Guides and Updates on Dog Food,Dog Food Recall and Dog Training Tips

He's your baby, your buddy, your best friend. He lets you dress him in goofy sweaters, paint his toenails red, and doesn't complain when you spend a few extra hours at the office... even when you promised to take him to the park.

The only thing he ever asks in return is a snuggle or two, a few treats, and maybe a new collar every year.

Do you know what to do if he goes into shock?
What are the warning signs of the more common canine diseases and conditions? Heck, do you even know which diseases and conditions are common in canines? If you failed that pop quiz, here's your chance to bone up on your doggie health knowledge and help your baby live a long, happy life.

I found this dog lover's dream reference book where you can get 10 Gourmet Dog Recipes, 7 Dog Health Tips, A Multimedia Video and 7 Ways to Spoil Your Dog plus 2 surprise bonuses.The link is in the Introduction Section under healthy doog food.

This is Abby Gayle, almost 4 years old, healthy Airedale Terrier until Sunday March 18."If I would have know that there was a problem with the DRY food, then maybe Abby Gayle would still be here.I don't know when I will get over losing my dear Abby Gayle, but right now with all the lies being dealt out, I can't stop crying".This is the sad reality of the pet food nightmare.

This whole pet food recall business is getting more sinister with the FDA investigating whether some of the dangerous ingredients were put in the pet food intentionally.
Lawsuits have been filed against Menu Foods by pet owners like Abby's owner who alledge their animals got sick or died after eating recalled food.
Wheat gluten has been identified as a possible source of the contamination although the company is still investigating the cause of the kidney failure because the food linked to the deaths has shown no signs of contamination.
A new rice protein concentrate recall has been announced too which will prompt further recalls.

Pet owners who want to keep informed of the recall updates can visit http://www.howl911.com/

Dog allergies are very similar to human allergies and also produce the same symptoms as human allergies. There are 5 types of dog allergies: food allergy, flea allergy, bacteria allergy, contact allergy and atopy. Here are some basic facts about each of these allergies.

Food Allergies

The most common symptom of food allergies is scratching, due to skin irritation. Dog foods contain a host of ingredients which can cause an allergic reaction to your dog. Some of these ingredients are:

Meats: Beef, Chicken, Pork, Lamb, Fish, Eggs
Diary products (Milk)
Grains (Wheat, Whey) Corn

Most dog owners often scold their dog for scratching too much. Any obsessive behavior your dog demonstrates, such as constant scratching, chewing, licking, requires immediate attention. Never assume that this is just a new habit your dog picked up. Dog allergies can make your dog very uncomfortable.

Aside from scratching, some of the other symptoms dogs can experience are:

sneezing
coughing
eye and nose discharge
Itching around the anus
hair loss
loss of appetite
pawing at their ears or head shaking
vomiting
diarrhea
breathing problems
If you want to read the rest of the article then visit our blog where you will also get information on some of the most common dog food allergy.

It is normal and natural for your dog to bark but if it happens often and for longer periods then you
need to take certain practical steps to stop or lessen the barking. A leaflet has been issued by the the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of UK to help dog owners whose dog barks excessively with simple steps they can take to cut down the noise from the dog.The leaflet also has long term solutions to tackle specific solutions pertaining to your dog barking.
Click Here to read the 7 pages leaflet.

Visit this site for more dog training techniques to stop your dog barking.
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The recent pet food recalls has made dog owners rethink what to feed their dogs and on how to prepare their meals. Most dog owners are now looking for dog food recipes to make healthy meals from the comfort of their kitchen.
And they are coming up with tips and recipes for home-prepared healthy dog food meals, diet plans, and snacks.

But other pet owners started buying commercial organic dog food thinking they were safe but after Blue Buffalo organic dog food (a large popular organic manufacturer ) was recalled they had to reconsider what next and most of them are seeing the benefits of making their own homemade dog food. After all for a long time dogs shared food with their owners.

Dogs can eat most proteins and carbohydrates. They also require fat,vegetables and fibre in their diet. Water is also an important nutrient. How much you feed your dog will depend on your dogs activity by adjusting his calories after periodic weight check.
Supplementing your dogs diet with pet vitamin supplements is required to ensure your dog has all the necessary nutrients. The vitamin supplement can be mixed with the food.
It is advisable to consult your veterinary to make sure you are feeding the dog with the proper nutrients and to avoid the dog food allergies they might pick from certain food. When making your own dog food meals you must know what food to avoid like alcohol, pork products, cooked bones, chocolate, artificial sweeteners, onions, nuts, raisins, grapes and avocados.

The preparation of the dog food must be done with the same care that you use in making the family meals. One recommendation is to make the food in bunches and freeze the food. You only need to set aside 3 days a week to prepare for dog meals which would require 30 minutes to do so.
Homemadedog food diets have many benefits. Dog owners have noticed that their dogs coats have started to feel better and have a definite shine to them. Secondly they have found it to be affordable and easy to make.

Visit this site for ready made homemade dog food recipes which need very little time to make and also gives your dog a variety of meals.

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How can we tell if our dog is overweight?
There are many signs to look for in determining whether a dog is overweight.When you cannot feel the rib cage or are unable to see the waistline from above and lastly when there is visible fat deposits at the back of the tail.But in most cases a dog owner will notice that the dog appears to weigh too much for his size with fat deposits on the face,back,limbs and a rounded abdomen.
To help an overweight dog the dog owner will require to provide smaller portions and avoid giving them table scraps.Have water available for the dog at all times.
Dogs require healthy diet to maintain their weight.
Protein is necessary for growth and the development of the the dogs structure and the immune system.
Dogs can eat vegetarian diets but a normal dog would require 10% of the calories to be obtained from protein.An adult dog needs to be fed 1-to 2 times a day and puppies need 2 to 3 diaily meals.Protein is a very critical part of your dog's diet.
Fat is another very important nutritional requirement in animal diets.Fats serve many functions.They supply energy,contribute to palatability, influence the texture of foods, and
carry fat soluble vitamins.
An essential fatty acid deficiency may result in impaired reproductive efficiency. In addition, a deficiency of essential fatty acids can impair wound healing, cause a dry dull coat and scaly skin, and cause an increase in skin infection.
The most prevalent problem related to fat is over consumption and obesity. It is estimated that up to half of all pets in the United States suffer from obesity.Another problem with acutely overfeeding fat can be pancreatitis, a severe and sometimes life-threatening disease often associated with feeding fatty table scraps.
Feeding a well balanced diet suited for the growth stage of your pet is the best way to prevent fat related problems.
A reducing diet should generally have increased fiber which is an indigestible carbohydrate. Fiber stimulates chewing, increases the metabolic energy needed to digest the food, slows the rate of movement of food out of the stomach, helps to stabilize the blood glucose level, and improves the sensitivity of the body to insulin.
Always consult your veterinarian before placing your dog on a weight reduction program.Well planned homemade dog food recipes will assist in planning balanced meals.

The Pet Food Institute has formed the National Pet Food Commission to investigate the cause of the current pet food recall and to come up with recommendations for the pet food industry.
Read more on PFI's consumer site.

Chenango Valley Pet Foods has further recalled more of their pet food to include those pet foods that do not contain rice protein concentrate but were manufactured during periods when rice protein concentrate formulas were processed to avoid cross-contamination.
Visit this site for the full list of the recalled pet food.

Another pet food recall this time by Diamond Pet Foods of Meta, Missouri after samples tested positive for melamine.
Read more of this update in this dog food recall blog

Yet another dry pet food added to recall list.

More pet food has been added to the national recall list. The Food and Drug Administration says Natural Balance Pet Foods is recalling two kinds of pet food. The recall includes all date codes of venison and brown rice dry dog food and venison and green pea dry cat food.

The company doesn't know the cause of the problem. Natural Balance Pet Foods says it has received reports of animals vomiting and experiencing kidney problems. It is working with the FDA to investigate and urges people not to feed either product to their animals.

Another shocking story was the discovery of pain reliever acetaminophen in some dog food samples.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating a Texas laboratory's finding of acetaminophen in dog and cat food, an agency spokesman said.

The pain medication is the fifth contaminant found in pet foods during the past 2 1/2 months and can be toxic or lethal to pets, especially cats. It is not known if any animals became sick with acetaminophen poisoning, or died from it.

Visit these blogs for latest information on Dog Food Recalls and for Best Online Dog Food Tips.

We all seem to have forgotten or somebody wants us to forget about the safety of these manufactured dog food. So the bait is a contest with a prize of one year's supply of Diamond Naturals Pet Food. No! We won't forget!
Read more on the Press Release from Diamond Naturals Pet Food here.