Get the Right Food for your Dog

When I first visited the pet store,  I was overwhelmed by the different brands of dog food and supplement choices.  It’s really difficult to decide which is best for my dog  because they all promise optimum health.   My other concern was, how much to feed him.  Nevertheless, my vet was consistently impressed with the fact that my dog is always about the perfect weight with a beautiful coat and a good muscle tone.  When he asked me what my  secret was that allowed me to feed Sniper in such a way that he was always the perfect weight, I found it difficult to answer.

I do my own research about products that would optimize my dog’s health but I always ask my vets recommendation before i give it to him.  In one of my research, I found out that underweight dogs often suffer from poor muscle tone, delayed healing, loss of energy,  and metabolic and reproductive disorders. Overweight dogs, which are much more common, suffer from arthritic problems, an increase incidence of metabolic disease including diabetes and liver problems, as well as a lack of energy, and an increase in skin problems. They may also have a shortened life expectancy.

The health benefits from providing proper nutrition in the correct amount are immeasurable.  Maintaining the proper weight is very critical to ensuring good health to your dog.  Labrador retreivers have lots of appetite and have a tendency toward obesity. What I normally do for my dog is, when he is skinny I feed him more and when he gets fat I feed him less. He has trouble eating dry food though because he eats too fast, bolting down the pellets without chewing them.  Apparently, this often leads to stomach aches, ulcers and even ruptures in the stomach, and often causes constipation if it happens on a regular basis.  On average, I mix dry with wet food, or wet the kibble before giving it to him. This normally softens the pellets and make it easier for him to digest his meal, even if he does tend to wolf it down.

Understanding what our pets eat is vital to getting them healthy and keeping them healthy.  In order to optimize our pet’s wellness it’s a good thing for us to examine everything we give them.  The conveniences brought to us by the industrial age has also brought us a lot of pollution. Knowing how to defend our pet from those risks are what separates the healthy from the sick ones.

It is no coincidence that a steady diet of low quality foods (empty calories) eventually causes the intestinal tract to malfunction.  My vet was reliable enough to inform me that if the careful balance is not maintained daily, overtime other related issues develop such as bad breath and constipation. He said this can even lead to more serious problems like dermatitis, allergies hives and asthma. Due to a wide variety of reasons, optimizing colon health is more important today than ever before!

The keys to optimizing your pet’s health include giving them nutritious food specifically suited to their digestive requirements, I was advised to give him distilled or reverse osmosis quality water.  Add a few grains of a high quality “sea salt” (not common table salt!) to give it flavor and beneficial minerals- and change it daily. I made sure the air he is breathing and the bedding he sleeps on is clean and fresh.  Finally, I made sure he is getting  essential supplements on a daily basis.

Now this may seem troublesome and expensive. But the truth is, you will have a healthier, happier pet capable of bringing you love and joy for many years to come. And as an added bonus, properly optimizing your pet’s health will cost you far less than the frequent vet visits and numerous medications that will result if you don’t!

Dogs need a balanced diet and some exercise to avoid obesity

Weight management is a must to ensure optimum health not just for us but for our pet as well.  My first mistake when I first had my dog was, give him lots of treats especially after obedience training.  I also feed him as much as he wants.  Little did I know, that Labradors have voracious apettites and they have a tendency to be obese.  I didn’t even notice he was overweight until it was almost time for his next well visit.  What I did was, search for ways  to get him to maintain to an ideal weight.  I learned that building muscles is the best way to lose weight.  I thought if it worked for me, maybe it will work for him too.

I fed him a little less but with  balanced and nutritious diet with proteins, low fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and high fiber at the same time.  This will strengthen his vital muscles, organs, and bones within the body. I didn’t totally stop giving him treats but I switched to low calorie treats as well as fruits and cooked vegetables such as apples, oranges, carrots, broccoli, potatoes and green beans.  I gave him dry food rather than canned food  because dry food apparently has fewer calories.  Labradors are very excitable and require a lot of excercise.  They are excellent swimmers.   With this in mind, I took my dog swimming and long walks twice daily to build his cardiovascular and muscle strength.   I started him on a 20 minute session and when he progressed, I took him jogging with me.  I also tried him on agility obstacle courses and he loved it. 

Exercise is just as important to my dogs health and it was the best way for him to shed that extra pounds and kept it down.  Loving our pet is doing what’s good for them.  Helping them become their ideal weight will not only keep them healthy but will give us peace of mind knowing that their health is on the right track.