The best way of providing your pet dog healthy living is to keep him on a nutritious diet. The basis of good health is healthy food. When a dog is fed well, he has a better chance to maintain good health. Healthy dog food is the same as what nutrition experts tell us to eat; an assortment of fresh foods which are filled with critical nutrients like vitamins and minerals. This is considered to be the better type of diet your pet dogs can have which could add years to their lives.
If you wish your dog to eat the best foods, start by feeding him with some natural and newer food ingredients. Fresh foods have minimal processing. The less the processing, the healthier the food is because fewer important nutrients such as vitamins and minerals are lost. A fresh food diet might include home created dog food, a raw diet or dried food. Dr. Richard Pitcairn, a veterinarian who has done extended research in natural pet care, advocates feeding pets a healthy diet of home cooked foods created to the specific needs of the animals.
Raw foods are gaining acceptance with many pet owners. These pet owners are gradually coming to know the goodness of raw foods. Raw foods are proving to work well in the treatment of conditions like long-term allergies as well as other ailments. Rather than feeding Fido a raw bone from your butcher, you can now access wholesome frozen raw foods from specialty stores. Raw foods are now made in frozen form where the dog food is freeze-dried or ‘cold processed’. This process ensures the more vital components like enzymes, amino acids and probiotics stay whole.
Another source of natural dog food is the dried diet. These foods are preserved and protected through an action of drying at low temperatures, similar to the ready-made soup mixes which we buy from the store. Since the action involves minimal heat, the built-in enzymatic activity are suspended until such time as the food is rehydrated. The action of dehydration only loses about 3% to 5% of the foods’ nutrients. Other food preservation processes like canning or kibble making, the nutrients lost can be in the range of sixty percent or more.
While home-cooked foods are a good healthy option for pet dogs, this may not always be possible since it is tough to keep the ideal ratio and balance between meat and vegetable components of the dog’s diet. The good news is that there are pre-mixes now available that take the guessing out of creating homemade dog food. All you need to do is add some water and fresh meat to make a yummy meal for your four-legged friend. Just like we enjoy a delicious meal, it should not be any different for our furry friends. When we pay attention to the freshness of the components, the variety in what is served and the quality of food that we offer our pets, they will not only enjoy their eating experience but will remain happy and healthy, too.
Archive for September, 2010
3 Types of Natural Dog Food
Thursday, September 30th, 2010Dog Rescues Need Your Help
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010Dog rescues are organizations with the goal of helping dogs find permanent homes. Many dog rescues are geared to a certain type of dog, for instance there is probably a rescue for any breed of dog you can name. There are rescues for basset hounds, Dobermans, Greyhounds, etc. And there are also rescues for the ‘mutts’ of the dog world.
Dog rescues are typically operated by volunteers who are dedicated to the welfare of that breed of dog. They try to find new homes for abandoned, abused or relinquished dogs. The reasons for so many dogs needing homes are numerous. Some dogs may have been strays where no owners could be found for them. The dogs could come from pounds or shelters where their days before being euthanized were numbered. The dogs could simply have been unwanted and relinquished by their owners for reasons unknown. At any rate, there are a great number of dogs who need rescuing and are in need of new homes.
Most dogs found in dog rescues have been examined by a veterinarian and as such have had their shots updated, have been spayed or neutered and have had any medical problems looked after. Some of the dogs may have ongoing medical problems, such as blindness, a missing limb or arthritis, but such conditions are disclosed before they are allowed to be adopted.
With many dog rescues, the dogs have been placed in private ‘foster care’ homes and are looked after by caring people before they are offered for adoption. Such a process ensures that the animal is ready to be placed in a permanent home, and can often dictate what type of home is best suited for that dog.
Now, where do you come in to help dog rescues? Every dog rescue is in need of your help in one way or another. Here are a few ways you can help:
Adoption: If you are looking for a dog to adopt, going to a dog rescue is a great way to get a loving pet. You can find the breed, age and type of dog you want by searching for the appropriate dog rescue. This is the number one way to help in rescuing dogs.
Fostering: If you do not want a permanent pet, but could take one on for a short period of time, fostering may be the way to go for you. You can be an individual or a family with a heart big enough to take one a dog in a safe loving environment until a permanent home can be found.
Transportation: Sometimes a dog that has been relinquished needs to travel from one place or another (for example from a shelter in one city to another city a particular breed dog rescue is located in, or a dog on his way to a permanent home in another state). You could volunteer to transport the dog from one city to another, one state to another, or even just part of the way. Dogs also need transporting from the rescue site to a vet appointment. You could be very helpful in volunteering your services in this way.
Supplies: You could donate things like dog collars, leashes, dog food, bowls, dog toys, crates or whatever else you may think of that dogs would need. Just contact the dog rescue to find out what they may need and let them know you would like to help. You could collect items from friends, family members, garage sales, etc.
Monetary Donations: Since dog rescues are typically run by volunteers, donations are always welcome. You donations would go towards the feeding and housing of the dogs. Adoption fees only go so far, especially when there are so many dogs in need of rescue. And, most donations are tax deductible. Again, contact the rescue to find out how to go about this.
Administration: You could volunteer your services in an office capacity at a dog rescue. You could help process adoption application, keep records for vet and other bills, answer telephones, handle correspondence, etc.
Advertising: One of the most important jobs for dog rescues is trying to find appropriate homes for the dogs. You could volunteer to put up flyers, advertise in newspapers or magazines, or even send out messages on the internet to find people who may be suited to adopt a dog from the dog rescue.
Whichever way you choose to go, dog rescues would be very grateful for any help you give them. Through caring volunteers, the dog rescue benefits and so do the dogs – and the bonus for you is the knowledge that you have helped give a needy dog a loving home.
Pet Health Insurance: a Way to Care your Pets
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010Owning a pet is one of the most common features that can be seen in almost all our households. And for most pet owners pets are a part of their family. But at the same time it has become one of the most expensive affairs. It is because of the treatment or the care they may need during their lifetime. Apart from the day-to-day costs of feeding and keeping your pet in good condition, there are many unplanned costs that include vets’ fees during operations and accidents, which you might find difficult to cover. Because of this, it’s a good idea to buy a pet health insurance policy which will protect both you and your pet. Pet health care insurance is a policy where the insurer will pay you for the covered costs of the treatment of your pets and in the return you have to shell out a certain sum of premium to the insurer at regular intervals.
There are different insurance companies that offer various health insurance policies and you can opt for the best policy that will suit your needs and family status. There are different health insurance plans for cats, for dogs and for your other pets. Policies vary from one company to other company.
And also the rate of premiums varies from company to company. Usually the policies under veterinary pet health insurance are cheaper for dogs and cats but little higher for other pets such as horses, rabbits etc. So before handing over your premiums to an insurer who provides pet health insurance, it is important for you to do a detailed research of all these information. Hence we suggest you to shop around a little. Now with online facilities on pet health insurance in UK it is easier to search and shop.
It is imperative to keep in mind that most pet care health insurances available in the market do not pay for routine check ups like worming, flea control nor is it likely to cover the pre-existing medical conditions that your pet has been suffering.
Apart from that, for some diseases and treatments that may need a long time, say more than a year, it is necessary to renew the policy at the end of the year. If not, you will loose your claim and the policy may end all together. The best time to buy a pet health insurance for your pet is when it is little, say for instance, 8 weeks old, because it is difficult to get maximum cover at the middle age. Thus according to the pets you own its high time for you to buy a dogs health insurance or cat health insurance or any other pet insurance as soon as possible.