Guideline For Choosing DOG TREATS

What makes you love your dogs? Is it because of the way he loves you in return and the eagerness that you feel when he attempts to please? This love can be more emphasized through dog training as it creates the firm bond between you and your pal.

Gourmet dog treats produced by dog bakery Natertot Bakery
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One well-recognized method of dog training is through the use of dog treats. But dog treats are not for positive reinforcement dog training alone. Most dog owners have used them as snack alternatives. This does not proceed pleasurable experiences but may also aid in maintaining your pal's health.

Like with other pet stuff, there are considerations that an owner should first evaluate before allowing his pet to dog treats. Health components concerning with calorie content is on the priority list.

One of the growing concerns about dog health nowadays is obesity. Almost half of American dogs are overweight. Like with the case of human, obesity may lead to a variety of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.

Overindulgence is thought as one of the contributing reason for obesity. This may be due to the human factor. Most owners tend to give dog treats on an unregulated basis. For most, it doesn't matter how many calories does a single biscuit may contain. To resolve this issue, an owner needs to cut back on the daily calorie intake of his pet until he reduces some weight. Controlling the quantity of dog treats throughout the day may be of great help. You may also choose to lessen his foods gradually until he reaches a normal weight. In line with this, it is ideal to stick with dog treats with low calories. The subject of obesity may further be resolved through consulting the vet and to implement a regular exercise regimen.

It is also an ill practice to give your dog commercially produced human foods. Some of which may contain elements that are not suited for your dog's health. Commercial foods are also often rich in fats and calories and low in nutrients and vitamins. Moreover, this practice is really not healthy for your dog's manners. This only encourages begging. Give him his dog treats in his own place instead but always bearing the thought of how healthy the dog treats you give are.

Tips on Dog Treats Selection

It is always best to buy naturally produced dog treats. These save you from unnecessary additives that may post threats against your dog's health. Fat and sugar-rich dog treats are a complete no-no. look for dog treats that have a high concentration of fibers and protein.

Dog treats that are primarily made from fishes are good sources of unadulterated health components. These are great foods for human as well as dogs. They are low in calories and fats.

Avoid giving dog treats before any major meals. If you are training him using positive reinforcement, cut back portions of his meals to balance his diet with dog treats.

There are dog treats that are specially made to optimize your dog's health. Working in the same principle as that of the vitamin supplements. These are aids to maintain your dog's health and may even relieve symptoms of certain diseases.

Don't allow that dog treats may cover as much as ten percent of your pet's diet.

In choosing the ideal treat, it is helpful to rely on your best judgments. It is you who know your pet well enough but in cases of doubt, you may as well consult a veterinarian.

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The RAW DOG DIET

Have you ever wondered why dog food comes in this huge bag filled with tiny kibbles of compressed unknown ingredients?  Much of what goes into dog food is not high-quality in nature.  Blood meal, bone meal, and fat frequently come from animal carcasses containing potentially harmful drugs or disease.  Is it time to consider something better for your dog's diet?

Before marketing and advertisers took over the world of big business, what did dog's eat?  We take a look at how dog's in the wild gain adequate nutrition.  A wolf, for example, survives from a kill.  The contents of the animals stomach are eaten first.  Doing this, the wolf takes in grains and vegetables, as well as, enzymes needed for good nutrition.  Next, the wolf devours the meat and some bones.  Protein and calcium have now been added to the diet.  This natural diet in the wilderness has been effective in maintaining quality health over the years.  Unlike the domesticated dogs of today, such animals generally have excellent immune systems.

When your dog's diet consists primarily of unhealthy animals, can you not assume that your dog will become unhealthy, as well?  Today, veterinarians have seen more health problems with dogs than ever before.

The natural raw diet feeds the immune system of your pet.  Your dog's diet will contain natural foods that provide the body what it needs to repair itself and perform at its best.

The raw diet is prepared one time a day.  It is not complicated and well worth the time and effort to ensure the excellent health of your dog.  Always consult your vet before altering your dog's diet.  The raw dog diet has helped many dog's combat health issues such as arthritis, skin problems, and weight trouble.

Ingredients of the raw diet include meat, veggies, and grains.  Approximately half of the diet is meat.  Vegetables, fruit, and grain cover the rest.  

When preparing the dog's diet, feed the dog about the same amount of the raw dog diet as you would kibble.  This is a good starting point.  From here, you can adjust the diet as necessary to meet your dog's specific needs.  

Contact a local butcher to purchase ground turkey, for example.  Each day prepare a bowl of 50% raw ground

Turkey with some wet oats.  Juice some vegetables such as carrots and swiss chard and add the juice to the mix.

Juicing the vegetables helps to digest the enzymes for your pet.  This is similar to the wolf consuming the contents from a stomach.  Your dog's diet will need a variety of different vegetables daily to maximize the potential for best vitamins and nutrients.

Carrots should always be the base and alter other veggies daily.  The carrots will regularly supply potassium, calcium, vitamin A, B, C, D, and E.  Greens offer vitamin A, C, and chlorophyll.  Apples are good for vitamin C.

Certain veggies have healing properties.  Kale, for instance, helps to remedy digestive disorders.  Watercress and mustard greens help to cleanse the intestines.  Parsley helps the metabolism and thyroid.  Celery has numerous advantages.  It helps with chemical imbalances, blood flow,  and is a natural diuretic.  Beets are good for the blood.  They offer copper and manganese.

Some foods to avoid include broccoli, cabbage, and turnips.  These create intestinal gas.  Cucumbers, onions, and potatoes do not digest well in a dog's diet.   

Flaxseed is a fabulous addition to the raw diet to encourage healthy joints and coat.  The omega 6 and 3 fatty acids help with such conditions.  

The raw diet for your dog can combat several health issues.  The natural diet allows your dog to eat what nature intended.  You know what foods are in your dog's diet.  The raw diet is high in quality and healthy for your pet.  

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Rise & Shine: Healthy Fats for a Healthy, Shiny Dog Coat

Doggie Food: Tips On Good NUTRITION for Your DOG

If you have a dog of your own you will know that a full tummy doesn't nearly cover the whole process of deciding which dog food to buy.

Your dog is your best friend, you will want him to live the fullest, happiest life that he can. Feeding him the best food will not only ensure that he is healthy and happy, but has a shiny coat and lively tail too.

Many of our spoiled pets become fussy. It's a natural progression from being fussed over so much. If you have fussy dogs, like me, you will know how guilt laden mealtimes can become.

Something New for my dogs - Photo by Tobyotter 

You want to give your dog the best advantage in life; why not consider cooking some specially prepared meals just for your dog. Whilst it is true that many owners can provide their dogs with adequate nutrition on a vegetarian diet, this is tricky and time consuming to accomplish. Buying a medium quality dog food and adding some extra goodness should be sufficient.

One of the best ways to ensure your dog is receiving optimum nutrition whilst living on medium quality pet food is to add some kind of nutritional supplement. This can ensure good nutrition at all times.  One such proven source is NuVet.

A news release, Chattanooga, TN with Calvin Sneed (Consumer Advocate) reported a breeder in Tennessee got caught in the Diamond Dog food recall and 12 out of 14 dogs died.  However the 2 that didn’t die were on NuVet.  You can only buy this product from breeder referral. 1-800-474-7044.  Referral number is 75855.

Read the labels of any dog food you buy carefully. Any of the foods you buy should contain turkey, beef, chicken or any other animal by-product to keep your dog looking healthy and glossy.

If you are changing your dog’s diet you are vulnerable to guilt-treating practices. Don't overcompensate for your dog’s fussiness. The quickest way your dog will learn to appreciate a new dog food is to be forced to make do with what is served up at mealtimes. Don't give treats or snacks because your dog isn't eating. This just encourages fussy eating and perpetuates the cycles of fussiness again. Be firm.

If you are trying to incorporate some home cooked goodness into your dog’s life you might need to include rice, corn, oatmeal or wheat. These are all excellent sources of carbohydrates. You will need to keep in mind that most of your dog’s most valuable proteins come from meat. Whilst many say that dogs are omnivores – they are still partially carnivorous.

If you have a dog be sure NEVER to give them the following:

• Chocolate

• Raw fish or eggs

• Onions

• Tomatoes

With careful attention and some patience you can revolutionize your dog’s diet. And hopefully help him live a long and healthy life.

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Household DOG DANGERS

Dogs have a tendency of trying to eat just about everything they come across. In most cases, this causes some slight discomfort. There are things, however, that can be dangerous enough to cause death to your dog if he eats them. Following is a brief list:

1) Antifreeze: Many people do not realize it, but common antifreeze kills many pets each year. It smells and tastes very sweet to your dog and is very appealing to him.

2) Chocolate: Chocolate contains a substance called the obromine which is toxic to dogs. Baking chocolate and dark chocolate is especially dangerous.

3) Bleach: As you might imagine, household bleach is toxic to dogs. Keep all products containing bleach out of your dog's reach.

4) Tylenol: As little as two regular strength Tylenol tablets can kill a small dog.

5) Watch Batteries: If your dog ingests a watch battery, it can cause a potentially fatal ulceration in the stomach within 12 hours. All other alkaline batteries are toxic to dogs as well.

6) Moth Balls: Moth balls are very dangerous to dogs. They contain an insecticide that causes central nervous system excitement and seizures..

7) Fabric Softeners and other detergents: All sorts of household detergents are toxic to dogs at one level or another, but fabric softeners fall into the highly toxic category.

8) Mouthwash: Mouthwash can contain boric acid which is highly toxic to dogs. Symptoms of poisoning by mouthwash include vomiting, drooling, seizures, and coma.

9) Peach Pits: With most fruits, the pits and the seeds are toxic to dogs. Signs of poisoning include drooling, vomiting, and lethargy.

10) Household Plants: Many common and popular household plants are highly toxic to dogs. A partial list of toxic plants includes poinsettias, lilies, ferns, devil's ivy, aloe, and ivy.

If you think your dog may have eaten any of these substances, or anything else that could poison him, call a vet immediately. It could save his life.

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Cost of DOG FEEDS

The cost of dog feed is one factor that is most important in the case of feeding of dogs with different kinds of food items. Yes. This is true. The cost factor needs to be looked into in various perspectives during the preparation of the food items, required for the balanced feeding of dogs with proper vitamin and mineral supplementations in the food.

Shelves of dog food. Includes Beneful and Pedigree (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cost will not always matter much because the dog’s value is being assessed in terms of companionship and the happiness derived from the dog to the dog owner. Though the cost of the food items is comparatively more, many dog owners don’t mind much due to the increased benefits derived from their dogs in terms of protection, guiding, etc. 

Selection of ingredients for the home made food needs to be however based on the quality factor. Even when the quality is more, general persons may seek some cheaper items only. Recommended nutrient contents may be obtained from the national nutrient academies in all nations and this will provide guidelines.

One can correlate the cost factor with items available in their own country. Generally, the commercial food items are expensive especially the ones that use the modern technologies of food preparation like oven-baking, sterilization of cans, air drying or freeze drying of contents etc.

Canned items cost more than the dry food items. However, the cost of the items depends on what kind of food item to be used for the dogs. Food allergies need to be monitored during usage of different food items in case of dogs due to the cheaper cost of the items. Often the quality need not be compromised because of the cost factor. 

Most of the dog food items nowadays have mentioned their cost in the label itself. Hence, the dog owner need not have any problem in taking a decision on the purchase.

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How much should I FEED MY DOG?

A blue Great Dane puppy.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many people will give different types of answers based on their experience with their dogs. 

However, the scientific facts related to the feeding aspects in case of dogs need to be given emphasis during the feeding activities maintained in case of dogs.

Usually the puppies should not be separated before they are eight weeks old. However, some times the orphaned puppies may exist. Usually about five percent of the body weight may be taken as criteria for the quantity of food to be given to the puppies.  However, the amount that is consumed by the dog varies with size of the dogs also.

However, one can have a thumb rule of feeding the puppy goes until you see visible fullness of the abdomen to a moderate degree. If you are going on feeding the animal without giving emphasis to the animal’s stomach appearance, then the puppy may experience some kinds of digestive upsets and the diarrhea may occur in them.

This may cause many inconveniences to the owner as well as the puppy.  Unlike adult dogs, the puppies need to be fed with restricted amounts of food but in more frequencies. However, once the age advances, the amount may be increased to some extent but the frequency of feeding is often decreased in many occasions.

A dog on a raw diet may consume only two to four percent of their body weight.  Just observe closely the feeding pattern of the dog and the body condition of the animal. If the dog becomes obese, just reduce the quantity of food and if the dog becomes thin, then have an increase in the feeding items.

As mentioned earlier, puppies and adolescent dogs eat more than the adult dogs.  Likewise the geriatric dog eats less than the adult dog due to the reduced movements of the dog. However, remember to restrict the amounts of protein during the feeding of diet to the aged dogs.

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Understanding INGREDIENTS

Understanding the ingredients of your dog's food items is a must for the dog lovers or dog owners.  Whenever you feed the dog with different kinds of food items, you should always read the label and understand the contents about the dog feed types that are being used in such commercial preparations. You should understand the ingredients while buying food for your dog and also know what to look for.

Feed items include dry and fresh food.  The fresh dog food that is prepared in homes generally consists of ingredients like freshly cut chicken pieces in addition to the cranberry juices, blue-green algae, etc. 

Dog biscuit. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you come across any different kinds of preservatives and if the dog develops all of a sudden signs pertaining to the food allergy, suspect the unwanted ingredient in the feed items given. Similarly, understand about the moisture status. If the food item is having more moisture, then the dog may prefer this as well. 

Beet pulp, pasta, Soy bean oil, wheat middlings, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, copper sulphate, iron sulphate, zinc oxide, choline chloride, etc. are often the ingredients in case of vegetarian based diet items offered to the pet animals like dogs. 

Raw egg, chicken, beef, mutton, fish, quail etc. are often the preferred ingredients in case of dog diets that are prepared on the basis of the non-vegetarian items. Taurine is one of the essential ingredients for the dog’s nutrition.  Like wise, in the case of dogs feed with frozen fish items, the vitamin called thiamine needs to be supplemented as an ingredient. 

Many premium type of dog food preparations contain essential fatty acids, carbohydrates with adequate fiber contents, vitamins like A, D, E and B complex vitamins.

Furthermore, minerals like zinc, is an essential ingredient for skin health status and calcium, which is an essential ingredient for bone growth, tonicity of muscles.  They should be enriched in these food items. However, the cost of those food preparations are comparatively more expensive than the food preparations with general ingredients.  Though it may be better for your dog's health.

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How Sensible Is Cooking Your Own DOG Or CAT FOOD?

Shelves of dog food.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The first thing to remember when considering home cooking for your pet is the simple truth that you are NOT cooking for a person, you are cooking for an animal - that might seem obvious, but so many pet owners treat their pets as if they were children.

Dogs, cats and people have different nutritional needs and some foods which are fine for you can be dangerous to them - you must take this into consideration.

Some pet owners begin feeding home cooked food because they find that their pet is not too interested in the commercial food being offered. Eventually they find themselves trapped because the pet will now not eat any commercially prepared food, and home cooking now constitutes 100% of the animal's daily intake. In these cases, arranging a diet composed of foods commonly used in the household may be the only way of delivering a balanced diet to the pet.

In some European countries homemade foods already supply an estimated 35% of cats with 60% of their caloric intake. When the pet receives more than half its daily calories from table foods, the whole diet should then be formulated to ensure a proper nutrient intake and avoid the dangers of obesity or other health problems.

Really, it's up to you and the ingredients that you have to hand, but a good guide to follow would be that given by Veterinary Surgeon John Burns of Burns Pet Nutrition who advises the following proportions of a home made diet for dogs

1/3 rd by volume boiled brown rice

1/3 rd by volume meat (this should be varied regularly using chicken, fish, lamb, beef)

1/3 rd by volume vegetable, again varied using roots and greens and to include some seaweed (dried or fresh)

John Burns adds 'I have less experience in the use of home made food for cats but in general cats need a higher level of protein and less carbohydrate.

'This could be achieved by increasing the meat portion to 50% with the rice and vegetable portions of 25% each. Again, some seaweed should be included to provide trace minerals.'

Cats have a very specific requirement for meat, and can't survive without several essential amino-acids found only in meat. So a vegetarian diet for a cat is really not on. Also limit the amount of liver you feed your cat (to avoid an excess of Vit A) and make sure to cook fish (regular feeding of raw fish can apparently lead to a vitamin B deficiency)

A few good foods to include

Vegetables - Green vegetables are a great way of boosting your dogs immune system, you can feed these raw or cooked. Raw carrot makes a healthy treat. Vegetables are possibly better for dogs than fruit. Potato must be cooked, and mashed potato is a suitable ingredient for home cooking.

Fruit - in the wild, dogs would have scavenged windfall fruit as well as digesting the remains of fruit eaten by other animals when they pick over the carcass, so giving your dog fruit is not as strange as it might sound. Fresh fruit is packed full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and all sorts of other healthy nutrients, so it's great for keeping your dog in top condition. Some fruits are quite acidic (as well as sugary) and may not be good for dogs with skin or digestive complaints.

Grains - Rice is universally recommended, and brown rice preferred, but make sure that it is well cooked so that your pet can get the maximum goodness.

Meat and fish - Vary the protein that you are feeding, so that a good range of amino acids is provided. Fish, particularly oily varieties are a good source of omega 3 and 6 oils.

Yoghurt - this is a great source of protein, calcium and vitamins, and is particularly good for dogs with diarrhoea thanks to the probiotics it contains.

Cottage cheese - another surprisingly healthy dairy food which is great for growing puppies and lactating bitches.

Brewer's yeast - Can be purchased from health food stores or chemists as a food supplement and is full of nutrients and vitamins. You only need to use about 1/2 tsp a day with recipes.

A few things to avoid

There are a few "No's" when it comes to selecting ingredients for home cooking. Veterinary Surgeons would tend to advise against the following foodstuffs, or at least to be wary of feeding large quantities:

Mushrooms: best avoided as some dogs will not tolerate mushrooms well and they can cause serious toxicity.

Chocolate: Chocolate contains theobromine. Theobromine is a similar compound to caffeine and stimulates the heart and nervous system. In dogs it can poison them with death occurring from heart failure. Cats may not metabolise chocolate in the same way as dogs but are also thought to be at risk.

Onions (and garlic) OK in small quantities, but be careful. Can cause blood problems including anaemia.

Cows milk: Cats and dogs along with most other mammals lose, to a variable extent, their ability to digest lactose (milk sugar) with age, because the activity of the enzyme lactase declines with age

Macadamia nuts: The toxic compound is unknown but the affect of macadamia nuts is to cause locomotory difficulties. Dogs develop a tremor of the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated.

Tomatoes: a small amount of ripe tomato is unlikely to cause any problems, but green tomatoes can cause stomach upsets so it's best to avoid them.

Grapes: The ASCPA (Animal Poison Control Centre in the USA) has recently published information stating the toxicity of raisins and grapes in dogs (they do not know how they affect cats yet, but advise to avoid feeding them anyway). Eating just a handful of raisins and grapes has been shown to cause kidney failure.

Fatty foods: Very fatty foods may lead to problems such as pancreatitis. The pancreas releases enzymes to help digest the food. Pancreatitis is a very painful inflammatory condition associated with the ingestion of fatty foods.

 “Cookbook for dogs” recipe manual.

You need to be aware that there has always been a voice out there arguing that home cooking is not the best way of feeding. Here is a quote from the Canadian Veterinarian Association pamphlet on pet food, 'A Commonsense Guide to Feeding Your Dog or Cat:'

"Why Are Homemade Diets Not Recommended? Homemade diets are not recommended because there is a good chance that all the necessary nutrients or the proper proportions will not be provided. Incorrect preparation and cooking may also deplete certain nutrients and result in a deficient diet. As well, homemade diets are usually more expensive to produce, without providing better nutrition."

The author, who originally trained as a food technologist has, in his time owned dogs, cats, hamsters and birds, sold pet food and spent the past decade marketing it. Now  down to one cat, one dog and running Pet Food Choice, a website full of information on pet food choices, money-saving ideas and much more -  http://www.pet-food-choice.co.uk Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Home made DIETS for Dogs

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Home made diets are important in the dog feeding. Many a times, the commercial diets consist of food items that have artificial coloring agents and flavoring agents that are harmful to the dog's body. Home made food items have the guarantee of freshness in the preparation unlike the ready-made commercial items.

The preservatives added in the commercial food items may not be the suitable ones to the dogs from the health point of view.  Even in case of renal diseases in dogs, the home made diets may be made with ground beef, slices of bread, calcium carbonate, boiled eggs etc. 

The purpose is to have the restricted protein supply in the feed items prepared.  This should be carried out with home made diets prepared exclusively for the dogs suffering from renal diseases. Water is added in sufficient quantities to help the proper metabolism in the digestion-impaired renal cases. 

The dog may have allergic symptoms like severe itching, which may not get corrected by different kinds of medications employed over a period of time.  Such cases may get easily treated once the dog food is changed from the commercial type of food to the home made food items.

Often, the home made food items are prepared using the freezing procedures to kill the germs or by adding grape seed extracts to provide sufficient antioxidants to the home made food items.  Food grade vinegar is also added in many times to the meat pieces prepared in a fresh manner.  All these can be enriched with vitamin supplements that are available in fruit essences, fish oil etc. 

Cranberry juice, bananas, fish and meat are prepared in a quality manner and no preservatives are added during the preparation of these kinds of food items and the dog becomes more active after the consumption of such food items.

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Is There a Difference in a SENIOR DOG DIET?

You hate to admit it, but your furry pal is getting a little older.  You want to ensure that your pet is happy and healthy for many years to come.  You have heard all of the hype about the new dog diets for older pets.  Is there really a difference between dog food for adult dogs and kibble recommended specifically for seniors?  How do you know when to switch your pet to a different diet?

The best resource for information about dog diets is your pet's veterinarian.  Only you and your vet know the specific needs of your pet the best.  Discuss with your vet your concerns and questions.  He or she will be able to advise you on what changes, if any, need to be made to your dog's diet.

Photo by celine nadeau

If your older dog does not have any health problems and maintains a healthy weight, there is no need to change your dog's diet from adult to senior dog food.  On the other hand, if your dog has trouble keeping the weight off or digestive issues, you may need to switch.  If weight is the only issue, consider slightly lowering the amount of dog food you give to your pet.  This may be all the change your dog's diet requires.

A senior dog is classified as a dog in the last third of their life span.  Larger dogs, for instance a Great Dane, live to be about 9 years old.  Around the sixth year of life, you may want to consider a senior dog's diet.  A poodle, on the other hand wouldn't reach senior status until

About age ten due to the longer life expectancy.  Primarily, the decision to change your dog's diet should be based on health condition rather than actual age in years.  Your vet will help you to determine when the right time is to alter your dog's diet.

Dog food especially prepared for senior dogs typically has less calories.  This helps to combat any weight issues.  The senior dog food also contains more fiber for the different needs in your dog's diet.  As dogs age, they tend to suffer from constipation.  This extra fiber will help remedy this problem.

Renal failure can be another medical problem for senior dogs.  How can your dog's diet help this problem?  Reducing the amount of protein in your dog's diet will decrease the work load for the kidneys.  For this reason, senior dog food frequently has lower protein content than regular adult formulas.

Whenever possible, allow your dog to eat dry dog food to encourage excellent dental health.  The dry kibble helps to reduce plaque and tartar buildup.  If your older pet refuses to eat the food dry, you may need to moisten it with water or purchase moist, canned varieties.

If your vet recommends, supplements may be helpful as part of your senior dog's diet.  Some pets are unable to eat properly due to oral issues.  Other older pets are unable to gather all of the nutrients from their food for various health reasons.  Supplements such as daily vitamins and glucosamine can be beneficial to maintaining a healthy diet for your dog.

Glucosamine helps to encourage joint health.  For senior dogs, glucosamine can combat arthritis and hip displasia.

Vitamins C, A, and E may prevent the natural aging process and encourage better health for senior dogs.  Talk to your vet about adding such supplements to your dog's diet.

You want what is best for your pet.  Your senior dog needs to have a diet that meets their special nutritional requirements.  You and your vet can work together to decide what is the best diet for your senior dog.  Your dog's diet directly affects his or her health.  Take care of your pet by monitoring your dog's diet closely with the aid of your veterinarian.

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