Give Your Dog A Senior Dog Diet For A Happy Healthy Senior Dog
You hate to admit it, but your furry buddy is getting a little older. You want to ensure that your pet is happy and healthy for many years to come. You have seen 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 dogs diet is your pets veterinarian. Only you and your vet know the special 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 modifications, if any, need to be made to your dogs diet.
If your older dog does not have any health problems and maintains a healthy weight, there is no need to switch your dogs 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 change your dogs diet. If weight is the only issue, consider somewhat lowering the amount of dog food you give to your pet. This may be all the change your dogs diet needs.
A senior dog is classified as a dog in the last third of their life. Larger dogs, such as Great Danes, live to be about 9 years old. When they reach the age of 9 years old, you may want to think about a senior dogs diet. On the other hand, a Poodle will not reach senior status until about age of ten, this is due to the longer life expectancy. The decision to alter your dogs diet should be based on there health condition, rather than there actual age in years. Your veterinarian will assist you to make up one’s mind when the right time is to change your dogs 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 fibre for the various needs in your dogs 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 dogs diet help this problem? Reducing the amount of protein in your dogs diet will diminish 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 declines to eat the food dry, you may need to moisten it with water or purchase moist canned varieties.
When your veterinary recommends supplements may be a help as part of your senior dogs diet. It Is because, some pets are unable to eat properly due to dental problems. many other older pets are not able to gain all of the nutrients from their food, this again is for various health reasons. Supplements such as, vitamins given everyday and glucosamine can be a great help to maintain a healthy diet for your dog.
Glucosamine assists joint health. For senior dogs, glucosamine can help to fight arthritis and hip displasia.
Vitamins C, A, and E, help reduce the natural aging process and encourage better health for senior dogs. You should speak to your veterinary about adding such supplements to your dogs diet.
We all wish what is best for our pet. Your senior dog should have a diet that meets their nutritional needs. You and your vet should work together to make up one’s mind what is the best diet for your senior dog. Your dogs diet will directly affect their health. Take care of your pet by monitoring your dogs diet closely with the help of your veterinary surgeon.
For further free information be sure to visit Free Dog Diet Tips
November 15, 2008
Understanding Why Yours Is A Barking Dog
For some people it is an offence to have a barking dog around them, they think that dogs should be seen and not heard. This is slightly unfair given that the bark is a dog’s voice and like yourself it uses it to communicate.
Perhaps you enjoy your dog barking, this is probably the case, but if not you need to investigate some dog behavior training to stop the annoyance. In most cases your dog is just trying to talk to you, perhaps he is just happy about something, dog obedience training will help you to find this out for sure.
The problem is that the language barrier between barking dogs and humans is well nigh impenetrable. Therefore, you are forced to resort to the facts of the situation in which your dog is barking and try to understand from its body language just what it is trying to say.
Apart from that many people ask just why do dogs bark? Your dog can bark for many reasons and not all are good ones.
Naturally they will bark when they are happy about something such as greeting you on your return or perhaps they are happy about running around in the park.
Some dogs having barking bred into to them such as toy dogs or sporting breeds where they are trained to bark in order to notify their owners of the presence of a particular quarry being hunted. Other dogs like the guarding breeds are trained only to bark when a threat is perceived.
There are many reasons to explain why a dog barks, these can include something as simple as just being lonely through to it just needing to go to the toilet.
Again the context of the situation will help you to decide the likely cause. But of course it is not fair for you to try to shut the dog up. She may be communicating for a very good reason, you just need to spend some effort in understanding her.
However, dogs are not stupid animals there are situations where they realise that they can use their bark to annoy or force their owner into a particular action. Bullying by barking is something you should never allow your dog to do.
For instance you dog may have decided that it is time to play and continues barking until you give in and drop what you are doing to amuse her. The problem here is that the dog then learns that all she has to do is to bark whenever she wants something and you will oblige.
This can get very wearing after a quite short period of time. The best approach would have been to show the dog that it cannot get its own way by giving it the cold shoulder.
Ignore it, do not even say anything just turn your back. After repeated actions your dog should eventually get the message.
Barking as a means of manipulation is used by your dog to try to demand things like going for a walk. Do not let your dog rule you, you need to be in charge here. This teaches your dog respect and hopefully makes for a quieter household with limited barking dog problems.
Consult a good book on dog obedience training like SitStayFetch to solve many of the problems you will encounter when you are training your dog.
November 13, 2008
Is Invisible Fence Right For You?
Every pet owner wants to keep their pet safe, and dog owners are no exception to this rule. This is why many responsible dog lovers purchase an Invisible Fence system.
Invisible Fence is an electronic pet containment system. An electrical wire is laid underground along the outside of an area. A special electronic collar is placed on the dog. When the dog approaches the perimeter, a warning beep sounds. This gives the dog the time to back away from the perimeter. If the dog ignores the beeping, a mild electric shock is delivered via the electronic collar to the dog’s neck.
Some people feel this containment technique is cruel, but it’s not. The shock is very mild, as the power comes from batteries in the dog’s collar, not from the buried wire. It’s the surprise that gets a reaction. And the shock level is adjusted according to the size of the dog — smaller dogs get a much smaller shock.
Note that Invisible Fence, like all wireless pet containment systems, doesn’t work its magic in a vacuum. The dog must be conditioned to run away from the perimeter when the warning beep occurs. Flags are placed along the perimeter to act as visual cues during the training, which initially occurs with a leashed dog. The collar is also placed into training (no shock) mode.
To perform the conditioning, the owner approaches the perimeter with the dog. As soon as the dog passes the flags that mark the boundary, the collar will start beeping. The owner immediately tugs on the leash and walks quickly away from the perimeter, calling the dog’s name. With lots of praise and encouragement, the owner makes it a fun game for the dog.
When done over several training sessions, the dog learns to immediately leave the boundary area as soon as the beeping occurs. Eventually the training is done without a leash and with the collar in its normal mode. If the dog ignores the beeping, the first shock it receives is usually enough to cause it to heed the collar’s warning the next time it approaches the perimeter.
Obviously, not every dog needs to be contained with an Invisible Fence system. But it works surprisingly well for those that do.
November 11, 2008
Is It Better To Avoid Table Scraps In Your Dogs Diet?
We have all done it. Our cute, little furry friend is practically grinning at us from below the kitchen table. Their ears are perked and their tail is wagging. We know what our dog is after. Just a wee tidbit from dinner would be delicious, right? What could it hurt? It is just a snack or 2 after all.
Hold Fido’s ears he will not wish to hear this. A dogs diet really should not contain table scraps. Our food is just that…for people. A dogs nutritional needs are not the like as a humans. Sure, we eat some of the same things, but giving your pet food from the table is one of the worst mistakes for your pet. A dogs diet does not want all the added goodies we add into our food.
Individuals have problems with obesity. A dog can have this problem, as well. If your dogs diet consists mostly of scraps from the dinner table, chances are high that your dog will have trouble keeping a healthy weight. Even a a couple of pounds over weight can actually make a difference in the quality and length of your pets life. Curb the begging and stick to your guns.
When you have a dog who is not a picky eater, it can be tempting to let your pet be the garbage disposal in your home, but truly, this is not a good idea. Certain people foods can harm your dog and should never be a part of your dogs diet. Grapes, for example, have been known to cause serious problems for dogs, even death. Chicken bones and popcorn can also be a problem for your dog. Allowing significant amounts of chocolate can be dangerous in a dogs diet.
When your dogs diet is not the best you can give it, then your pets outputs will be greater in size, smell, and mess. You will see the benefits of choosing a healthy diet for your dog, as you will notice that your pet is healthier and happier.
There are a a couple of occasions when a supplement or treat from the kitchen may be fine, but never in excess. Talk to your vet about healthy snacks for your dogs diet. If you simply must continue feeding Fido at the table, numerous veterinarians recommend you give your pet ice cubes or pieces of carrot to munch on between regular feeding times. Supplying your pet these healthy choices to pizza and cupcakes gives you the freedom to choose a healthy and nutritious snack for your dogs diet.
So, the next time your beloved pet starts eyeing your food, redirect his or her attention. Do not reach for your fatty steak or chicken leg. Instead, toss your sidekick a cool, refreshing ice cube to bat around and munch on. A couple of baby carrots will keep Fido happy and leave you feeling good about your alternatives for the nutritional value of your dogs diet. You will know that you are doing your best to keep a high quality diet for your pet.
For further Free information on Glucosamine In A Dogs Diet be sure to visit Free Dog Diet Tips….
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