Feeding your dog

Information gathered by my friend Chris.....feeding your dog is an important thing to consider. Just like us, the better your dog eats, the longer and healthier he will live.
FEEDING YOUR DOG
Just as with people, what your dog eats can have a dramatic impact on their attention span, energy level, and overall health. Unfortunately, it is difficult to come by reliable nutritional information. Most veterinarians do not take nutrition classes, and some receive benefits for selling particular brands. However, these brands may not be the best foods for your dog. Rather than to think about just the brand name, let’s think about what we are feeding them in terms of ingredients.
Here are some ingredients you should be aware of, what they are and how they may affect your dog.
CORN – For some dogs, corn is difficult to digest and can be allergenic. Recently some dog food companies have set about defending their use of corn as a good carbohydrate source for dogs. What they have not addressed is, in a dog, corn metabolizes in much the same way as sugar metabolizes in people. So, when you feed your dog a corn-based diet, it’s like feeding your seven year-old a diet whose main ingredient is cotton candy. Your seven year-old is going to exhibit dramatic energy spurts and crashes, hyperactivity, lack of attention, and is not going to be very healthy overall. The same is true of feeding your dog a corn-based diet.
Corn-Free Brand Names: AvoDerm, Blue Buffalo, California Natural, Canidae, Chicken Soup for the Dog, Innova, Kirkland Signature (Costco), Merrick, Natural Balance, Newman’s Own, Nutro Natural Choice, Orijen, Pinnacle, Solid Gold and Wellness. Brand Names containing Corn: Alpo, Beneful, Bil-Jac, Diamond, Eagle Pack, Eukanuba, Iams, Nutro Max, Ol’Roy, Pedigree, Proplan, Purina One, All Purina products, Royal Canin and Science Diet.
This list is by no means complete, so if you are unsure about whether your dog’s diet is corn-based, just read the ingredients label. Look for corn, corn gluten, corn meal and corn syrup. If any these ingredients are in your dog food, they are probably among the first ingredients you will see listed. If your dog food contains corn, you should seriously consider making a diet change.
**In addition to their regular commercial diets, Hill’s Science Diet and Eukanuba both produce prescription diets. If your veterinarian has placed your dog on a prescription diet, you should obviously discuss any concerns about the ingredients with your veterinarian prior to making any diet changes.
BHA/BHT – BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are used to preserve fats. However, studies have linked these preservatives to various types of cancers. They are also suspected of causing liver and kidney dysfunction.
Ethoxyquin – A preservative which studies have linked to kidney and bladder cancer, and increased incidence of stomach tumors. The Department of Agriculture lists it as a pesticide.
Byproducts - Basically anything left over of animal carcasses after the parts destined for human consumption have been removed. This can include organs, intestines, heads, feet, and so on.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON FOOD
How to change foods: So, you’ve read your ingredient label and have decided to make a change? Your dog’s digestive system (and taste) needs time to adjust. If you change your dog’s diet too quickly you may see loose stools, diarrhea, vomiting, refusal to eat or other problems. ANY DIET CHANGE MUST BE GRADUAL!!!!
Generally, you should start feeding your dog ¼ of the new food with ¾ of the old food. Do this for a few days until you are sure the stools are firm. Then increase the ratio to ½ of the new and ½ of the old. Adjust the ratio every few days until the stools are firm and your dog is on 100% of the new food.
Cost: The foods we are recommending may cost more than the bag of food you are currently buying. That does not mean that they are actually more expensive. The foods we are recommending contain higher quality ingredients, are more nutrient-dense and more digestible. This means you can feed your dog less, and the bag will last longer. Also, an added bonus ... you will have less “backyard” clean up.
Where to purchase: There are many local retailers (Pet Supplies Plus, Petco) that carry these premium brands, including many feed stores. Generally, you will not find them at the supermarket.
Feeding Guidelines: How much do I need to feed my dog? Start by following the feeding guidelines on the back of the bag. Your dog’s health, activity level and age can affect how much food your dog needs. Start with the guidelines and pay attention to your dog. How is his or her weight, are they gaining or losing? Do they leave food in the bowl? Then, adjust accordingly. A good indication of a healthy weight is being able to feel ribs, but not see them and having an obvious waistline.
We recommend feeding your dog two meals per day. We advise against leaving food available all day long (free feeding). Place the food down for 20 minutes and then take up what has not been eaten. If after three or four days your dog is not finishing the meal in 20 minutes, you are probably feeding your dog too much. An early indicator that your dog is sick is a loss of appetite. If your dog has food available all day long, you will not notice this loss of appetite as quickly.
There are significant training benefits to making your dog work for his or her meals. Studies have shown that animals that have to “work” for their meals learn more rapidly. That is one reason why we teach our dogs to ‘sit’ before putting their food down. Also by your having control of a resource as valuable as food, this will help establish your position as the leader of your pack.

For even further information, visit www.dogfoodproject.com