Dog owners spend thousands of dollars on pet food just to make sure that the pet that is considered as the baby of the family is provided with good nutrition. The begging expression on the dog’s face would be very difficult to resist thus anything the pet wants will be given by the owner. Because of the owner’s love for the pet, the master’s place on the bed or on the coach will be occupied by the dog. In most cases, the begging dog would have a bite of the food the master is eating. This kind of situation would do the pet no harm unless the food that the owner allowed the pet to eat is not tolerated by the dog’s systems.

A dog owner has to have an idea what foods are toxic to the pet. Fruits and vegetables are healthy food for humans. Dogs must steer clear of grapes, avocados, from tomatoes and potatoes as well as from mushroom and broccoli as these foods can cause poisoning. Because of a different metabolism; dogs’ systems cannot tolerate these fruits and vegetables. Dogs must be prevented from eating fruit seeds and pits because of the cyanide they contain.

Dairy products especially when consumed in large amounts would have dangerous effects on the pet. Coffee, tea and alcoholic beverages as well as chocolate and sugar-free candies are unsafe foods for dogs too. Onions and garlic are poisonous to dogs thus food containing these ingredients must not be given to the dogs.

Dogs in the wild eat their food raw. However, raw fish, raw eggs and raw meat must not be included in the dog’s diet. Thiamin deficiency results if a dogs is regularly given raw fish and this condition can result to seizures and the death of the dog. Raw eggs may contain Salmonella and e coli bacteria that can affect the dog. Moreover, dogs that regularly consume raw eggs can develop poor coat and other skin concerns because of the avidin, an enzyme that is found in raw eggs. Fat trimmings and excessively fatty foods must not be given to dogs either as it can trigger a pancreatitis attack. In dogs, fatty foods will cause the pancreas to get inflamed and to rupture and cause digestive enzymes to seep into the other organs.

Vomiting and diarrhea are the manageable consequences of giving the dog toxic human foods but some foods have more serious effects that results to the death of the dog.

Not all human foods are safe for dogs. Find out what foods are toxic to dogs at Sarah’s Dogs. Likewise you can learn about many common and not so common dog breeds.

Keeping a canine friend around for as long as possible is a must for every dog lover and if you are one, you know most likely would do every available precautionary measure you can take to ensure this.  Nutrition is one of the most important factors involved in prolonging a dog’s life and the good news is, you have complete control over it.  It is therefore only rational that you choose wisely what food to serve your dog and get better educated about commercially processed ones  that you vaguely know anything about.  You owe it to your dog because it heavily relies on you for its sustenance just as much as you rely on it for its loyalty and companionship.

Dog Food Secrets by Andrew Lewis is a no holds barred revelation of the “dog food conspiracy” that has kept many of us in the dark about how companies, especially big ones, make big profit out of selling dog food that not only have zero nutritional value but is actually killing our dogs.  Among the many ingredients of their products are decaying carcasses of animal that does indeed include dogs, road kill, plastic and other poisonous substances.  How they managed to stuff all those things in the products are detailed in the book which I, needless to say, strongly suggest you get a copy of.  To read is to believe and that is the one way you can confirm why I’ve thrown in such bold words there.

Among the many diseases and illnesses your dog may experience if you continue to feed it with these toxic dog food are: weak or deformed bones, chronic skin and ear infections, chronic flea and worm infestations, an impaired ability to heal from wounds, kidney failure, liver failure, immune system collapse, epilepsy, cancer and even behavioral alterations like aggression that makes dog unsafe around children.  And that’s not even an exhaustive list.  On a side note, if you think toxic dog food has nothing to do with your dog’s behavioral problems like aggression because you probably feed your dog homemade meals, this dog training book should do the trick: Secrets to Dog Training (Sit Stay Fetch) by Daniel Stevens. 

Getting back on track, the good news is you can identify or separate the bad dog foods from the good ones through a trick called “reading labels”.  The ingredient “animal sources” in dog food should give you an idea that the company behind the product can technically put any kind of animal in there.  There are some products that make it a point to specify in their label their animal source, meaning they put the words “chicken” or “beef” in the list of ingredients.  If this is the case, the maker will then be legally bound to put only the byproducts of these claimed sources.  It has to be emphasized though that this qualification can include the specified animal’s dung, carcasses, diseased meat and unusual organs, among others.  If you want to make sure you get quality meat, look for brands that have “human grade ingredients” in them.  This is just an example of how you can read and uncover label codes used by dog food companies.  To learn more tricks on how to read dog food labels, check out Product Reviews at ReviewMOZ.org.

A dog is referred to as a best friend of man for a reason, it’s a very protective, intelligent, and loyal animal. Most people return the favor by providing their pet with the best care and sustenance. A popular and recent trend among owners of canines involves switching their pet to grain free dog food. While the new diet may not be the best for every single dog, those with skin problems, stomach issues, and certain allergies will likely be a lot better off.

Before they were quickly domesticated, canines’ diets typically consisted of meats and they generally only ate plants and carbs when it was already in the stomach contents of their dinner. Most pet food companies, however, tend to ignore this information when it comes to the contents of their items. Most commercial brands have ingredients such as grains, corns, and meal, none of which were ever intended to be eaten by mankind’s most loyal friends.

Corn is not able to be absorbed by canines and is put in their kibble simply as a nutrition-less filler. Up until the past few years, many manufacturers even promoted the fact that they used corn because most pet owners were not aware of its adverse effects on their dogs and thought it to be a regular healthy vegetable. For most animals, ingesting food that includes corn is the same as eating junk food for all three meals, their blood literally transforms the item into sugar.

Grains are another story, other than wheat grains aren’t inherently bad for your pet but some animals may have allergies to them. If you notice excessive gas, bloating, diarrhea, or similar symptoms in your dog, odds are, switching him or her to a grain free dog food will ameliorate them.

Animals who are not suffering from food related allergies will most likely still benefit from a grain-less diet. This is because manufacturers of this type of dog kibble include alternate sources of carbohydrates and other nutrients. Most use potatoes which have highly digestible proteins and essential amino acids.

Other than eliminating an animal’s allergy issues, ingesting food that does not include wheat and similar grains can be advantageous in other ways also. Older dogs who have a hard time moving around will be able to lose pounds and young ones will have an easier time with keeping a healthy weight. The proven formula will also give older canines with a boost in energy and feces that are much easier to pass.

The Omega-6 and amino acids included in the recipes will make the coat of your pet noticeably softer and shinier too. In most cases, they leave them with skin that is significantly healthier too. Kibble that is grain free can be obtained at most feed shops and pet stores easily. However, you should research a few brands online before to make sure you get a product that’s legitimate.

When changing your dog to a different kind of diet, you should be very careful. Canines have unique bacteria in their stomachs that find and aggravate foreign elements so new diet changes could end in stomach issues and sickness. To make the change easier, start slowly and only add about half of a cup of the new kibble to the bowl at one time. Each week, put in a little more new stuff in until you’ve replaced the older food completely.

Jamie is a pet health authority who specializes in raw pet food.