Tuesday, August 24, 2010

3 Strategies to Improve Your Dog's Health

I use to have the cutest bloodhound you ever saw. Daisey was a great girl, as faithful and loyal as they come. I remember when she was a puppy, she had more energy than I knew what to do with. As time passed and she put on a few years, she started to only get up to go the bathroom remaining mostly in her bed. This was when I started to research what might be going on with my little ole' Daisey as I thought she was way to young to be acting this way. I was convinced there were safe alternatives to pills and prescriptions and I eventually found out that there was some answers that worked, but it took a lot of digging around to find them. Here are three tips that I would like to share with you on what I discovered in regards to dog nutrition.

Now before I share these three tips I need to point out a couple things in relation to your dog's health. Some dogs don't absorb nutrients very effectively. Also, some other dogs are allergic to all or part of the fillers that

are found in dry dog food (because they are loaded with corn and soy). With that said, its imperative that when it comes to planning your dog's diet, you need to be watchful and pay close attention to how they react to the food they're given.

Dog Health Strategy One - Check for Allergies

To begin with you need to make sure your dog does not have any allergies. In order to rule this out you'll have to get a simple blood test done. Yes, this is the only way to get clear as your dog can't speak for himself, or herself. A vet that specializes in dog allergies can perform this blood test for some simple allergies, but he will ask you to start an elimination diet as well. This kind of diet will remove all allergens and then slowly reintroduce parts of his diet back to figure out which foods are making your dog sick. This can tax your patience, especially if your dog shows signs of multiple allergies, but the just keep your dog's long term health in mind.

Dog Health Strategy Two - Proper Nutrition

If it turns out that FIDO is all clear of any allergens, they your dog's lethargy might be a lack of nutrition. You may need to supplement your dog's diet. Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not completely carnivores. When dogs are in the wild they would seek out meat when its available, but when that's not possible they would gravitate towards eating berries, wild grains and bugs. As you can imagine, a dog's body might stand to use more variety than just chicken breast alone. A great way to ensure your dog gets all the nutrition it needs is to feed it fresh food only, but for many this is not monetarily possible. It should be noted if you attempt to feed your dog a 'raw' diet, a large portion of this can come from raw meaty bones. These butcher scraps can include necks, rib-lets, and fish (without bones of course).Please take caution and avoid anything your dog can choke on.

Also, it is wise to consult with a vet prior to having your dog go on this sort of diet. Also, don't forget organ meats. Your dog would benefit tremendously from the nutrients found in liver and heart, also eggs and whatever veggies your dog is willing to eat. Just keep onions way as this can be deadly to a dog.

Dog Health Strategy Three - Dry Food Diets

As a fresh food diet is just too price prohibitive for most dog owners, not to mention the time it takes to pull it off, many dog owners consider dry food specifically made for dogs. If you chose to go this route, always look for brands that are made with organic products and keep away from dry dog food that uses corn as a filler. I can tell you first hand that there are many brands that adhere to strict health and organic standards, if you are unsure, just start asking around at your vets, dog or pets store, or any one walking a dog that has an unusually well kept coat ( usually a dead give away of a healthy diet).

As I mentioned there are quite a few options to chose from- you will want to look for human grade ingredients and very few fillers in the food. Of course, if you are having health challenges with your doggy pal, the first thing any competent vet or dog trainer would tell you is to exercise your dog and involve them with learning tricks and new types of training. This will bring you and your pet into a fresh new dynamic that might just be the very thing that is missing to improve your dog's healthy sparkle.

What it it all really comes down to is your own awareness and knowledge of the real facts of your dog's health and nutrition. There are many nutritional alternatives to your dog's optimum health. The main thing is to do your research and pay attention to your furry friend as their needs change over time. To find out the secret to adding an extra three to five years to your dog's life, then investigate this location for more information and other cool stuff for Fido.

http://allergydogfood.net

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