interchanging your pets’ food as a snack is okay here and there. However, nutritional requirements of cats and dogs are different. Cats should never be on a dog food diet, and dogs should not eat loads of cat food. If the habit has already started, then you need to work on ways to stop it.

This article was provided by pet-super-store.com an online pet shop featuring this months dog car seats and dog carriers.

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It is very seldom that people give deeper consideration to the kind of dog food they give their dog, let alone the extent to which their ingredients and nutritional value directly influence their dog’s health. As such, the common practice is to rely solely on mass-produced dry pellets or canned food, yet many brands are made without any consideration for the nutritional well-being of dogs. So if you truly care for your fuzzy companion, then you should take his health seriously and feed him natural dog food.

To be fair, the reason why the dominant brands of dog products continue to sell is because of the convenience they give dog owners. Dry dog food can be left out for days in the feeding dish, which means there is no need to watch over the dog to ensure he finishes his meal. He or she can merely come and go at his stomach’s urging. Canned food on the other hand, keeps fresh unopened and ensures a moist and tasty meal no matter how long they’re been in the pantry.

That said there are some who would contend that natural dog food is merely a trendy fad spawned from the same hippie urges that have made organic produce and fair trade so fashionable. The reality of the matter is that the convenience of commercial dog food comes at a price. Most brands are filled with disgusting animal by-products, unhealthy gluten and other components not suitable for consumption by dogs.

The lack of attention which dog product manufacturers as well as consumers give towards dog information also impedes our collective ability to ensure the well-being of our canine companions. Because no two dogs have the same physiology, it is critical to have access to dog information from a veterinarian or an animal nutritionist to ensure that your dog is fed the right type of dog products, as various brands use different components that may have varying effects on your dog.

The best way to overcome this hurdle is to ensure that you purchase dog food from a company that puts a premium on dog information through transparency and simplicity of product, rather than obfuscate the contents of their products. One such company is Honest Kitchen, which specializes in taking fresh natural ingredients such as real meat and organic grain and putting them in a dehydration process. They are notable for their track record of comprehensive ingredient reporting which has earned them the approval of consumer and environmental watchdog groups.

Canidae Dog Food, on the other hand, specializes in wholesome meals that have all the storage convenience of both types of dog food, but with all the aesthetic qualities of human grade food. Their products are free of preservatives, hormones, animal by-products and chemical additives. This is further accounted for on their website, which speaks truth to power by listing all the ingredients and components used in their products.

This article introduces readers to the importance of a dog’s nutritional well-being and the role which dog food plays in this matter. However, dog owners have difficulty giving dog health their full attention due to prevailing lack of dog information. Fortunately, companies like Honest Kitchen and Canidae Dog Food recognize the importance of this information and supply products and information to ensure pet owners make informed purchasing decisions.

- Melinda Smith

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Few people give a second thought to the type of dog treats they give to their dog, let alone the extent to which the things their dog eats can directly influence their health. This is because most people do not question the contents of the food sold by commercial dog food producers and manufacturers. However, if you truly care for your canine companion, then it is important for you to take feeding him seriously by looking for food that is guaranteed to be good for him.

Still, should you stop to remind dog owners of the relationship between a dog’s health and his food, some would scoff and argue that the endorsement of natural dog food is born from trendy marketing tactics designed to exploit the hippie feel-good urges of consumers. The reality though is that commercial dog food and dog treats are also unhealthy and in some cases unfit for consumption. They can be made from disgusting animal by-products, coated in chemical additives and preservatives or filled with unhealthy corn gluten.

Even then, those who would actually express serious concerns over the nutritional well-being of their dog are confused by the products out there. This is because many companies exploit the liberal interpretation of “natural” exercised by food labelling regulation authorities by selling products falsely branded as “natural.” In practice, it is possible to pass something off as “natural” even when it is filled with processed intestines and cow brains. Therefore, make sure the brand of natural dog food and dog treats is that of a trustworthy company.

One company that can be trusted is Solid Gold Health, which produces dog food and dog treats. In fact, it would be a mistake to say that they “manufacture” dog food, since their products are made through all-natural practices and techniques. Furthermore, Solid Gold Dog Food boasts a specialization in “low allergen” products that do not induce ear infections and skin disorders which are so prevalent among dogs fed on most other dog foods.

Another such company is Flint River Ranch, a company that specializes in making oven-baked dog treats that contain none of the animal byproducts, unhealthy fillers and chemical additives and preservatives that are detrimental to canine well-being. Flint River Ranch Dog Food is designed in recognition of the fact that dogs have much more sensitive digestive systems that cannot accommodate for many of the unhealthy things we humans put up with.

It goes without saying that a dog’s health is directly correlated to the kind of dog food and dog treats given to them by their owners. However, most brands neglect the nutritional well-being of a dog in favor of convenience. If you are concerned for your canine companion, then purchase natural food such as Flint River Ranch Dog Food and Solid Gold Dog Food, which ensure that a treat rewards a good dog by being good for him or her.

- Melinda Smith

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Since we choose for our dogs what they get to eat, we should know what exactly is in that can of dog food we bought from the grocery. Since we all believe that the key to a good life is a healthy diet, then that should also go for your dog. And natural dog foods may be the way to ensure their well-being.

Many experts blame the abundance of cheap processed foods for many of the ailments of modern people: heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are directly caused by the overconsumption of low nutrition carbs, sugars, and fats. It’s also the same case with dog food: there are a lot of ingredients that serve as filler or preservative that may in fact be harmful for your dog’s health.

An example that can be found in many ingredient bales is “meat byproducts.” These are “clean parts other than meat” that are rendered from “slaughtered animals,” the parts being, specifically “lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, stomachs and intestines,” according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

Even worse, there isn’t much regulation going on as to what the source of these “parts” is – stories abound, and a lot of them are backed up by evidence, of the dead animals that go into the rendering plants: animals killed on the highways, 4D (Dead, Diseased, Dying, Disabled) animals, and even dogs and cats that were put down in pounds!

Thankfully, public outcry has significantly lowered the processing plants that accept that last ingredient. But if you really want to be sure, get rid of all your dog food that has meat byproduct as an ingredient, and instead, opt for natural dog food. There are varieties, like Lifes Abundance dog food and Flint River dog food, that use only natural ingredients: meat from free-range chicken, or lamb, or fish caught off the North Atlantic coast like menhaden.

Because you’re not feeding your dog junk, switching to natural dog foods means your dog will require less per meal. This not only makes up for the higher price point, but also consider: less food means less scooping up after your dog!

Natural dog food is a great way to make sure that everything you’re feeding you dog is good for him, and not just inexpensive but overprocessed, unhealthy junk food. Brands like Lifes Abundance dog food and Flint River dog food contain only the essential ingredients for nutririon, with meat from chicken, lamb and fish, along with grains and other healthy ingredients.

- Melinda Smith

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Is raw dog food best for your dog?

Do you remember what a good nutritionist always says? The closer to the natural state the food we eat is – the better it is for our health. The same is true for canines. If you think about it, animals have lived off organic substances in the wild for thousands of years and survived, why should right now be any different? Feed your pet delicious raw dog food and get him in his healthiest and best shape yet.

Raw dog food is convenient to make – you don’t have to cook or make elaborate preparations to get it going for your pet. Break turkey and chicken necks, backs and legs with the skin that covers it and mix it in your dog’s meals. This supplies the calcium and fat in your dog’s nutritional requirements.  Serve meat and organ meat with fresh vegetables like broccoli, carrots and cucumber for added variance.  Chop the food well to avoid any choking incidents.

As you are planning Fido’s meals, always remember to add whole grains and fruits in your dog supplies. Fruits especially give the needed antioxidants that will help protect your pet from certain diseases. You can season the meals with special herbs and spices to make it more interesting. Garlic is a good ingredient to put in but mind how much of it you add – too much garlic may be bad and result in unfortunate digestive problems for the pet.

When walking the dog, there will probably be times when he will eat the grass on the park and your neighborhood’s lawn. Do not yank the leash when he does, let him be. Grass will cleanse his colon and more than that, assists in the elimination of whatever undigested food left in the dog’s system.

A benefit of serving your pet a raw and natural diet is a set of beautiful white teeth and fresh breath on the dog – as fresh as a canine’s breath can be at least. It is because of the enzymes contained in organic food. There is also less toxins in natural food which is the usual culprit in bad breath on dogs when bits of food get stuck in between the animal’s teeth.

Another good excuse to change to a raw diet is the significant decrease in the amount of dog poop; as well as the foul smell this usually gives off. You can know how to improve their diet with how their stool looks like. Soft and mushy stool needs to have more bones included in the meals. If the stool looks too hard on the other hand, you need to increase vegetable portions in the dog’s meals.

The best thing perhaps in serving this kind of diet is that you do not really need a lot of dog supplies in terms of ingredients, and the gains you get can certainly be significant. Allergies and wounds are mended faster; coats take on a glossy sheen; they have boosted energy levels – really, aside from regular check-ups, you will not be seeing your vet a lot anymore. Make the transition from processed food to natural food gradual but begin as soon as possible – it may be the best thing you will ever do for your pet.

Raw dog food – yes, it IS best!

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With literally hundreds of dog food brands out there and dozens of kinds to sift through, choosing the right one for the family pet can be a little tricky. But making sure that the beloved four legged family member gets the best out of his nutrition is important.

In order to find the right kind of dog food, it is important to know the wrong kind first; some dog foods are made with ingredients that are harmful to our dogs. So the better choice to start off with is a brand that is made with fresh, all natural ingredients.

When choosing a brand, select those that are made with fresh and all natural ingredients. Human grade labels are even better as they are of the highest quality, safe even for human consumption. If certain brands of dog treats are labeled as such, you can rest assured that the quality is top notch.

When choosing your brand of dog food or dog treats, try out brands like wellness dog food and innova dog food. Both brands are made with the highest quality fresh human grade ingredients. They are balanced for optimal nutritional development to ensure your dogs wellbeing.

Dog foods that are made with preservatives or by products like intestine and bone are not very healthy to the animals’ development. All natural dog treats are made with fresh ingredients; they are also especially made with optimal dog wellbeing in mind. Sure it is easy to serve the ready made ones for our convenience, but when your dog encounters health problems, then you will realize how much better all natural dog meals are.

Selecting the right kind of dog treats may indeed be difficult, but knowing that all natural and fresh is the best way to go is a great way to start. Select brands that can make your dog healthier and happier. With this, you can be sure that you will be spending more good times with your pet and less trips to the veterinarian due to health concerns. So go fresh and natural and in the long run you will actually spend less.

Selecting the perfect kind of dog treats can be difficult with the hundreds of brands and dozens of kinds to choose from. However keeping in mind that healthy brands like wellness dog food and innova dog food is made from fresh all natural ingredients that is nutritionally balanced to ensure optimal development can make it easier. Go all natural today!

- Melinda Smith

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Not only do dog allergies refer to our allergies to dog hair and dander, but also to dog’s allergies to things in their environment, such as chemicals, pollution and food. Dog allergies can manifest themselves in skin problems, like itching and hair loss, and in more advanced cases, loose bowel movements and vomiting.

Dogs sometimes develop allergies to foods they have been eating for a long time, and it’s not always easy to identify which component of ingredient is the real cause. If you suspect that your dog suffers from allergies of any kind, it is best to first visit your vet for allergy testing and dog information, and advice on how to treat them.

Be armed with reliable dog information about dog food and health, from reliable sources. for example, corn and wheat are grains that are unnecessary in your dogs’ diets. They are used as low-cost fillers and are a bog source of canine allergies. Chemicals are another problem, and if these are what’s making your dog sick, you might choose to switch to organic dog food to avoid them altogether.

Making your own dog food is the best way to really isolate all of the ingredients being fed to our pets. There are many sources of dog information on dog food recipes and how to prepare them. Protein, vegetables and a carbohydrate source like sweet potatoes are the essential components of a well-balanced dog food.

Here’s one dog food recipe that your pooch is sure to love. Take one pound of turkey meat and sautee in olive oil. Then, add another pound of cooked, mixed vegetables. Add potatoes (1/2 to 1 cup) and bone meal or a dog vitamin supplement.

After feeding your pet a balanced home made or organic diet, you might first notice some of the more superficial signs of improvement. Your pet’s coat might become softer and smoother, and his mood might improve too. But these are nothing compared to the benefits to your dogs’s lifespan, and overall well-being.

Dog allergies sometimes manifest themselves over time, triggered by components in dog food, and environmental factor. By feeding your dog organic dog food and preparing home made dog food recipes, you can avoid some of the possible allergy triggers, which include grains, and chemicals used in commercial dog food preparation. Remember to consult with your veterinarian for dog information on allergies and nutrition

- Melinda Smith

For more dog food recipes, discover 180 Gourmet Recipes for Dogs – your dog will thank you!

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There is a strange, little known fact about pet nutrition that many pet owners are not aware of. It is that your vet may not be the best source of dog information particularly for nutrition. Veterinary schools’ nutrition courses tend to be rather short and incomplete, and pet food companies tend to push their products on vets and patients rather aggresively.

It is of utmost importance that a pet owner do research on canine nutrition to be armed with the dog information he needs for his furry friend’s health and well being. Here, the most essentian pieces of knowledge on dogs and nutrition will be discussed, in the following paragraphs.

As carnivorous animals, dogs eat meat in the wild and their food as pets should always contain a good quality, meat-based source of protein. In the ingredients listing of your dog food, look for a named meat source, like beef or turkey, rather an a generic “meat”. More than one of these should be listed in the first five ingredients on the list. Animal by-product, is another story and should be avoided, as it can contain meat from dying and diseased animals.

Dogs need carbohydrates too, and a dog food should contain some vegetable starches to provide these. Rice, potatoes and oats are sources that a dog can easily process, while corn, corn meal, wheat gluten and similar items are not. These are not necessry for canine nutrition and can cause problems like food allergies in dogs.

There are a lot of labels like premium, organic and human grade that are used on dog foods. Premium and human grade are regulated very little, if at all, and may not be very beneficial for your dog. Organic dog food should follow the standards for organic food, meaning they should be grown without chemicals. Organic foods are thought to prevent things like cancer by not introducing possibly dangerous chemicals into the body.

Many dog owners also opt to feed raw in order to ensure that their dogs get the same diets as they would in the wild. There is a lot of dog information out there on the benefits or raw feeding. However, for the more squeamish pet owner, home made dog food, while more time consuming than commercial feeds, may be the best and most cost-efficient way to give your dog the best nutrition we can provide.

Any pet owner needs the right dog information to educate themselves on what foods their dogs need in order to live happy and healthy lives. They need to learn to read labels on their pet food to know exactly what their dogs are putting into their bodies. Many commercial pet foods contain ingredients like grains and by-products, which provide little benefits to pets. Organic dog food, home made dog food and raw feeding are excellent alternatives to commercial feeds.

- Melinda Smith

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When it comes to your dog’s well-being, nutrition is of the utmost importance. Feeding your pet properly can mean the difference between a long, healthy life, and a sickly, miserable existence. And since our dogs can’t select what they eat, their health ultimately rests on us, their owners who choose for them.

Dog food and dog treats make feeding our pets easier, but what’s really in those cans and plastic bags? In most cases, sad to say, it’s some of the worst things you could feed your dog. To know what your dog food is made of, read the label. The components are listed by weight, and the first few ingredients comprise what makes up the majority of the dog food.

Meat and grain by-products are some of the least-desirable ingredients you may find in your dog food. If you dog food or dog treats list these as main ingredients, find another brand. A lot of grain and grain-related ingredients may increase the amount of carbohydrates in your dog’s food, buy up to seventy percent, while your average dog really only needs less than thirty percent carbohydrates. The reason that so many pet food makers put wheat byproducts is simple: they’re cheap to use. These byproducts act as filler: they will result in more dog food produced, for a lower price. But too much carb can seriously shorten your dog’s lifespan – it leads to digestive problems and obesity, along with all the obesity-related health problems.

Animal by-products aren’t much of an improvement. While they do contribute protein in the diet, this meat is basically parts that are thrown away because they’re unfit for human consumption: lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bone, and stomach and intestines. To make things worse, there is little to no regulation for the sources of this meat: it could be from a meat processing plant, but it could also be roadkill, or 4-D (dead, diseased, disabled, dying) livestock.

So please- take the time to read those labels and understand what they mean. Find a premium dog food that can assure you that your pet is receiving only the best nutrition. There are brands out there like Wellness dog food, which produce dog treats and food made of mostly whole foods like human-grade chicken and lamb meat. It may cost a bit more than the cheap brands, but it pays off more: you’ll have a healthy, happy canine companion.

Buying premium dog food can help you avoid harmful ingredients that can be found in many dog food and dog treats brands today. Those cheap brands have animal and grain byproducts which come from questionable sources and can lead to problems like digestive diseases and obesity. Manufacturers like Wellness dog food is one of the brands out there that contain only the freshest, most nutritious ingredients, so that you dog is happy and disease-free.

- Melinda Smith

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Dog owners will attest that they want their pets at the peak of their health at all times. Having a four legged family member means that extra care has to be taken to consider their well. However this may not be as simple a matter as it may seem, depending on the dog this can be a relatively low maintenance experience or a troubling one.

However, though most pet related problems can be alleviated with a visit to the vet, dogs that have sensitive skin can be quite prone to allergies especially if given the wrong pet food. And there is nothing worse than a dog with chronic allergies. The dog has a difficult time when afflicted with skin problems, they itch and scratch and in severe cases resort to self mutilation by biting the problem areas.

Chronic skin allergies are one of the worst afflictions that may happen to a happy dog. They begin to itch nonstop, and with more severe cases, resort to biting themselves bloody until they get rid of the itch. This of course is no good, as your happy dog can get really grumpy and sick fast due to infections caused by open wounds.

As prevention is the best cure; the pet food consumed by your dog must be of the very best quality in order to secure your dog against skin problems. Brands like Flint River Ranch dog food and burns dog food are both hypo allergenic and all natural. They contain no preservatives, artificial flavors or colorings and are made specifically with your dog’s health in mind. Made from the freshest ingredients in the market, this pet food will not be a factor in causing chronic skin disease.

All natural pet foods also have the added benefits of being hypo allergenic. As such, they will not be a factor in causing chronic skin problems, and with the wide array of choices to choose from, your dog will surely find the dog food made specifically for them.

Treat your dog to a diet made from all natural fresh ingredients. This will ensure that they eat nothing but the very best hypo allergenic foods balanced with the right amount of nutrients and vitamins for the optimal development of your dog!

If your dog has sensitive skin, then your pet might also be prone to skin allergies. Chronic skin problems may arise from the pet food they eat. Try out natural and holistic brands like Flint River Ranch dog food and Burns dog food. They provide natural, well balanced, hypoallergenic meals for your pet. Eliminate skin problems from your dog’s life.

- Melinda Smith

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