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Dr. M's Tips on Nutrition for your Pet
The dietary needs of our canine friends can vary greatly from dog to dog. Many will go through their entire lives without any problems, whereas others will need some modifications to their diet for best results.
I have found that diet can be the key to solving some common medical problems in dogs. Over the past few years, I have been following some very simple feeding rules, which yielded positive results to these medical problems. If you follow the suggestions below, you should notice improvement in about 2 months.
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1. Do not feed processed treats
with any beef or wheat gluten products in them (such as
rawhide chews, doggie biscuits or cookies).
2. Feed poultry (chicken), venison, fish, potato, or rice diets
(canned if dog is overweight).
3. Add 1 tbsp olive oil or use fish oil capsules daily.
4. Add 1 raw egg up to three times per week.
5. Supplement diet with veggies and fruit often (any veggie, fruit
or salad leftovers). If your
dog doesnt like bland leftovers, mix one tsp of cat food into the
leftovers and your dog will love it (you can also mix one tsp
of cat food into canned dog food for an extra kick).
6. For healthy teeth, use carrots (especially baby carrots),
pigskin products, baked bones, and/or Nylabones). You can also use
big beef bones without any meat on them. These can be
purchased at pet shops or stores. These are good because dogs
can chew on them for long periods which helps to clean their
teeth.
7. Reduce or eliminate dry dog food (kibble) if your canine friend
is overweight, or has several chronic problems. Kibble is
fattening because it is 40-60% carbohydrates, which is just like
eating a super size fry every day. Obesity can cause
arthritis, diabetes, and heart problems. |
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Your dog will get used to various things in the diet. When adjusting your canine friend to a new diet, he may leave his food at first. Do not worry. Over time, when he gets used to his new diet, there will be less left in the bowl. If your dog gets sick several times, try another type of food (poultry, fish, venison, lamb).
Your dog may have diet-related problems if you notice any of the following:
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· Excess gas
· Diarrhea or chronic bowel problems
· Scooting on the floor (chronic anal gland problems)
· Loss of hair, excessive shedding
· Itching at face, ears, or butt
· Chronic ear problems (waxy, irritated, or infected)
· Shaking head
· Seizures |
Most dogs can eat just about
anything without any problems (e.g. Garbage, dead material, and
poop), while others cannot tolerate some common foods. Poodles,
Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Labs, Rottweilers, Boxers, and
terriers in general tend to have the most trouble. We own dogs that
have been selectively bred for their wonderful characteristics, but
also have numerous immune disorders and digestive problems
associated with the breed.
Think of the pug as a descendent of the wolf. Imagine all the
changes on the outside, and it isn’t hard to imagine the changes
that occurred on the inside.
Aristotle once said: “Let nutrition be the first medicine”. --Dr. Greg
Martinez
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