Bottled Water for Pets
Water for Pets
You would not think of water as medicine but holistic vets do. They believe it is one of the best “drugs” for protecting your pet’s health. Water does much more than just quench thirst. It regulates body temperature, aids in digestion,and lubricates tissue. Water constantly transports oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body and carries away the waste.
Water is an essential part of many treatment plans. Pets with constipation are often encourages to drink more because water lubricates the digestive tract and helps stools move more smoothly. Water can also flush away bacteria that cause urinary tract infections, and a high-water diet is often recommended for pets with urinary stones.
So, most animal experts will agree that pets should be given the same quality water as humans: bottled and/or filtered. Municipal and well water can contain many things harmful to pets and people. One of these things is the parasite Giardia, a single-celled organism that ends up living in the mucous lining of the intestines. This parasite can cause diarrhea in animals as well as humans. If a puppy or kitten is suffering malnutrition, the effects of Giardia can be worse.
Your pet will probably like bottled water better than tap and therefore will drink more water which is beneficial to their health. Many pets dislike the taste and smell of chlorine and other substances in tap water. Bottled spring water is cheap and readily available.
If you want to encourage your pet to drink more water, add some flavoring. You can add clam juice or some of the water that is left from boiling meat or chicken.
You can also help them get more water in their diet by moistening their dry food with a little water or give them moist or canned foods, which contain a lot more water than dry kibble.
Dogs are very sensitive to odors, and plastic water bowls may develop “off” smells that discourage your pet from drinking. Switch to glass or ceramic.
Make sure your pet stays properly hydrated and know the signs of dehydration. See our post Dog Dehydration and Feline Dehydration
Recipe Homemade Pet Food
Serving Size Homemade Dog Food
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Do you get tired of preparing your dogs food every day? Here is a way you can prepare the food ahead of time and keep it in the freezer until you need it.
I found this great recipe in Natural Dog magazine. This recipe homemade pet food is actually a muffin recipe. Muffins are a great way to prepare and store meals, especially for small breed dogs. If you want to make these for dog snacks instead of dog food use mini muffin pans but make sure to adjust the baking time. The baking time for mini muffins will be about half the time of the regular muffins.
You can use this recipe homemade pet food in many different ways. Use the muffins for a meal, a snack or crumble them over dog food for an extra treat. Bake a couple dozen, freeze them and defrost as needed. That is so convenient and works well when you travel too. Just keep your pet’s food in the cooler with your own stuff. The ingredients are not expensive and are easy too find.
Recipe Homemade Pet Food – Oat and Chicken Muffins
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oats
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup olive oil
3 beaten eggs (shells optional; you can put whole eggs with shells in blender – egg shells have a lot of calcium)
2 1/2 cups yogurt or buttermilk
1 cup grated cooked chicken
Instructions:
Mix together oats, flour and baking soda. Blend the olive oil, yogurt or buttermilk, and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir in the grated chicken. Pour into oiled muffin tins and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out dry. Yields 12 medium-size muffins. Extra muffins can be frozen for six weeks.
We don’t have recipes just for dogs. If you need a easy homemade recipe for your kitty? See our post Homemade Pet Treats for Cats
Pet Food Nutrition Labels
Pet Food and Ingredients
I just read this in Dr. Fox’s column and thought this information would be worth passing on:
A pet owner wrote to Dr. Fox that when he gives his 12 year old Aussie mix a bit of cheese, the dog has a seizure. Apparently the culprit is the additive annato. Though annato is a natural food coloring it has been linked with many cases of food-related allergies and is the only natural food coloring known to cause as many or more reactions than artificial food coloring.
Because annato is a natural colorant (from the seed pulp of a tropical tree, the Aciote or lipstick tree), companies may label their products “all natural, no artificial colors,” and this can lend a false sense of security to consumers who suffer from dye allergies.
Dr Fox advises not to feed cheese or cheese spread that is bright yellow or orange in color to dogs. He says there are too many reasons why dogs have seizures, and this one more to add to the list.
[tag]pet food,all natural pet allergy treatments,dog health problems,pet allergies,pet food ingredients,annato,pet food and ingredients,pet food labels,natural pet food[/tag]
Homemade Pet Treats for Cats
Natural Pet Treats
If you are concerned about your cats diet, why not make your own cat treats. These treats have all natural ingredients and are easy to make.
The recipe comes from a site called
http://www.freepetprojects.com/
Kittie Kookies
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 6-ounce can tuna in oil (do not drain)
1 tablespoon oil
1 egg
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl, adding a lttle water if dough is too stiff. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into shapes with your favorite cookie cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until firm. Store in an airtight container.
Overweight Dogs – How To Avoid This Problem
Dog Foods and Feeding Schedules
I found this great article in our local paper with good information from the American Kennel Club. The AKC warns that excess weight endangers the heart, lungs and joints and makes a dog more susceptile to other ailments. Here are some feeding rules:
Consider what stage of development your pet is at when you plan their diet – Puppies eat more and are highly active, adult dogs have normal routines and food intake, and older dogs might require special diets and limited exercise.
Have regular mealtimes - An irregular eating schedule can affect your dog’s digestive system and ultimately cause chronic digestive disorders. Digestive problems can usually be improved by a change in diet.
Dogs don’t easily adjust to a time-zone change or daylight savings time – To prepare your dog for a time change, gradually adjust her eating schedule over a few weeks.
It is important that your dog’s water and food bowls are kept in the same place every day – If you have more than one dog, make sure each dog has its own food and water bowl.
Don’t worry about your dog getting hungry between meals – Your dog needs only one or two meals daily if fed on a regimented schedule and receives a balanced diet.
Set a 30 minute rule – If your dog has walked away from its bowl, it has probably had enough to eat. Discard the remaining food since exposed dog food is unsanitary.
Resist giving your dog people food – A begging dog can be hard to resist, but your dog doesn’t know how dangerous the meal you’re eating can be. Grapes, raisins, chocolate and onions are among foods that can be toxic to your dog in large enough quantities. Sometimes excessive fat in meats or dairy products can cause digestive distress.
Don’t over-treat or over-supplement your dog – Too many treats will lead to excess pounds. Too many vitamins also can have unintended consequences. Ask your vet before starting your dog on a regimen of supplements.
See our related post about Pet Food Additives
[tag]fat pets,overweight dogs,fat dogs,obese dogs,dog food review,natural pet food ,dog health issues[/tag]
Dog Gas – Natural Remedies
Excessive Flatulence in Pets
Though intestinal gas is a natural part of digestion, it is still unpleasant. Some animals produce more gas than others. Dogs have more a problem than cats but then often dogs are much larger than cats thus making it a more difficult problem to ignore.
Here some natural ways to help rid your pet of gas. These suggestions come from The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats by the editors of Prevention for Pets.
Walk your dog – Exercise helps move gas out of the intestine, and if your pet happens to relieve himself on his walk, even more gas will be released.
Soybean content in food – Soybeans comprise up to 25% of some pet foods. Some pets may find soy hard to digest. Changing to a food with less soy or no soy could make a big difference. Wenaewe Adult Dry Dog Food contains no corn, soybean, wheat, meat by-products, food by-products, dairy, artificial flavors, chemical preservatives, artificial colorants, GMOs, fillers, or ashes. Wenaewe also makes an equally nutritious cat food.
Switch brands slowly -Vets say it takes awhile for the colon to adjust to a new diet. They recommend switching over a period of three days, substituting one third of the new food for one-third of the old each day.
Keep trash can tightly covered – If your dog gets in the trash frequently, it can really affect their digestive system and increase their gas output.
Feed your pet the right amount of food – Overeating can overload the gut, so things end up fermenting that normally wouldn’t as a result your pet will have more gas.
No dairy - Most adult dogs and cats can digest only tiny amounts of milk. If your flatulent pet is getting milk, take it away for a few days and see if things improve.
Try Yogurt - Many yogurts contain digestion-friendly bacteria that can help decrease flatulence. Vets recommend giving 1/4 teaspoon of plain yogurt to cats and small dogs, 1 teaspoon to do 15 to 20 pounds and 1 tablespoon for large dogs. Most pets like the taste, so you won’t need to hide it in their food. Even pets that can’t handle lactose can usually enjoy yogurt without any problems.
Try activated charcoal – It’s messy, but it can absorb the smell pretty well. For small pets add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon to their food daily. For larger pets, 1/2 teaspoon is about right. Be aware activated charcoal can absorb nutrients as well as gas from the digestive tract. Don’t use it for more than a few days at a time.
Try a natural anti-gas product – Many vets recommend giving pets digestive enzymes on a regular basis because pets are subject to the sames kinds of environmental factors that cause humans to experience digestive problems.PetAlive Digestive Support is an excellent digestive system tonic and contains three carefully chosen herbs in therapeutic dosage to soothe and support the stomach lining, esophagus, and entire digestive tract. I like Native Remedies Pet Alive products because they are all natural and are thoroughly tested. If you more information on the product click on the banner at the top or bottom of the post.
Reduce mealtime competition - When pets are fed together, one pet may eat too quickly to prevent the other pet from get their food. Just like humans, pets take in too much air when they eat too fast and this causes gas. Feeding your pets separately will allow them to eat more slowly.
Make your pet eat more slowly – I thought this was a really clever idea. You put a large object – like a ball- in your pet’s bowl. Your dog or cat has to nose around and work harder to get the food so they will forced to slow down.
Raise the food dish – If your dog does not have to bend their neck so far down they will swallow less air. You can place the food bowl securely on a box or you can buy a stand that holds food and water at mouth level. The stands are really nice. My mother-in-law’s Doberman used to have a stand that a neighbor made for him. The dog’s look so much more comfortable eating from a dish at their level.
[tag]cat health,cat health problems,dog gas,dog health,dog health problems,excessive flatulence,flatulence in dogs[/tag]
Pet Allergies – Pet Food Additives
Pet Health – What Is In Your Pet’s Food?
Allergies in pets are a common problem these days. One possible source of allergies could be your pet’s food. Here is a partial list of the most common pet-food additives, provided by the Animal Protection Institute of America. Although some of the ingredients on the list may be harmless, it is possible that in combination with other additives they may form toxic compounds. They may also cause allergies in some animals.
Ethozyquin
Butylated hydroxyanisole
Tertiary butylhdroquinone
Propyl gallate
Rosemric acid/rosmarequinone
Antimicrobial Preservatives
Citric acid
Hydrochloric acid
Phosphoric acid
Sorbic acid
Fumaric acid
Pryoligneous acid
Propionic acid
Sodium propionate
Calcium propionate
Potassium sorbate
Sodium nitrate
Humectants
Sorbito
Corn Syrups
Sucrose/dextrose
Cane molasses
Coloring Agents/Preservatives
Artificial colors
Azo dyes -Â tartrazine(FD&C yellow No. 5), sunset yellow(FD&C yellow No. 6), alura red (FD%C red No. 40)
Nonazo dyes -Â brilliant blue (FD&C No. 1), indigotine (FD&C No. 2)
Carmel color
Sodium nitrite
Sodium eythrobate
Titanium dioxide
Iron oxide
Sodium meabisulfate
Flavor/Flavor Enhancers
Digests
Artificial flavors
Monosodium glutamate
Natural smoke flavor
Palatability Enhancer
t-Lysine
Onion powder/oil
Garlic, garlic powder oil
Phosphoric acid
Hydrochloric acid
Sucrose, dextrose, cane molasses
Acidified yeast
Emulsifying Agents, Stablizers and Thickeners
Glyceryl monostearate
Monoglycerides (of edible fats and oils)
Diglycerides (of edible fats and oils)
Glycerin
Modified starch
Gums (hyrocolloids) – arabic, guar, xanthanÂ
Chemically modified plant materials (sodium carboxymethyl cellulose)
Miscellaneous Additives
Mineral oil
Charcoal
Polyphophates
Sodium tripolyphosphate
Diesodium phosphate
Tetrasodium pyrophosphate
Given this information, you might want to consider purchasing a natural food for your pet.
For dogs you can use Wenaewe Adult Dry Dog Food 30 lbs.
Wenaewe Adult Dry Dog formula is a complete hypoallergenic canine diet made from 98% organic ingredients; the remaining 2% of ingredients corresponds to the vitamins and minerals, which are not certifiable. The main ingredient in Wenaewe is free-range, grass-fed, organic fresh beef, grown without hormones, antibiotics or pesticides. Wenaewe is also made with all whole raw organic ingredients like broccoli, beets, carrots, and brown rice. This ultra premium formula is made with only human-grade ingredients, and offers great palatability for your canine pet!
Wenaewe Adult Dry Dog Food 30 lbs.
Wenaewe Adult Dry Cat Food 15 lbs.Â
