| Having a dog is not all about fun and play. Proper | | | | Indiscriminately feeding your pet could be worse off. |
| nutrition is a key element in the health and long life of | | | | Feeding a dog raw eggs repeatedly can cause a |
| your dog. A healthy dog is a happy dog. To maintain | | | | deficiency of the vitamin biotin. Raw egg whites |
| a healthy, balanced diet for your dog, you will need | | | | contain avidin, an enzyme that stops biotin from |
| good dog food, common sense and a veterinarian. | | | | being absorbed into the body. Symptoms of biotin |
| Dogs require six types of nutrients: water, protein, | | | | deficiency include dermatitis (inflammation of the |
| fat, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Those | | | | skin), loss of hair and poor growth. |
| commercial pet foods billed as 100 percent complete | | | | Although dogs enjoy meat, it is not a balanced diet. |
| and balanced provide all of a dog's requirements, | | | | Raw meats may contain parasites, and cooked meat |
| except water. But all is not what it seems with | | | | can be high in fat and do not contain a proper |
| commercial dog food. Don't short change your dog's | | | | balance of nutrients. Some raw fish can cause a |
| health. Provide him with clean, fresh drinking water at | | | | deficiency of the vitamin thiamine. Symptoms of a |
| all times. Water is the key to a dog's ability to | | | | thiamine deficiency include anorexia (complete loss of |
| regulate body temperature. | | | | appetite), abnormal posture, weakness, seizures, and |
| Generally, the more a dog eats the more water it | | | | even death. Raw salmon will also transit deadly |
| needs. Don't be surprised if your dog drinks a lot in | | | | parasites. Raw liver, fed daily in large quantities, can |
| one day and less in another. If there is more water in | | | | cause a vitamin A toxicity in dogs. This is particularly |
| the food, the dog needs to drink less. That is why | | | | true if it is fed along with a complete and balanced |
| dogs eating canned food usually do not spend as | | | | diet already containing ample vitamin A. |
| much time at the water bowl. Canned food contains | | | | Milk is a food and not a substitute for water. As a |
| about 75 percent water and dry food has about 8 | | | | food, milk is incomplete and does not provide a |
| percent to 10 per cent. However with all the scary | | | | balanced diet. It can be useful as a treat for some |
| dog food recall in 2007 and it is still happening today | | | | dogs; however, large quantities of milk may not be |
| since there is no regulation that makes it compulsory | | | | well tolerated. Milk contains lactose, which requires |
| for commercial dog food manufacturers to recall their | | | | the enzyme lactose digestion. If the intestinal tract |
| pet food. So it is better to be equipped with recent | | | | does not contain sufficient lactose, a high level of |
| knowledge and dog experts' advice regarding feeding | | | | lactose can cause diarrhea. Small soft bones (such as |
| your dog with usual commercial dog food. | | | | pork chops or chicken bones) should never be given |
| Do you know that... | | | | to dogs, as they may splinter and lodge in the mouth |
| Table scraps will not provide the balanced diet dogs | | | | or throat. |
| need. Ideally, table scraps should not be fed. If you | | | | Switching Dog Foods |
| do offer them, table scraps should never make up | | | | You can't switch dog foods overnight. Your dog may |
| more than 10 percent of the dog's daily food intake. | | | | end up with gastric "distress". It's messy. So switch |
| A point to remember is that it does not mean you | | | | foods slowly. Start out with a ratio of new food to |
| must feed your dog food that human eat just | | | | old in the 1:4 range. Monitor its intake and digestion. |
| because you want to avoid commercial dog food due | | | | Choose a good quality food and stock up. If you |
| to the recent pet food recall. You must know what | | | | change brands, do it slowly so that you do not upset |
| food for human is suitable for your dog. | | | | the dog's digestive system. |