• First locate the “Guaranteed Analysis” table on the dog food label. You may note that the percentage values given for protein, fiber and fat are the measurements of that particular food in its current state and environment.
• Because of the factor that different dog foods are having different levels of moisture content, to compare the dog foods, you can only logically compare them on a dry matter basis. The moisture levels in the dog foods usually ranges from 6 percentage to even 80 percentage. The canned dog foods which are available in the market obviously contains more moisture than the dry kibble food.
• You have to look beyond the marketing claims which are accompanying a dog food. In the United States, the pet food labeling is regulated on a state-by-state basis, within the guidelines from the Association of American Feed Control Officials or AAFCO. Even then, the reality is that most of the pet food producers are often using the terms that are undefined by the regulatory authorities, which is done in order to communicate much effectively with the common consumers and improve their product’s reputation and sales in the market.

The AAFCO has posted a warning on their website that it is not rare at all that labeling information is so designed to appeal the latest trends in marketing the products. It can be also said that the focus of the consumer is diverted to the market appeal of the product rather than on whether or not the food is suitable for your dog.

Another good way to determine whether your dog’s diet is perfect is to check how it comes out at the other end. Don’t worry, you don’t have to get too close to it to check, but just check it for the consistency and the general appearance. The output of a healthy dog will be firm and without the traces of any blood or mucus. When you are changing your dog’s food from one brand to another, it is important for you to switch it gradually only as it will be easier for the dog’s digestive system to react positively to it, and to reduce the negative effects.

Important factors to consider

 As a part of the feeding procedure, you need to read the calories provided by the particular product. The amount of calories which are provided by different dog supplies can vary considerably between the products and between the dry and wet foods.

 If your dog is in its growing stage, pregnant, overweight or underweight, or is having an illness, the calories that are needed will be entirely different.

 Try to be savvy regarding the marketing claims which are made by the companies who are producing the dog supplies, like natural, premium, organic, human grade, etc. These marketing words are only for improving the image and sales of the product in the market and are without any official definitions to back them up.

 It is sure that everyone hopes that the dog food they are selecting must be a natural one. Even if it is written “natural” on the product, it is not purely natural and it just refers to the lack of artificial additives, flavors or colors.

 You have to first understand that the best ratio for a healthy dog’s diet is about 50% vegetables and 50%meat with no grains like corn, wheat, or any other cheap fillers. You may choose the pet food which is most close to this ingredient ratio.

 Ensure that the meat meal protein sources in the food are on the higher side in the ingredient list. The meat meal is basically the pre cooked meat which makes sure that it won’t reduce anymore nutritional value during the cooking process.

 You should be looking for the three of the first five ingredients that are listed on the label as a source of protein, such as chicken meal, lamb meal, or venison meal.

 The grains can be a long-term source of energy for your dogs, but they are usually used as a cheap filler in the god foods in order to boost the food’s protein percentage. Any grain that you are feeding your dog should be only in whole form so that it will be able to supply more fiber, minerals and vitamins.

• You have to be aware that even when the preservatives are necessary to keep the food edible, the preservatives do not have to be necessarily artificial chemicals which might be cancer causing agents. Because of this, you have to avoid those pet foods that are using the chemical preservatives like BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin. Vitamin C & vitamin E are some of the great preservatives that could be better for your dog that the chemical preservatives.
• Choose a premium brand dog food instead of selecting an economy brand dog food because the economy brand foods will be containing the cheapest ingredients which are rarely the healthiest ones.
• Go for holistic products. Holistic dog foods are 100% natural and nutritious since they are containing human grade ingredients, even when the term “human grade” is a marketing technique applied by the producers.
• Thumb rule for selecting a particular food is, if you wouldn’t eat a particular food because of its ingredients or any other factors, your dog probably shouldn’t eat it either. It doesn’t mean that the dog should be eating everything that you are eating. There are some things that you would eat like chocolates and chips which are that are not at all good for your dog’s health.

Never ever make the mistake of thinking that all the available dog foods are appropriate for your canine, select the one which will be most suitable for its health.

Daily care involves looking at the skin, breathe, gums and the paws. By looking at these and other parts, you can be able to know if the condition of the dog is good or not. By looking at them too, you might be helping identify a problem that can end up being fatal and having to attend to it in time.

Some tips that can be observed in maintaining the good health of dogs include:

1. Know the different characteristics of various breeds and also issues related to specific sizes. For instance, is a dog becomes taller, you should raise the level of the food and water bowls. If a dog stretches lower trying to eat, it can strain the neck and the legs too.

2. Make sure that all the things that can cause harm to the dog are kept far away from reach. Make sure there are no objects dropped on the floor that the dog can eat or one that can harm them.

3. If the dog stays outside, ensure there us a lot of shade especially during the summer season and also plenty of water for it to drink. During the cold season, the dog should be kept warm even if it means warming the kennel and also giving it some water with the right temperature.

4. If your dog stays indoors and there is no one at home most of the time during the day, ensure there is a dog door that the dog can get in or out through.

5. Learn how to treat some common ailments and injuries that the dog is exposed to without necessarily taking it to the veterinarian.

6. Children who like playing with the dog can take time to brush the far for fun. This is important to the dog as it makes it to stay calm and feel reassured. A soft dog brush should be used for this.

7. Make sure the dog is fed well on a daily basis and with the right food and the right portion.

A dog that is well taken care of promises in return to give a life-long and wildly loving relationship. A dog is able to sense love that is given to it.

Yumega contains the omega 3 ALA which works at keeping your dog’s coat fresh and glowing it doesn’t venture to any other part of the body so is used vigorously by the fur. The omega 6 GLA massages the hair follicles so the hair re-growth system is at its best and gives great results and the linoleic acid works at keeping moisture in the dog’s skin to prevent dry flaky skin caused by mass water loss or the cold weather.

The winter is a harsh time for all skins but is the vital time for us as dog owners to be double checking the health and condition of our pets. They aren’t going to cry for help or tell you what is wrong so visit your vet with any queries that you may have. It is important to keep on top of your pet’s health so you can prevent illness, dog hair loss and bad skin conditions way before they happen and if they do happen you can address them quicker and with less pain and discomfort for your pet.

First of all, your dog food choice depends a lot on your dog facts, including your dog health care. The food you will choose depends on how old is your dog. Natural, cooked at home meal still is brought up as healthiest and best food for your dog. But lack of free time to cook food all the time is sometimes an issue to some people. Though homemade food is considered to be your best choice, does not mean you can’t find good dog food that you can buy in your pet shop, without spending hours on cooking. If your dog health care is important for you and you don’t have time to cook, you can always buy some precooked dog meal that is just like homemade cooked meal, only for dogs. Such kind of food is often quite expensive which makes it unaffordable to some pet owners.

Dog owner can also buy dry food for his pet, as they contain a proportionate blend of grains, fats, minerals and vitamins. Basically it contains everything your dog requires. It is without any doubts the most prevalent food for your pet. When talking about how many times per day you have to feed your pet – that one depends on the age of your dog. If you have an adult dog, one or two feedings is enough. However, puppies tend to eat more, as their growing body is requiring food to help develop the body and grow. There’s also to mention a semi-moist dog food type, but it is really not recommended to feed your pets with, since it contains a lot of additives in the form of preservatives.

Another affordable and preferred by dogs themselves food is canned dog food. It is inexpensive and is very useful when traveling with your dog. Make sure you check ingredients before you buy any canned dog foods, because quite often they may contain preservatives, so make sure these preservatives are vitamins A and E, and nothing chemical.

On top of that, the amount of fluid your dog receives is also very important in dog health care. To bring you up some researched dog facts, an adult’s dog body for 60% consists of water. Always make sure your dog receives enough water (to help prevent dehydration and overheating) and feed him the best dog food available for you. Because as we all know, a balanced and nutritious diet is essential for your dog’s health.

Flea bites can cause an irritation resulting in the itching behaviour seen due to the inflammatory reaction it causes. If flea infestations are not treated they can cause hair loss and in severe cases anaemia and lethargy, and therefore it is essential that your dog is treated with an effective flea treatment such as Frontline for dogs. It is a liquid applied to the skin on the back of the neck and kills any fleas that are on your dog and prevents any further flea infestation. To be effective it must be applied every eight weeks, however to treat a severe flea infestation; use the flea treatment once a month for 12-16 weeks.

Flea infestations also affect your home; therefore you must treat your home too paying particular attention to your pets bedding area. Vacuuming will help to remove the eggs and larvae that are present and an environmental insecticide applied to the furniture will kill any remaining fleas and eggs.

Worms are also a serious health threat and therefore it is also very important that you protect your dog against worms. If left untreated they can cause diarrhoea, severe weight loss, lethargy and eventually death. However these symptoms are not normally shown until the problem is severe therefore prevention is much more important than a cure. Dogs should be wormed with an effective treatment such as Milbemax, every three months.

There are six types of worms that commonly infect dogs and are easily picked up by your dog from the environment:

• hookworms can burrow into their skin or hook on to their paws and are then ingested when your dog licks his paws,
• lung worms can be ingested by your dog eating infected grass due to slugs and snails, heart worm can be passed on by mosquito bites,
• whipworm can be passed on by exposure to faeces of infected dogs and round and
• tape worms can be ingested if your dog eats infected animals such as mice, birds, rabbits and fleas.

Therefore as well as using Milbemax, it is important that you regularly clean up dog faeces, prevent your dog from hunting and scavenging and ensure you regularly use a flea treatment such as Frontline for dogs.

If you are looking to buy breed-specific food then Royal Canin dog food is an excellent choice. They make a broad range, covering many breeds, and make sure all nutritional needs are taken care of. Royal Canin also design the shape and texture of their kibble to match the shape of the mouth, jaw and teeth of a particular breed, taking into account the way a dog eats its food. A good example is Royal Canin Boxer 26 Dog Food which is shaped and sized to be easily picked up by a Boxer’s teeth and is textured to make crunching easier.

Perhaps you own a guide dog, police dog or other working dog and need a food that will provide the right energy for these dogs. A common misconception is that working dogs require lots of nutritional energy for physical activity when in reality working dogs are mentally alert for far longer than they are physically. Burns dog food recognises this and Burns Alert Canine is the perfect choice for feeding working dogs. Where other foods may stress the importance of high protein and fat, Burns limits these levels to prevent problems with digestion and weight gain.

You may have a show dog (or just a fussy eater!), in which case the palatable Arden Grange Prestige Dog Food, with its high protein chicken recipe, is a good choice. Also, you might own a pregnant or lactating bitch – most premium brands make foods for both mother and puppies of differing ages and sizes.