What To Look For In Quality Dog Food

When you have a dog, you want to make sure that you are feeding it the best food possible. If you are not selecting options containing only healthy ingredients that are beneficial for your pet, there is a chance that what your pet is eating could contribute to various health conditions and cause the animal to feel sick.

Instead of buying food based on the name of the brand featured on the bag, consider checking out the ingredients that are listed first. You will probably be surprised to learn that not all brands are as healthy as they make themselves out to be.

Commercial dog food is not nearly as good for your pooch as you think. Despite the commercials about how great some of these products are, the ingredients in them paint a much different picture. If your dog's food contains additives, you might want to get rid of it right away. The additives are unnecessary and do not provide any nutrients to your pet, which is why you should avoid serving that kind of junk.

Most commercial dog food contains assorted by-products, which means your pet is not necessarily getting authentic meat from animals in its food. If you want to find quality food for your pet, make sure that the main ingredient is authentic meat. Before they were ever domesticated, dogs survived on meat as they lived in the wilderness. They have absolutely no need for carbohydrates.

Avoid dog food that contains corn as one of the ingredients too. Your dog does not need corn in its diet, and it is actually tougher for animals to digest. The only reason it is an added ingredient in so many different brands of dog food is because it is a lot cheaper than some of the healthier ingredients. However, saving money is certainly not worth it if it means you have to feed your pet a bowl full of unhealthy junk.

Many pet owners are serving their animals' raw food, such as beef and rabbit because the meat is loaded with a lot of protein. You may want to consider putting your pet on the raw food diet too. If you decide to make this kind of change, you should start to notice the impact it makes on your pet's health over a short period of time. Dogs that consume raw food often have healthier coats and better teeth.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?What-To-Look-For-In-Quality-Dog-Food&id=9098980

What To Look For When It Comes To Cancer In Dogs

As a dog owner, it is always important that you remain proactive when it comes to your pet's health. This will mean not only bringing your dog in for regular veterinarian check-ups but also taking the time to notice any signs that there could be something wrong health wise. Believe it or not, canines are actually susceptible to the same forms of cancer as humans. The only major difference is that they can start to metastasize a whole lot faster in dogs than in humans.

Of course, the best way to try and detect any possible signs of cancer is looking for some symptoms that can be telling. Have you noticed any sort of swelling that is abnormal? This could actually be a sign that a tumor is growing and it should be looked at to try and confirm whether or not it is cancerous.

Appetite is another factor that you will want to take into consideration if you are concerned about your dog's health. If he or she has cancer, you may find that they will start to lose their appetite as well as lose a significant amount of weight. Hand in hand with loss of appetite can be a loss of stamina as well as a drop in energy levels.

Some dogs that are in the later stages of cancer will start to have issues when it comes to expelling waste. Abnormal patterns for breathing might be a concern and there could even be wounds, bleeding and/or discharge that will occur simply because they have a weakened immune system. If you start to notice these or any other sort of symptoms that are alarming or a big change from the way that your dog normally acts, it is important that you bring them to your vet as soon as possible for a proper diagnosis.

There are treatments that you can talk with your veterinarian about that are known to help fight cancer in dogs. However, they can be painful and quite costly over the long haul. The more that you educate yourself on the type of cancer that your dog has as well as your options when it comes to treatment or life care, the better equipped you will be to help keep them comfortable as long as possible. Overall, while it can be devastating to hear that your dog has a form of cancer, you can work with your vet to try and treat your pet as soon as possible.

Source:Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-To-Look-For-When-It-Comes-To-Cancer-In-Dogs&id=8649214