Wonderful Dog

All Natural Dog Treats

The most important thing to look for in natural Dog Treats is just that, that they are natural.  Many treats are processed with chemicals, preservatives, additives, and other ingredients that do not contribute to the well-being of the dog; and just as with humans, the more natural your food intake the better you feel.  These extra ingredients are typically included to increase the shelf life of the particular product.  We always recommend buying treats that are clearly labeled with a best before or date of manufacture on the exterior of the product.  This is the easiest way to ensure the freshness of the treat or chews you are buying. Just like humans, great care should be given to a dog’s food and treats; as these are the chief contributors to how they will feel and age.

Many treats and foods for that matter have so many ingredients it is hard to figure out what exactly is in them.  In our experience, simple ingredients equal great treats.  Chicken treats should be made from all-natural chicken and maybe depending on what type of treat, some binding ingredient like “albumen.”  Albumen is a clear liquid derived from the white of an egg.  If a company is manufacturing a “chicken chip” they may use albumen to keep it stuck together.  The treats that are often found in supermarkets or even in pet stores typically have between 15 and 30 different ingredients for a treat.  If you don’t know what the ingredient is, chances are it is not good for your pet.  A good question to ask yourself when considering buying treats for your dogs is whether or not you would eat it yourself?  A sweet potato treat should simply be made of sweet potato and a chicken filet should be just a chicken breast filet.

Please also keep in mind that treats are treats and they should be given as a reward for good behavior rather than as a normal part of a dog’s diet.  Too much of anything can be bad so make sure to use them in moderation.

Much like humans, dogs are what they eat.  If you want to have a healthy pet, you should provide them with the best food and treat products possible.

Bully Sticks are an All Natural Dog Treat that your dogs will love

Dog News

Wonderful Dogs

Sick Dog Care  The Basics

Hopefully your dog will never become sick, but it is an eventuality which can happen to anyone. The first priority is to get the sick dog to the vet.  Therefore in this article we are assuming you have done so, and diagnosis, surgery and/or a prescription for treatment have taken place.

You have taken the sick dog home to continue its treatment and enable it to convalesce.  It may be that you have to administer medicines or tablets during the course of his recovery, and just ensure that he gets plenty of rest.

Find a nice clean, warm place for the dog, out of any drafts.  If he has been away at the vet having surgery or other procedures, you could have taken that opportunity to wash all his bedding.  So, it’s nice and hygienic for your sick dog’s return. If necessary you could add to the main house heating by putting an infra-red heater near to him.  This should be at least two feet away from the dog.  It’s wise to supervise the animal near to it, as some dogs have a tendency to sit too close to heaters and burn themselves.

The sick dog should be kept quiet and calm, so try to site him away from the main hubbub of the house, away from noisy TVs or children.  Educate your children to be gentle and quiet around the dog if he is ill or sleeping.  You must balance your need to care for him (feeding etc) with his need to rest and be left alone.  How would you feel if you were ill?

Feed the dog a nutritious diet which is appetizing to him.  You need to strike a balance between making sure it is tempting enough to make him want to eat, but light enough not to upset him.  If the dog is very poorly, you may have to spoon-feed him a glucose/electrolyte mixture which you can get from the vet.

Remember dehydration is a real possibility if the dog has had vomiting and diarrhea.  Make sure he drinks water.  If he won’t or can’t get up, you could try placing a bowl  of water under his muzzle.  Gently dip your fingers in to it and smear the water on his tongue or gums.  Sometimes this can stimulate him to realize he wants to drink, and he laps from the bowl.  Spoon feeding can also be used for water, liquid medicines and non-salty meat broths.

If the dog is taking solids then light, lean protein foods are best.   Fish, cooked eggs, or good quality mince, with bland carbohydrate like mashed potato or cooked rice are all good.  Experience has shown that canned pink salmon and boiled potatoes is a good light diet to serve, or lean chicken with boiled rice.

Once the animal starts to feel better he should be encouraged gently to and gradually to resume his normal activities.  Be careful that he doesn’t overdo it at this stage.  Once he discovers he can walk around again he might be so full of joie de vivre that he decides jumping and running around are more fun.  Take care he doesn’t exhaust himself or open up any wounds, and introduce his normal exercise program very gradually.  Confine him to the garden to begin with, then leash walks, then possibly use a long leash or line, then finally off-lead exercise.  Remember the dog won’t understand his limitations at this time so it’s up to you.

Dog News

Wonderful Dogs