It is important for your dog or cat to eat the proper food to maintain its optimal health. For pet food, there are many dog and cat foods on the market. As you might expect, most commercial pet foods are already made to be relatively nutritionally balanced. You can read and compare labels to pick the ones that are most fortified with vitamins and minerals, or those that include anti-oxidants for extra protection against diseases. Feeding your dog or cat a good pet food will help avoid adult diseases like obesity, diabetes as well as organ damage when they are older.
There are also a variety of specially designed, healthful and therapeutic pet foods and treats for helping to prevent or even cure certain pet diseases and disorders. These include tartar control dental sticks, spearmint breath bones and biscuits, anti-stress sticks, skin and coat sticks, vitamin sticks, and special sticks for older dogs. Remember also that dog chew bones are a natural and great way for maintaining the strength and cleanliness of your dog teeth, as well as being entertainment and stress relief for your dog. Nylon or real raw bones are excellent whether in flavored or non-flavored versions, but do not use chicken or other poultry bone as they can choke your dog.
The other great thing about treats is that dogs and cats love treats, and treats are one of the most effective methods for helping to train puppies or kittens, or even full-grown dogs and cats. You can give treats out to your pet when it does something good or right or you can just give treats when you want to give them. But just like humans, if your pet eats too many treats it may become overweight. So as a rule, treats should not exceed 10-20% of the dog’s total dietary intake.
The following is a short list of general pet foods, treats, supplements, their special functions and their makers:
- Nutro, Iams, Eukanuba and Science Diet all make a special diet that contains glucosamine and chondroitin for healthy joints, which is especially important and helpful for large breed dogs and older dogs.
- Iams, Nutro and Science Diet make a special diet that helps prevent cat hairballs.
- Nutro, Eukanuba, and Science Diet all have diets for good oral care, which helps prevent plaque and tartar build up in cats and dogs.
- Iams, Nutro and Science Diet make a special blend that helps maintain your pet’s weight at a healthy level.
- Nylabone makes a lot of edible chew bones that contain healthy ingredients that are beneficial to your dog. For example, there is one kind of chew bone that is loaded with calcium. Other chew bones are supplemented with echinacea, glucosamine, chondroitin, St. John’s Wort, and more.
- Liquid Health makes a supplement for dogs that contains glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM.
- Four Paws makes a brewers yeast with garlic supplement for dogs.
There is a growing trend for people to use foods and products with all-natural ingredients that do not contain chemical preservatives or additives. Some people have found that they develop problems such as allergies and other unfavorable reactions to some of these additives. There is also no way of knowing what long term effects some of these chemical additives may have on people.
With this trend toward more healthy and natural products for people, many pet-owners are also looking to holistic and all-natural products for their pets. Pets can also develop problems from some of the chemical additives in their pet foods. Fortunately, there are currently also many holistic, all-natural foods and products made especially for pets.
Below is a list of some of the hypoallergenic, all-natural foods and products available for dogs and cats:
- Science Diet makes Nature’s Best, which is their line of all-natural food for dogs and cats. Made with chicken or beef, the food is naturally preserved and contains real garden vegetables and wholesome grains. Science Diet also make a food for cats and dogs with sensitive stomachs or skin. They also make a lamb and rice formula for dogs that may be allergic to or that are sensitive to some of the common additives in other dog foods.
- Nutro has an all-natural line of pet food and products called Natural Choice for dogs and cats. They also make special food for cats and dogs with sensitive stomachs or skin, and have a lamb and rice formula for dogs that may be allergic or sensitive to some of the common additives in other dog foods.
- Greenies are all-natural chew treats that contain chlorophyll and other special micro nutrients to help clean teeth, reduce plaque, freshen breathe and add nutrients to your dog’s diet.
- Health Pro makes an all-natural dog treat called Biscuits and Gravy with apple and oatmeal.
- Cardinal makes a line of all-natural shampoos for dogs and cats. They have cedar shampoo, which is an herbal and botanical blend.
- Exclusively Dog makes an all-natural, wheat free, soy based dog cookie.
- Francodex makes Pet Sedate, which is an all-natural calming supplement for dogs. It has chamomile, ginger, and brewers yeast in it.
Lastly, let us look at a few more useful guidelines that can help with proper feeding as well as optimal pet health and weight maintenance. Some pets control their intake well while others eat anything in sight. To avoid overfeeding your dog or cat (which can lead to obesity and other health problems), it is best to provide food at mealtimes only rather than having a food bowl filled with food available at all times. This way you can easily monitor intake and food will not become stale. Avoid table scraps as well even though it is tempting! Most human foods are of no benefit, if not harmful, to your pet’s health.
Also remember to keep your pet’s age in mind. A puppy or kitten should be on puppy or kitten food for its first year. You can then switch your puppy or kitten to a good maintenance diet until about seven years old. At this age you should switch it to a senior diet. Finally, your pet may sometimes crave other drinks, but water is always the best drink for it. Your pet will drink more water and enjoy it more if is kept fresh.
A new puppy coming into a home is exciting for both the owner and the puppy. It is time to get the puppy acquainted with its new home, the family, and the neighborhood. The time period in a puppy’s life between the ages of 3 and 12 weeks (about 3 months old) is the critical socialization period or the learning stage. Until about 12 weeks of age puppies are relatively curious and willing to accept new things in their environment. By 12 to 16 weeks of age, puppies will become wary and suspicious of most new things outside their own home. In fact, most of a dog’s personality is formed from birth to 1 year of age. This is how nature acclimates creatures in the wild.
You will also want to socialize your puppy with friendly, not too rowdy children. Teach children to be respectful to the puppy and the puppy to respect the children. If there is a baby in the house, carefully let your puppy smell the baby. This will be the start of the bond between dog and child.
Schooling fish are some of the most interesting fish to keep. One of the most enjoyable scenes in an aquarium is a group of beautiful and colorful fish swimming in unison, changing directions in an instant, yet never colliding with each other. These fish tend to be very active, energetic, and a lot of fun to watch. Most schooling fish are also very hardy fish that can be kept well in just a 10 to 20 gallon aquarium and will take all sorts of food. And sometimes, a school of fish can even be used to distract aggressive fish from fighting.