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How To Keep Your Dog Healthy & Happy

By Garrett McMahan


We all know that good nutrition is as important for our dogs as it is for us, and it's actually fairly easy to ensure that your dog enjoys a healthy diet. In fact, it's much easier for dogs than people simply because they don't really have a say in what they eat unlike humans that can eat whatever they choose even if they shouldn't.

Your first step should always be to discuss your pet's health needs with a veterinarian. This professional can help you fix upon a healthy weight for your dog and offer suggestions about how much to feed your pet each day. The amount you feed a dog depends up the animal's size, ideal weight, age and activity level.

These days there are many choices for dog food, but generally most of us simply must choose between dry food and wet food. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages. Wet food provides a source of liquid and dogs often really enjoy the flavor. Dry food lasts longer, both on the shelf and in the dog dish. Both can supply all the nutrition your dog will need, so the real focus should be on how much you feed and the overall quality of the food itself. Consider opting for brands that contain ingredients that you actually have heard of such as chicken, lamb and rice. If the ingredient list is massiv, and you've never heard of most of the ingredients, it's probably not the best choice.

Your dog's dietary needs are quite different from a human's needs. While we get quite a bit of our nutrition from sources of carbohydrates, dogs really only need proteins and fats. Most dog foods do contain carbs and certainly dogs find these foods appealing, but they are not a true need for your pet. Still, they exist in most pet foods so simply opt for the healthiest carbohydrates such as sweet potato and whole grains. Proteins also should be higher up on the ingredient list, as eating chicken, salmon, lamb or other proteins is more of what your dog needs.

Dog food should be the biggest source of food for your pet along with the occasional healthy dog treat, but there are some foods that you always want to keep from your pet. Avocadoes, for instance, contain persin, a toxin which rarely bothers humans but can be quite harmful for dogs. The leaves and bark of the avocado tree also contain persin, so be watchful that your dog isn't munching on avocado leaves. Chocolate is also dangerous, as is any food item that contains caffeine. Grapes can cause serious kidney problems, as can their dehydrated counterpart, the raisin. Any fruit with a large pit or large seeds is dangerous, and never feed them food containing bones.

Dogs love to explore, sniff and sample leaves and other items found in nature, but this can be harmful to your pet. If your dog is the curious type that loves a snack of leaves or rocks, proper obedience training can help. Using dog training DVDs, you can teach your dog helpful dog training skills that will ensure that your dog doesn't run off and explore areas where their health could be in danger. In addition, your dog will learn to cease chewing on something when you command, which can be helpful if they get a hold of something potentially harmful.




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