Dog Grooming

Nice or Nightmare?

Grooming can be a pleasure for the dog and owner, or it can be a nightmare. A dog must be taught to be groomed and this is not always an easy prospect. Of course you would be much better off to start with a young puppy so that it becomes used to being groomed early on, but unfortunately this can not always be the case. Dogs who are older and are placed in adoptive homes from shelters, for example, may not have gotten used to this process at an early age.

Many owners will ignore the grooming when they find out that they can't control the dog to do it. (Or they will spend big bucks with a groomer). However, it is very important that a dog with a long coat or a double coat be groomed on a regular basis. The coat that has mats can block air from getting to the skin, causing hot spots. A dog that is not groomed is not pleasant to be around, it will either be smelly or it will drip shedding hair off onto the furniture or your clothes. Sometimes this is one of the reasons some dogs are banished to live outside rather than in the home! Furthermore, grooming the dog on a regular basis will stimulate the skin and keep the dog healthier, in the same way that a human must wash the scalp and brush the hair to maintain a healthy scalp.

Training a dog to be groomed is not too difficult if you make up your mind to do it and get the right equipment. Getting the equipment is a small expense compared to the expense of taking the dog to a groomer. A good pair of clippers is indispensable if you have a dog with a long coat. The usual cost for clippers is about $80.00. A comb, with both wide spaced and close spaced teeth is around $7.00. An undercoat rake is around $5.00, a pin brush, $12.00 and a slicker brush, $5.00. Then of course, there are nail clippers, which will run around $12.00. Dogs with short coats will not require as much, a grooming mitten or a slicker brush will be plenty. These products are just basics but are a good start and certainly will be paid for after only or two groomings at a professional groomers!

Some folks go all out and purchase a grooming table with an arm and a big fancy dryer. As a matter of fact, most "show people" with "show dogs" will have that and much more, but the average pet owner merely needs to make sure that they have the basics.

Once you have the equipment, it is necessary that you learn how to control your dog so that you can groom him. Here is where the "training" comes in. Both long coated dogs and short coated dogs should be trained to lie or sit quietly during the grooming process and should know to roll over and expose their bellies and should allow you to handle their feet and clean their ears. Start by putting the dog into a down position and follow through with the word "stay!" then simply start to brush the dog, gently. For heaven's sakes, do not start right off the bat with yanking out big mats. Simply start in places you know the dog will enjoy being brushed, usually just along the top of the back and the shoulders. Gradually work into the places that are more tender. Push or pull the dog as necessary into the positions you need to, but be gentle and firm and speak to him as you brush. Work through the coat gently and persuade the dog with a treat to distract him when it is going to be a touchy spot. When you do get to places where mats build up and the skin is tender, this is where the clippers can come in mighty handy. Simply clipping out the mats between the hind legs and behind the ears is way easier on the dog's tender skin and certainly works just as well if not better than yanking out those mats with a comb.

Building up to longer sessions is necessary. Keep the grooming sessions short and gradually make them longer. Grooming often, several times a week, a bit at a time, will get the dog used to being handled and combed. Just keep in mind that one step at a time will eventually lead to a dog that will love to lie down and get a nice grooming. It is a great time to bond with your dog and it is something that you can make the time for, if you just make up your mind to do it. Both of you will be happier, in the end.

Dog Food SECRETS™ gives advice on many aspects of dog care besides dog food, including dog grooming.

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May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

10 Ways to Treat Your Dog Like Royalty

But on a Peasant's Income!

With a little imagination and perhaps a bit of elbow grease, you can spoil your dog with commonplace items found around the house, materials bought at a yard sale or just a good old big hug and a kiss. Here are 10 ways to help you spoil your dog.

1. There are many things that you probably already have around the house that will make a first-rate shampoo for your dog. A little bit of Aloe Vera gel in water works well for instance. It is very gentle on your dog’s skin and leaves their coat reasonably shiny. You can dilute a handful of Aloe Vera gel with water and then work the shampoo into your dog’s coat (it is best to apply this to a dry coat). Rinse thoroughly with warm water. If you prefer to have a frothy shampoo just add a little bit of baby shampoo to the mixture.

2. Doesn’t your dog deserve a festive season dog house party with some friends? You can bake doggie friendly treats, play games and hand out homemade gifts. Any season can be celebrated, Easter, Thanksgiving etc. Have a dog treat hunt and hide doggie treats around the yard or hide a piece of rawhide in the house so your dog can find it.

3. Are you a firm believer in everything having its place, and that includes your dog’s meal time? Lay a vinyl or plastic placemat under the dog bowls. This not only identifies the doggie dining room but it also minimizes the quantity of food bits that land on the uncovered floor.

4. If you have the space, why shouldn’t your dog have a room of their own? This could be a small closet or a large spare bedroom. Why not turn that spare space into the dog’s room complete with all of their toys, their bed and somewhere to store anything else they have.

5. Provide your dog with a toy chest. You can use an oversized basket, an old fruit crate or even an old laundry hamper. Get your dog’s toys and place them in the toy chest. Your dog will quickly learn that toys come from a particular area in the house. You might be taking on too much if you think you will be able to train them to put the toys back though but it does cut down on lost toys and mess in the long run.

6. If we can have indistinguishable food made to look better by a pretty plate, why can’t our dogs? Finding good china that’s suitable and strong enough to be pushed around the floor can be a challenge though. You should be able to find something at a thrift shop, a church bazaar or a garage sale. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the range of nice tableware that can be found at such places.

7. Do you have photo albums? Your dog is part of the family so what about combining family photos with dog photos or even devoting an entire album just to your dog? Which ever way you look at it your photos will be preserved and ready for viewing whenever you want to look at them.

8. Another time of year when you should involve your dog is during the festive season. Whether you exchange gifts all in one day or you span it out for a week, why not include your dog in the festive giving. You can prepare a stocking filled with treats, little toys and a new leash.

9. Although this is not a substitute for you physically being there, by leaving the radio on while you are out helps to reassure your dog that he is not alone. With a little experimenting with the radio dial, you are bound to find a radio station that your dog will enjoy.

10. Patios are great. You can sit outside, have a bite and watch the world go by. Many restaurants with patios will allow you to bring your dog, call ahead to make sure that a particular restaurant’s patio is dog friendly. When you find a place, take your dog and enjoy a meal in the great outdoors together.

With a little thought and inventiveness you can build on these tips and come up with your own ways to spoil your dog while preserving the cash in your wallet.

Dog Food SECRETS™ has lot's of recipes and advice for a healthy dog -- your dog really treats you like royalty every day, so treat them with your greatest respect in return..

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May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Dog Ear Infections

Turning a Gentle Animal Savage!

Brian Kilcommons relates a terrible story about a beautiful golden retriever dog who was usually very gentle and kind with children. It's owners had a girl aged 3 1/2, and they normally got along very well. Then one day the little girl grabbed the dog's ear. It snarled and bit her face. She needed 47 stitches in her face, and they put the dog down. The parents had the dog euthanized without bothering to find out what had caused this sudden change in their dog's behaviour. The vet, however, did an autopsy, and found our that this dog was suffering not one but two severe ear infections that were incredibly painful.

Ear infections usually start out mild, and in the outer ear. This dog's health was effectively neglected by it's owners. And when their toddler grabbed the infected ear, the dog, already in constant pain anyway, reacted out of instinct. By not taking the time to properly care for their pet, these owners were in fact responsible for what happened to their child. And then blamed the dog. And probably out of ignorance or anger, or both, they had it killed. Their emotional response to what happened to their child as a result of their own neglect aside, I find this absolutely reprehensible. And the tragedy that happened to their dog when they chose to kill it instead of investigating further, as well as the tragedy to their child, was totally avoidable.

Unlike these owners, show your dog the same level of care and love you'd show your children. Become aware of the signs of ear infections, what causes them, and how to avoid them, taking dogs to get treatment when it seems like they have one.

Ear infections can be caused by any number of things. Wet ears not dried after swimming or bathing, a build up of ear wax, grass seeds and fox tails, untreated ear mites, using cotton tips to clean ears (which pushes things further into the ear), and growths in the ear canal, can all lead to ear infections. If your dog is scratching at his ears, rubbing them, holding his head to one side, or down, shaking his head, or if they look bloody or waxy or swollen, they should be checked out. And if he cries when his ears are touched, this is another sign of a potential ear infection.

When untreated ear infections progress deeper into the ear, the pain the dog is in increases sharply. The dog may hold his head as still as possible, and to one side. And opening his mouth, or touching his head, will cause him pain. Dogs can also become dizzy, with poor balance and coordination, when the infection progresses to the inner ear. Dogs may walk around in circles, and vomit.

Ear infections are also related to skin allergies, especially food hypersensitivity dermatitis and canine atopy. Dogs with these conditions often develop inflamed ears. The dog's ears become very itchy, which creates an 'itch-scratch-itch' cycle that in turn creates scabs around the ear, hair loss, crustiness, and raw skin. The ear canals become filled with a brown wax.

Some dogs are also allergic to some ear medications. A common one is an antibiotic called neomycin, but can be any ear treatment products including cortisone, nystatin, chloramphenicol, thiabendazole, gentamicin, miconazole, and clortrimazole.

One thing of concern in dogs that are professionally groomed is the practice of plucking the hairs out of the dog's ear. The serum which then comes out of their pores is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria, which is a common cause of ear infection. Vets generally don't recommend you allow your dog's ears to be plucked unless their is a good medical reason to do so. An example of a good medical reason is if there is a large mat of hair that is blocking air flow.

If the mats of hair are in the ear canal, they should be removed by a vet only. If they're not, first soak the hair in a coat conditioner for a few minutes to soften it. Then, with your fingers, separate as much of the mat as possible. You may be able to untangle the rest of the mat with a comb, but more likely you'll need scissors or a mat splitter. Be very careful if you're using scissors. Using a comb, position it under the mat to protect the skin. Hold the scissors at right angles to the comb, and cut into the matted fur in narrow strips. Very gently, tease the mat out, and then comb out any snarls that are left. Regular grooming, with the right tools, will avoid mats forming in the first place.

Always check your dog's ears after he's been playing in long grasses. If you think there is a foxtail in his ear, take him to the vet's and don't try and get it out yourself. Fox tails can really damage the ear. If when you press gently on the ear canal he cries out in pain, there's a good chance there's a fox tail in there.

Dog Food SECRETS™ teaches you how to clean your dogs ears.

It is also a recorded fact that unhealthy dogs are more susceptible to ear infection (or any kind of infection/infestation) than their healthy counter-parts. A healthy diet substantially increases your dog's immunity to many different types of infection.

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May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Dog Treats

Sound Advice

What makes you love your dogs? Is it because of the way he loves you in return and the eagerness that you feel when he attempts to please? This love can be more emphasized through dog training as it creates the firm bond between you and your pal.

One well recognized method of dog training is through the use of dog treats. But dog treats are not for positive reinforcement dog training alone. Most dog owners have used them as snack alternatives. This does not proceed pleasurable experiences but may also aid in maintaining your pal's health.

Like with other pet stuffs, there are considerations that an owner should first evaluate before allowing his pet to dog treats. Health components concerning with calorie content is on the priority list.

One of the growing concerns on dog health nowadays is obesity. Almost half of American dogs are overweight. Like with the case of human, obesity may lead to a variety of diseases like diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

Overindulgence is thought as one of the contributing reason for obesity. This may be due to human factor. Most owners tend to give dog treats on an unregulated basis. For most, it doesn't matter how many calories does a single biscuit may contain. To resolve this issue, an owner needs to cut back on the daily calorie intake of his pet until he reduces some weight. Controlling the quantity of dog treats throughout the day may be of great help. You may also choose to lessen his foods gradually until he reaches normal weight. In line with this, it is ideal to stick with dog treats with low calories. The subject on obesity may further be resolved through consulting the vet and to implement a regular exercise regimen.

It is also an ill practice to give your dog commercially produced human foods. Some of which may contain elements that are not suited for your dog's health. Commercial foods are also often rich with fats and calories and low in nutrients and vitamins. Moreover, this practice is really not healthy for your dog's manners. This only encourages begging. Give him his dog treats in his own place instead but always bearing the thought of how healthy the dog treats you give are.

Dog Food SECRETS includes a list of 20 foods we love that you should never feed to your dog.

Tips on Dog Treats Selection

It is always best to buy naturally produced dog treats. These save you from unnecessary additives that may post threats against your dog's health. Fat and sugar-rich dog treats are complete no-no. look for dog treats that have high concentration of fibers and protein.

Dog treats that are primarily made from fishes are good sources of unadulterated health components. These are great foods for human as well as dogs. They are low in calories and fats.

Avoid giving dog treats before any major meals. If you are training him using positive reinforcement, cut back portions of his meals to balance his diet with dog treats.

There are dog treats that are especially made to optimize your dog's health. Working in the same principle as that of the vitamin supplements. These are aids to maintain your dog's health and may even relieve symptoms of certain diseases.

Don't allow that dog treats may cover as much as ten percent of your pet's diet.

In choosing the ideal treat, it is helpful to rely on your best judgements. It is you who know your pet well enough but in cases of doubt, you may as well consult a veterinarian.

Dog Food SECRETS™ includes a bonus book of 23 hand-picked doggy snacks that dogs love, perfect for training or pampering your dog (but remember never to over-feed your dog).

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May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Dog Epilepsy

Witnessing your precious dog or cat having a seizure can be a most frightening experience. During seizures pets often lose control, fall over, chomp their teeth, salivate or drool, whine, paddle with their feet, and begin to urinate or deficate on themselves. Their eyes become large (dilated) and unresponsive. A pet caregiver feels panicked and helpless while watching it all happen.

Hopefully, you and your pet have never, and will never, have to experience this shocking event. But, if you have, or if you experience it in the future, this article will help you to understand what causes seizures, what you can do while your pet is having a seizure, and the various treatment options available.

What causes seizures? Epilepsy is one cause. Certain dog breeds are more susceptible to epilepsy. These include: cocker spaniels; poodles; collies; german shepherds; irish setters; golden retrievers; dachshunds, labrador retrievers, saint bernards, miniature schnauzers, siberian huskies, and wire-haired terriers. Veterinarians are not sure what causes this “hereditary” epilepsy.

In cats hereditary epilepsy is unusual. Vets can normally find the cause of seizures. These include chemical toxins (which includes chemical preservatives used in many pet foods), brain tumors, feline leukemia, feline infections, peritonitis, feline AIDS, head trauma, and problems with the liver and kidneys.

In dogs there are many causes of seizures besides hereditary epilepsy. Allergies to food and the chemicals, preservatives, and artificial flavors put into the foods can cause seizures. Other causes include liver and kidney disease, tumors, poisonings, and low blood sugars.

What can you do while your pet is having a seizure? Try to stay calm. This is hard to do, but using a calm, reassuring quiet voice will comfort your dog or cat. Move any furniture or other objects on which your pet could hurt itself. If you’re unable to move the object, place pillows or wrap blankets between the pet and the object. Slide something soft under your pet’s head, but be sure to keep your hands and face away from his head so that you don’t risk a possible bite. You can gently stroke his hip or side, but position yourself opposite the side of the feet and toenails as the muscle spasms make the feet curl into claws that can gouge or rake your skin. Dim the lights, and keep the environment as quiet as possible by turning off the TV and loud music.

If possible take notes about the seizure so that you can give details to your vet. Jot down the time of day it occurred, the length of each seizure, and the time in between each seizure if they are recurrent. Your vet will also want to know whether your pet urinated or deficated, if the seizure hit suddenly or progressed from mere body twitching, whether your pet regained consciousness, and how long it took before your pet appeared normal again. In addition, you’ll need to figure out whether there were any possible triggering events. These include loud noises such as fireworks, unusual items that were eaten, and excessive playing or exercise.

After the seizure, pets usually appear lost or drugged. This drugged state can last a few minutes to several hours depending on the severity of the seizure. Your pet may respond to you, but do so in a very slow manner. Since seizures are exhausting for your pet, he will probably want to sleep afterwards. It is best to allow him to sleep, but check in on him occasionally without disturbing his rest.

If this is your pet’s first seizure, call your vet as soon as possible. Some vets will want to see if another seizure occurs, while others will perform a variet of blood tests to check for anemia, liver & heart functions, calcium, glucose, & electrolyte levels. Your vet may even run a screen for possible toxins, take x-rays, or perform an electroencephalogram.

The test results may not indicate the specific reason for the seizure. In this case, your vet may wait to see if another seizure occurs or he/she may suggest medications. If the diagnosis is epilepsy, pets have an excellent chance to live a normal life as long as proper medical care and follow-up are provided.

If you discover the cause of the seizure, you may be able to eliminate future seizures by eliminating the seizure’s source. For instance, if the seizure is due to chemcial toxins, make sure your pet remains as free of toxins as possible. Provide human grade food and treats that do not contain chemical preservatives, fillers, or byproducts.

Dog Food SECRETS™ is the perfect resource to use for providing your dog with top grade healthy food that improves, prevents and cures many of the dog health problems caused by commercial dog food.

Clean your house with chemical-free products. Also, use more natural flea, tick, & heartworm prevention products as some of these products may lower your pet’s seizure threshold and make seizures more difficult to control. Avoid products containing organophosphate insecticides. For safer heartworm prevention, use products containing interceptor and filaribits.

What can you do if your pet’s seizure condition cannot be cured and you realize you and your pet may have to live with the seizures? In the past, the only treatment options available were strong anticonvulsants that could have serious side effects. These still may be your only option. But, more natural approaches have been found to help some pets, either prior to stronger medications or in addition to them so that you may be able to lower the dose. There are a variety of treatment options that include a natural diet, acupuncture, nutritional supplements, homeopathy, herbs, and conventional medications.

As mentioned above, give your pet a human grade diet, free of chemicals and additives. Also, remove other toxins from your pet’s environment. Clean with natural products and use more natural flea, tick, and heartworm prevention measures.

Minimize stress in your pet’s life. Try to avoid sudden changes in his environment, loud noises, and other stressful situations.

You can also try herbs that act as sedatives. These include valerian root, kava, skullcap and oatstraw. Note that when using herbs and supplements, you may need to lower the dosage of other anticonvulsants.

Several supplements appear to help in preventing seizures. Try an antioxidant combination of Vitamin C, E, B-6, and selenium. Your vet can recommend the dosage for your pet. Magnesium and DMG (dimethyl glycine) are other helpful supplements.

Acupuncture is another helpful option which has helped to control seizures in many pets. Sometimes just placing an ear acupuncture tack in a dog’s ear will stop seizures, and this only requires one acupuncture visit.

If the ear tack doesn’t work, gold implants can be placed in different locations under a pet’s head. Or your pet can be treated with traditional chinese acupuncture.

As you can see, there are many natural approaches to treating seizures in pets. These should help your beloved pet to live a normal and comfortable life.

Click here to discover how you can use food to improve the health of your dog..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Tips For Treating Dog Diabetes

When a dog has canine diabetes, it is important to regulate their food intake. Not only do you need to watch how much sugar they are consuming, you also need to monitor the amount of food they get, plus how often they are fed. It is usually recommended that you feed them 2 to 3 smaller meals throughout the day rather than one large meal. The smaller meals helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, while one large meal can cause insulin levels to spike high, only to have them plummet 12 hours later. When the blood sugar drops too low, your dog could begin to suffer from hypoglycemia, a serious condition. If this should happen, you need provide immediate sugar to your dog (honey rubbed on the dog’s gums will work) and get your pet to the vet's office immediately. This is much like a human diabetic who carries around a cube of sugar or a chocolate bar with them for just this purpose.

So, what should you feed your diabetic dog? The following are some guidelines that will help toward keeping insulin levels normalized and in control.

Avoid Foods That Contain Sugar

This would seem to be an obvious thing to do. Yet, most dog owners really have no idea just how much sugar and carbohydrates are contained in manufactured dog food. (For the record, carbohydrates are converted into glucose by the body - in other words - sugar). Dry dog food, as well as those soft-moist foods (in those cellophane packages) are the worst culprits. Should you continue to feed your dog commercial dog food, switch to a high-quality canned food instead - and read the ingredients on the label!

The Best Dog Food Diet Is Homemade

Raw and homemade dog foods are the best solution. In this way, you will know exactly what your dog is eating and how much sugar/carbohydrates they are consuming. Feeding a homemade diet doesn't have to be hard or expensive. There are many books on the market that can help you with recipes and advice.

Choose Foods Low In Fat

The pancreas not only regulates insulin and blood sugar levels, it also works to produce enzymes in the process of breaking down fat. As you don't want to over-stress the pancreas, you need to choose meats that are low in fat. Stay away from ground beef and other red meats and cut off the extra fat from chicken and turkey. Some fat is obviously necessary for good health...but try to keep it to a minimum.

Certain Grains Are Beneficial

Although you need to be careful with the amount of grain given an animal (animals don't digest grains as well as humans due to their shorter digestive tract), some grains are better to serve than others when it comes to canine diabetes. Rice, millet and oats are usually the preferable choices to help regulate insulin levels and provide fiber. Some professionals also recommend cornmeal, however dogs sometimes have allergic reactions to corn, as well as wheat. It's best to keep in mind that grains are carbohydrates which the body turns into glucose to use for energy, so keep it to a minimum.

Add Brewer's Yeast

A natural chromium-containing substance called “glucose tolerance factor” is found in regular brewers yeast. Its main function is to help assist the body in using blood sugar more efficiently. Try adding one teaspoon of brewers yeast to your dog's food with each meal.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a natural supplement that helps to reduce the need for insulin in the body. Providing your dog with a Vitamin E capsule once per day is suggested. Recommended dosage is between 25UI and 200 UI, depending on the size of your dog.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Raw fruits and vegetables are ideal in providing vitamins and nutrients, while helping to keep blood sugars stabilized. The natural occurring sugars shouldn't throw insulin levels out of sync, unlike refined processed sugar.

Fruits are a great idea for a treat between meals; however don't include them with the main meals as the fruit could ferment in your dog's stomach when combined with meats, grains and vegetables.

Most vegetables can be served raw; however a few should be cooked, such as winter squash (good for diabetic dogs), dandelion greens, and potatoes. Raw foods such as alpha sprouts, parsley and garlic (capsule or fresh) are wonderful choices for this disease. Carrots can be either raw or cooked. (By the way - garlic helps to stimulate the digestive tract and is an excellent choice to serve your pet, regardless if the dog has diabetes or not).

The above dietary guidelines are just that - guidelines. It's important that you speak with your vet about a canine diabetes diet and also to serve the foods that your dog can tolerate well. Stay away from baked treats made with flour and sugar, as well as table scraps as these can cause insulin levels to become erratic.

Dog Food SECRETS™ teaches you exactly how to provide a healthy diet for your dog.

Click here to discover how..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training

Dog Diabetes

Dog Diabetes: A Serious Dog Disease That is Completely Manageable

Canine diabetes is a serious disease that causes there to be too much glucose in the blood. If your pet has any of the signs, a dog health exam will help you find out with certainty. Canine diabetes symptoms usually include the following:

- drinking excessive amounts of water
- frequent urination
- weight gain (or weight loss in some cases)
- increased lethargy during the day

A simple blood test can tell the vet if the glucose counts look suspicious. You should have a full physical exam done on your dog annually, even if he seems perfectly healthy. Be sure to ask your vet to include a full blood work-up, to rule out diabetes (as well as many other diseases). It’s well worth the added cost!

If your pet has been diagnosed with canine diabetes, don’t panic. While it is a ‘special needs’ issue that will influence many daily decisions, it is a manageable disease in dogs. You just have to learn some simple steps and stick to a schedule.

The first goal after a canine diabetes diagnosis is to get the glucose levels down to a normal (or only slightly elevated) level. This will not require thorough dog health exams like the original blood test. The vet can draw some blood and test the levels fairly quickly, with minimal cost to you.

Canine diabetes means someone must administer insulin injections (in most cases). They are easy to do and will quickly become routine. One person in the family should be responsible for the shots, but everyone should know how to give them (age teen and up) in case of a dog health emergency. I highly recommend posting a printout of how to give the injection to your pet in every room in your house, just in case.

In our house, where we have a diabetic dog, we made a canine diabetes “Dog Health Cheat Sheet” for potential problems, like these:

- too much insulin is accidentally injected
- the needle breaks off while in the dog
- there’s a seizure (not common, but can happen occasionally)

The cheat sheet includes the vet’s emergency number and some basic actions to take in each scenario. We made several copies to be posted all over the house, but especially by the phone, the fridge (where the insulin is kept), and the bed (where our dog hangs out a lot).

The other goal with canine diabetes is to maintain the glucose level (with your vet’s help). It is crucial to take your pet periodically to the vet for a whole day (8-hour period at least) so they can check blood sugar levels throughout the day. Just as in humans, blood sugar levels fluctuate in your pet throughout the day. Having your vet monitor and take several blood readings during a longer stretch of time helps ensure that your diabetes treatments are actually working as intended.

It’s a little more work to care for diabetic dogs, no doubt about it. But our pets are family members and we love them dearly. Right? They give us their devotion, protection, and love, so the least we can do in return is give them proper health care, especially if they have problems like canine diabetes. Going the extra mile for them will help them live happier lives with less pain and more enjoyment. Can there be a nobler goal?

Commercial dog food companies have created this epidemic sweeping the US and other developed country dog populations. Their processed food has high levels of sugar to make it more palatable to the animal. The benefit to them is increased sales because dog owners see their beloved canine woof down the food like its the best they've ever eaten and consequently make the decision to keep buying it.

Dog Food SECRETS™ teaches you how to use food to prevent canine diabetes and other many other diseases associated with commercial dog food through a balanced and natural diet.

Click here to discover how..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Animal-to-Human Transmittable Diseases Resulting From Pet Worm's

A zoonotic disease, loosely defined, is a disease that can be transmitted from an animal to a human. These diseases can be transmitted by direct contact, by vectors or by the consumption of animals and/or animal products.

While many animal diseases are zoonotic, we are going to highlight some of the more common ones caused by worms.

A) Hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum)

These are distributed worldwide and are found wherever dogs live.

In dogs they can cause anaemia(bloodloss), weight loss, loss of appetite, poor growth,bloody stools, coughing and localised skin inflammation, especially of the feet, legs and abdomen.

In humans they are responsible for a condition known as Cutaneous Larval Migrans. The migration of the larval stages causes localised skin inflammation, especially in the lower leg region

Preventative measures include:

1) Regular removal of dog faeces from the environment and avoiding contact with dog faeces and soil contaminated with dog faeces. 2) Disinfection of Kennels etc 3) Regular Deworming (pets and people!) 4) Basic Hygiene - washing hands after playing with dogs, before meals etc.

B) Roundworm (Toxocara canis) are also distributed worldwide.

Usually only dogs up to about 8 months old are infected. Symptoms include poor growth, weight loss, pot bellied appearance, coughing, occasional vomiting, slimey diarrhoea with worms sometimes visible.

In humans they are responsible for a condition known as Visceral larval Migrans. The larvae migrate through the body and the symptoms experienced by the person depend on where the larvae end up in the body.Common symptoms include a fever, muscle pains, coughing, loss of appetite, blindness (usually only one eye) etc.

Prevention is the same as for hookworm.

C) Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is one of the best known of the zoonotic diseases that involve pets and is the disease that leads many pregnant women to (unfairly) toss the pet cat out the door!

Although cats play a major role in the life cycle of Toxopllasma gondii, the causative organism, humans can in fact become infected 3 different ways, only one of which is direct contact with cat faeces.In fact, cat ownership is not a big factor for human infection with Toxoplasma.

The three ways that humans can become infected:

1) Eating undercooked meat This is THE major route of infection for humans, NOT contact with cat faeces. In one study , up to 60% of infections were as the result of the consumption of undercooked meat.

2) Transplacental Infection The foetus is infected while still in the uterus. This infection is the result of the mother becoming infected during pregnancy.

3) Ingestion of the organism shed in cat faeces.

Preventative measures thus involve cooking meat properly, wearing gloves when gardening, washing hands and utensils after working with raw meat and cleaning litter trays out daily.

Dog Food SECRETS™ will show you how to avoid these problems from occuring through a controlled diet and also by following a simple health regimen.

Click here to discover how..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Healthy Dog Food

The Secret To Canine Longevity

Have you ever heard of a dog living into his late teens? I personally have never met such an age-defying dog but it does happen. Did you know, however, that many veterinarians and scientists today estimate that the life span of a dog should be into the late teens and even into the twenties? It is a wild idea, but many see it as attainable.

Science advances rapidly. It seems as if every day we read of a new advancement, a new wonder-drug, a new technique for improving both the quality and the longevity of our pets and ourselves. These advancements are wonderful. It was only a generation or two ago where simple infections could mean certain death for our pets, where a difficult labor would be the downfall of both mother dog and puppies, where diseases were common due to lack of vaccinations and proper treatments. I applaud science and hope they continue in their march toward a higher quality of life.

With all these dog health improvements and human life spans increasing, why the heck aren’t our dogs living up to their true potential life spans? I believe that the factors are many. The main factor, in my opinion, is the nutrition that we give our dogs.

Did you know that the pet food industry is largely unregulated? The pet foods that you pick up at the grocery store are made by companies owned by some of the largest companies in the world. These mega-companies make largely human consumer products and their dog foods and pet foods are manufactured from the by-products that weren’t fit for human consumption.

I know, I know. This sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it’s true. What kind of things are they able to get away with? Dog foods are made with leftovers. It is well documented that these dog foods are manufactured with dead and rotting carcasses. These are often carcasses from animals that were diseased, sickly, or otherwise not fit for human consumption so they were used in dog food. These carcasses are gathered and sit around a lot rotting and putrefying often for days before it is their turn to make it into the dog food bag. Other non-nutritional products like hooves and horns are also ground up and thrown into the mix. Have you ever wondered what happens to all that grease and oil that fries up those potatoes in fast food joints? Yup, it’s true. Dog food companies buy leftover grease by the ton and use it as a coating on dog food that you may be giving your dog. Why would they do that? Well, that grease is pretty tasty (albeit nutritionally abominable) to your dog. The dog food companies know that the unpalatable product they make will be eaten if they cover it with this leftover fat.

That’s not all, though. Most commercial dog and cat foods are full of fillers, preservatives, baked in a manner that strips the food of nutrients, and so chemically treated that they resemble Twinkies more than they resemble nutrition for your pet.

What is the solution? Well, there are many but the first step is to switch to a premium food. Feed your dog a food that uses human grade ingredients, doesn’t cram the food with fillers, and leaves out the chemical enhancers that give commercial dog food the shelf life of uranium.

Dog Food SECRETS™ Gold Package includes "The Confidential report: 9 Best Commercial Dog Foods in all of North America". A guide created by a professional field researcher that Andrew Lewis contracted to find the best of the best foods so he could feed his dog commercial dog food without fear of guilt.

Now you can do the same.

Click here to discover how..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Dog Worms

The Types and Descriptions

Your dog's health is a very important part of overall care, and when you have a dog: Worms are a common problem. Puppies tend to get worms more often than grown dogs do. Here are common types of worms puppies and dogs get, and the various side effects that can result:

In general, puppies or dog's with worms can become sick. Symptoms include weight loss, weakness, being listless, having an upset stomach, not growing well, and sometimes even lung and breathing problems.

A puppy who's extremely thin could be having health problems with worms. A very shoddy looking coat is another sign of health problems, and even a potbelly could be an indication the puppy is worm infested.

Grown dogs may not show any outward signs when they have worms, but unfortunately they tend to spread them more than puppies do, because they pass large amounts of worm larvae, or eggs, through their feces.

There are several different types of worms that can jeapordize your dog's health: Tapeworm, roundworm, ringworm and heartworm are the most common.

Tapeworms have flat, segmented bodies and can sometimes be seen as rice-like segments or chains in the droppings of your dog or puppy. These are a common type of dog health problem, and they tend to be combined with flea infestations. Because of this, you'll often find dog health remedies that treat both fleas and tapeworms together.

Roundworms (toxocara) live and produce hundreds of eggs in the intestine, and are easily passed onto children.

Roundworm eggs are very hardy, resistant to heat and cold, and can survive up to 7 years in the soil. The eggs can pass on to children through ingestion and cause them to fall sick as well.

As a precaution, it's a good idea to train your dog or puppy to use a bathroom area which is not played in by children. Having a specific area also makes it easier for you to pick up and dispose of the droppings safely. Also be sure to have children wash their hands after handling puppies, and teach both the children and puppies to not lick on the hands or face.

All dogs and puppies should be "de-wormed" every 6-12 months, depending on the area you live in. Consult with your veterinarian for the best schedule in your area.

Dog Food SECRETS™ teaches you how to avoid this happening to your own dog by using good nutrition and eliminating toxic foods like commercial dog food, act now while your dog is still healthy.

Click here to discover how..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Does Your Dog Have Otitis Externa?

- Dog Ear Infection -

Does your dog shake his head excessively? Are his ears red? Is there discharge from the ears? If you answered yes to any of these then he could have Otitis Externa which is simply another name for a dog ear infection.

The dogs ear has 3 parts, the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. Otitis Externa is an infection in the outer ear canal where 90% of ear infections in dogs occur. Dogs are prone to ear infections because of the anatomy of their ears. They have a horizontal and a vertical component to them, so it is hard for anything in there to drain out, like water or debris.

There are several causes of ear infections. The most common cause of ear infections are due to allergies. Some dogs are more prone to allergies than others; therefore they get more ear infections.

Another common cause is sporting dogs that swim. They get water inside their ears, and provided their difficult anatomy, the water in the ears cannot drain out. Therefore, this provides the perfect environment for bacteria and yeast to grow. It is recommenced that if you let your dog play in the water you dry your dog's ears thoroughly afterwards.

If your dog does have an ear infection it is important to properly clean your dog's ears before applying any medication.

To clean your dog's ears, start by placing a few drops of an ear cleanser into the ear and massage the ear to help loosen any debris that is in the ear. Then use a cloth or cotton gauze to whip the dirt out.

After your dog's ears are thoroughly clean, then you can apply your medication. Follow your veterinarian's advice about how much medication to apply to the ear, usually a few drops.

The treatment your veterinarian will prescribe will vary depending on the cause of the ear infection. For yeast infections they prescribe anti-fungals, for bacterial infections they will prescribe antibiotics. Normally treatment is applied directly into the ears, but in severe cases systemic treatment may be needed. This usually means have to give your dog pills orally.

In some dogs with severe ear problems, the veterinarian will usually clip the hair around the ear to help let more air into the ear. In extreme cases your veterinarian may recommend surgery to reconstruct the ear canal to let it drain easier.

Some dog breeds are more prone to ear infections than others, although all dogs can be get them. Dogs with large ears and ears that flop over as well as dogs with a small ear canal can be more susceptible than others. Ear infections in dogs need to be treated by your vet, so the next time you see any symptoms in your dog, take action!

Dogs eating commercial dog food are much more susceptible to ear infection. They are also more susceptible to worm infestation and flea infestation. In fact, your dog will be more susceptible to any kind of parasitic infection.

Dog Food SECRETS™ teaches you how to avoid this happening to your own dog, act now while your dog is still healthy.

Click here to discover how..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Your Dog's Health is Your Responsibility

Your dog's nutritional health is in your hands. One hundred percent, completely in your hands. Only you can control and provide the nourishment he needs for a smooth, shiny coat, dental health, bone growth, muscle tone, energy requirements and proper digestive function.

A dog's loyalty, love and trust in you make him an easy target for substandard care. We are all guilty, from time to time, of not treating our dogs as well as they deserve. But since they aren't likely to complain, we in turn can find it easy, too often, to turn a blind eye to his blind trust.

After all, isn't it a betrayal of trust and a void in our personal integrity to knowingly feed our dogs food that is nutritionally inferior? Would you feed yourself or any other member of your family from a can, for every meal, day after day? And you do consider your dog a member of your family, don't you?

This is one time you don't want to let yourself off the hook. Don't take your dog's silence as absolution. Their final act of innocence may be a slow, painful and tragic death. The guilt you will feel will be insurmountable.

I fed my dog substandard food and he did die a slow painful and tragic death, don't make the same mistake.

And the real kicker of it all -- giving your dog the best possible diet is easy! It can seem daunting, at a glance. But, in reality, it doesn't take a whole lot of time, effort or brainpower to do the right thing.

While the loose regulations on dog food labeling leaves us somewhat in the dark as to what exactly we are feeding our pet when we use commercial dog foods, good home cooking allows for flexibility and purity. It also gives us total control over our dog's nutritional needs. We can be assured that all ingredients are of the highest quality, and add up to a balanced, toxin-free diet. We can also maintain complete caloric discretion, modifying as necessary to accommodate our dog's ever-changing demands.

And, let's not diminish the importance of the one ingredient that only we can add, and which most certainly will be lacking in any commercial dog food -- love.

Don't you owe it to yourself, and to your "best friend" to give him the best possible chance at a long, healthy life? We think so, too.

That's why we have written this ebook, replete with useful, easy-to-understand information concerning dog nutrition. We provide healthy, easy-to-prepare recipes for your perusal. We offer tips on all aspects of canine health, including veterinary visits, vaccines, grooming, exercise and first aid -- so that all the information for your dog's health is at your fingertips.

Because, as we said, your dog's health is in your hands. And, we wish you and your dog many healthy returns.

Dog Food SECRETS™ is your guide to being a responsible friend and parent to your dog.

Click here to learn more..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Snacks For Dogs.. Good or Bad?

Oh those puppy-dog eyes . . .who can resist them? There's a reason that turn of phrase "puppy-dog eyes" is used to describe the very deliberate emotional blackmail specifically tendered by basically anyone with the wherewithal to ride the cute train to anywhere. The phrase most assuredly originates with its namesakes. You know the look -- the slight head tilt, the pleading eyes, perhaps a barely perceptible whimper, just for emphasis.

From your pup, that look can say a lot of things, but often it's a transparent plea for a snack. He seems to be saying, "see how cute I am? Don't I deserve something special?"

So of course you yield to his entreaties, because what kind of a dog owner would you be if you didn't agree wholeheartedly?

Well, believe it or not, rejection would actually make you a very responsible and loving pet owner.

The fact is, digestively-speaking, your dog doesn't need extra snacks to get him through the day. Giving in and handing over a fistful of snacks, only contributes to the (literally) ever-growing issues with obesity that we are seeing in dogs. Obesity causes serious health concerns for dogs, including diabetes mellitus and orthopedic, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, respiratory, immune and reproductive disorders. Fat dogs are more at risk in surgery, more prone to injury, and have more stress on their heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and joints.

Snacks do have their place, however. They can be a very effective training tool, for example. So, the key component here would be not to eliminate snacks, but to censure them.

It is very important to limit snacks to those of the healthy variety, and to always, always, always, and, without fail, include them in your dog's daily calorie count. You can see the results of snacking yourself (Dare we point out those those "love handles" you've been ignoring?). It is important to remember that those same results will be seen in your dog, even if it is less evident at a glance.

When it comes to snacking, there are a few basic rules of thumb to follow:

Snacks should never account for more than 5% of the total daily diet, as measured in calories.

Avoid fatty snacks, such as the commercial imitation bacon and sausage types, which only serve to upset the digestive system.

Don't tempt your pet with easily accessible goodies around the house.

Remember that anything labeled as a snack should be considered supplemental in nature, and should never be used as a substitute for a complete and balanced diet.

Healthy snacks can include fruits and vegetables, and even some homemade "cookies" and biscuits. As a companion to our Delicious Doggy Cuisine, we have compiled such homemade treat recipes for your dog's enjoyment. They are fun to make, and even more fun to serve. Many can be made in "bulk" amounts, so you can store the extras for later use. Take a look, you'll find a complete listing if the recipes includes on this page!

So there you have it -- you now have our blessing. When he's giving you that look you just can't resist, go ahead and cave. But, for your dog's health, when you cave, please cave responsibly.

Dog Food SECRETS™ shows you how to work snacks into your dogs diet without adversely effecting their health, this is the one skill most people never learn and resultingly their dogs become overweight and eventually sick.

Click here to discover how to have a heathly dog that can also enjoy snacking..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Understanding Canine Digestion

Why It Matters

Last time we spoke about the workings of canine digestion. Today I'll tell a little about why it's important and the effects of providing your dog with substandard food typically found in commercial dog food.

Your dog's digestive capabilities are no accident. They are a very carefully construed mechanism of its teeth, stomach and large and small intestines.

Beginning with his sharp, jagged molars, which are designed for gripping, tearing and shredding, and ending with the large intestine, which aids in the elimination of waste, all parts of the system work together to process the consumed food with purpose and deliberation.

With their short and simple digestive tracts, large amounts of vegetation, grains and fiber are difficult for dogs to process. Their systems are much more conducive to the breakdown of animal proteins and fat.

As such, pet foods which boast corn, soy or their corresponding meals as their primary ingredient are of little use to your dog, nutritionally-speaking. The "Crude Protein" analysis on pet food labels is only a measurement of the amount of nitrogen in a food -- not the quality of the protein. Because of this, pet food companies can use the cheaper by-products of human food production, such as soybean meal, to "boost" protein numbers. Animal-based protein is nutritionally superior for dogs. Animal-based protein is better absorbed and retained and is higher in essential amino acids like methionine, arginine, and taurine, all of which are absent in plant-based proteins.

Pancreatitis and Fatty Liver (Hepatic Lipidosis) are diseases that can be caused by a variety of factors such as infection, exposure to toxins, stress and improper diet. Pet food that is very high in saturated fats can certainly be a contributing factor.

Diabetes is a chronic degenerative disease of dogs that can be caused by a variety of factors such as genetics, stress and diet -- specifically, the feeding of excess amounts of simple carbohydrates. Many pet foods are loaded with simple carbohydrates such as white flour, sucrose, glucose and fructose. These are cheap, highly processed carbohydrate sources that can stress the pancreas, leading to diabetes.

In addition, clinical studies suggest that the long term feeding of chemical antioxidants (preservatives such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin) have extreme adverse health effects on animals.

As such, for optimal digestive health, it would seem to be a no-brainer to feed your beloved dog a diet rich in animal-based proteins and fats, moderate in carbohydrates, and free of chemical additives and preservatives. When perusing the commercial dog foods available in the grocery store aisles you might find this to be a tricky proposition. It seems most are nutritionally substandard, in at least one respect or another, with many failing in nearly all respects.

This is made even more difficult because dog food manufacturers use deliberately confusing double-talk to make the food appear much more nutritious than it really is. In fact, they lobby against the FDA for their 'right' to keep it confusing.

The ideal solution is to feed your pet freshly prepared food, thereby giving you the power to provide all the nutrients he needs to maintain a healthy body. Combining animal-based proteins with vegetables, pasta, rice, cereals and other foods will furnish all the requisite protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, without all those pesky by-products, fillers and chemical additives and preservatives.

Good home cooking is really the best way to ensure that, "all systems are go."

In Dog Food SECRETS™ and it's companion books, you will discover precisely how to feed your dog, how to read dog food ingredient labels, a massive list of recipes and even get a list a the top 9 brands in Nth America that I had prepared by a professional field researcher because they're the tools you need.

Click here now to get started..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Canine Digestion

The Inner Workings of Your Dog

Your dog's digestive system is an impressive, powerful function of the mouth, stomach, small and large intestines, aided by the liver and pancreas.

Digestion begins in the mouth, where saliva lubricates the food and passes it down the esophagus. The dog's teeth -- sharp, jagged, blade-shaped molars -- are designed for gripping, tearing and shredding, and are specifically suited for its digestive capabilities. Other mammals have flat molars, characteristic of grinding.

The dog's jaws, however, are incapable of moving sideways, and instead are hinged. This allows them to open widely and ingest large chunks of meat whole.

Swallowed food passes down the esophagus to the stomach. The stomach of a canine is very acidic with a pH registering as low as 1. Food is well mixed and broken down before contents leave the stomach as chyme.

Chyme is the fluid that passes easily into the small intestine, where the pancreas and liver provide additional digestive enzymes. These enzymes continue protein digestion and also provide carbohydrate and fat digestion. Nutrients are absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream.

By the time any food reaches the large intestine, most of the nutrients have been processed and absorbed. It is here that water and electrolytes are assimilated and bacteria can break down undigested fiber. The wastes are then excreted.

Dogs have the ability to consume large quantities of food at one time and can rest between meals. In the wild, this is known as "gorging," which is beneficial in hunting large game. Dogs, like carnivores, can devour large meals after a hunt, and, thanks to the digestive function, can then leisurely wait until the next meal opportunity arises.

In addition to protein and fat, dogs also require a certain percentage of carbohydrate in their diet. But it is a delicate balance, too much protein and the result is disease, too little and the results are similar.

Large amounts of vegetation, grains and fiber are difficult for dogs to process. With their short and simple digestive tracts, they are incapable of fermenting and absorbing these foods like an herbivore would. High-grain, high-fiber diets, then, only result in a much larger stool volume. The canine has a short digestive tract that helps to easily digest animal flesh and fat. The food spends a much longer time in the stomach, which produces a higher amount of hydrochloric acid, and aids in the breakdown of animal proteins, bones and fat.

To keep your dog's gastrointestinal system functioning at its finest, a healthy, well-balanced diet is of the essence. The quality of the diet can be measured in its ease of digestion. Large, malodorous stool is a reliable indicator that something is amiss in the digestive tract -- and the food going into it would be the most likely perpetrator.

Digestive issues are one health problem your dog need never suffer, as the solution is right at your fingertips, and completely within your discretion. Let us help you make your dog's diet your number one priority, beginning today . . .

Dog Food SECRETS™ teaches you how to effotlessly achieve the perfect balance in your dog's diet. The rewards are numerous and can be enjoyed both by your dog and you. For example: better behavior, better coat, better breath, better teeth, better weight, less gas, less stinky poos, less disease and ultimately a much longer life.

Click here to give your dog the treatment it deserves..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Your Dog The Omnivore

Your dog may be a meat-lover, but she or he is not a true carnivore, like cats.

Therefore, unlike other predators, dogs require more than meat for daily nutrition. It is true that no dog is the same, and nutritional and caloric needs of dogs do vary. Differentiating stages of the dog's life mandate evolving requirements, as well.

My book, Dog Food SECRETS™ gives a full breakdown of the calories your dog requires, by weight, age, stage of pregnancy, level of activity and even time of the year!

All dogs, though, require minimum quantities of six basic nutrients: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and water.

Dogs are not herbivores, either, so while plant-based proteins can be beneficial, they are lacking in some essential amino acids provided by animal-based proteins, and should never be considered a sufficient protein source in and of themselves. Commercial dog foods are often rich with plant-based proteins, which are more difficult for your dog to digest and absorb. The type of protein contained in the food is essential to know. Foods containing cereal proteins (wheat, corn, barley) have little nutritional value for dogs. Muscle meats, eggs and organ meats (such as liver) provide much more usable protein.

The trick is to provide the six basic nutrients in a balanced diet, factoring in the calories that will suffice for your dog's growth, activity, and restoration. In addition, your dog's daily diet must contain vitamin and mineral supplements in balanced concentrations. Too much of one mineral may interfere with absorption of another; too little of a mineral may interfere with vitamin use or other mineral use.

If you plan to feed your pet fresh food, you want to make sure that you provide him with all the nutritional building blocks he needs to maintain a healthy body. Animal protein should be combined with vegetables, pasta, rice, cereals and other foods to provide all the protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals needed.

If you still opt for the convenience of commercial foods, it is wise to become versed in the art of decoding dog food ingredient labels so that you can be assured that the nutritional value matches (or, ideally, surpasses) the marketing technique employed.

The dog food manufacturers spend a great deal of time, energy and advertising revenue to persuade us that their products are natural and nutritionally complete. That would indicate,

1) That is what consumers would like the product to be, and
2) That is what the product should be.

Doesn't it make sense, then, that you select food for your dog that you know to be healthful and nutritionally sound? If you're still buying commercial dog food, you aren't feeding your dog what it needs and deserves (unless it's off my list of recommended brands, see the order page for details).

Finding that complete nutritional balance may seem a daunting and elusive task, but we have done the research for you, and present it to you in our usual concise and easy (yet educational) fashion. For your dog's health, take the time today to devote yourself to that task.

Dog Food SECRETS™ teaches you the exact balance of each of the vital nutrients your dog needs and the book packages you receive when you order contain over 200 recipes of well balanced meals.

The gold package also includes the Condifential Dog Food Report: The 9 Best Dog Food Brands in all of Nth America - the only brands we found that provide everything a dog needs in every way!

Click here now to learn more..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Finding The Best Commercial Dog Foods

We truly believe that the best diet for your dog is a homemade diet, and that using commercial dog food is a step in the wrong direction.

But, it is possible that you are still not wholly convinced. Perhaps you're just not much of a cook. You eat a lot of prepared foods yourself, so really, why not the same for your dog?

OR you work long, hard days and you just don't have a lot of free time. Anyone can understand that you don't want to spend that time in the kitchen when you could be playing some quality Frisbee Toss with your dog. You have a busy life, with many responsibilities and as much as you'd like to home make your meals, you simply don't have the time.

Then there is the possibility that you just do not trust that you can correctly ascertain your dog's needs, and provide the appropriate nutritional balance. You'd feel better if someone would just tell you exactly what food to serve and how much was appropriate.

Or, maybe you're just plain old stubborn. You're not buying into the whole "health nut" theories, and you're thinking that providing some good home cooking for your canine is outright ludicrous. You can just picture the jeers and ridicule when your friends find out you were late for your tee time because you were making Fluffy a salmon omelet.

And yet, you've come this far, so you are entertaining some doubts about the whole commercial racket, you're just not willing to dive in headfirst at this point.

It is specifically for you -- the kitchen-challenged, the impossibly busy, the faint-of-heart and the headstrong -- that we have carefully researched and assembled a list of the 9 best possible alternative commercial pet foods currently available on the market in North America.

Our compilation gives detailed summaries of the nutritional merit of each product, and is once again both concise and educational. In addition, purchasing information and photo for each is provided. Why its great and anything should you be cautious of.

I trust feeding my own beloved canine with brands from this list, I couldn't give them a better stamp of approval than that.

And I make nothing if you buy these brands because I have no relationship with the companies that produce them, I just like and trust them.

The manufacturers featured here tend toward the holistic or organic bias. They all favor natural ingredients, and avoid unnecessary additives and preservatives. Possibly most surprising of all, nearly all tend toward the economical stratum as well.

Dog Food SECRETS™ Gold package is the only package which includes this extremely valuable report. Until now, no one has ever read it besides me... I employed a private field researcher to put it together and now you can get your own copy.

Click here to learn more.

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Counting Calories for Your Dog

Your dog is fat. OK, possibly not.

But there's a very good chance he or she is, and you don't even know it.

Statistics vary, but veterinarians report that as many as 25 - 44% of all dogs are overweight, and that obesity is the number-one canine health disorder. Obesity is defined as weighing over 15% more than the standard accepted weight for the dog's height.

With nearly half of our dogs weighing in on the heavy side, it's no surprise, then, that obesity-related conditions are on the rise within the pet population. These conditions include diabetes mellitus and orthopedic, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, respiratory, immune and reproductive disorders. These can be devastating conditions for your dog to live with.

Doctors ascribe the rise in obesity to a combination of the general lack of fussiness of dogs, their natural gorging behavior, and insufficient exercise.

And since dogs don't do their own grocery shopping or prepare their own meals, we must add to this a prevailing ignorance among their owners in providing a nutritious, well-balanced, calorie-controlled diet.

Do you know if your dog is fat or fit? Do you know her daily caloric requirements? Do you know what factors may mitigate those daily caloric requirements?

Did you know regular dog food is packed with sugar and fat to make the toxic crap they put in it palatable?

A healthy dog is ready to eat at any time. Some dogs quite literally can eat while flat on their side and more or less asleep. Therefore, it is pointless to use your dog's begging behavior as any indicator of how much to feed him.

Knowing how many calories he needs and how that translates into food will help keep him trim and healthy. Energy needs for the dog change throughout his life, increasing the more active he becomes, and, as you might surmise, decreasing as the dog reaches his senior years.

Your vet will help you determine if your dog's weight is on target, or if she is headed for fat city, and all diet-related considerations should definitely be discussed with your vet before introducing any major changes into your dog's nutritional sphere. But, before your next office visit, you can do an assessment to determine (albeit imprecisely) your dog's general body condition and weight.

Can the ribs be easily felt with slight fat cover, or are they difficult to feel under moderate or thick fat cover?

From the side view, do you see an abdominal tuck?

Is there thickening at the tail base?

From the overhead view, is there a well-proportioned waist?

Or, from the overhead view, does she have a marked hourglass shape? (an indicator of being underweight)

Or, from the overhead view, is the back slightly or markedly broadened at the waist? (indicators of being moderately to severely overweight)

Is your dog slow to rise or move around?

Is she reluctant to exercise, or does she tire easily with activity?

Individual metabolism, exercise, age, environment and overall health will determine what your dog really needs to remain lean and healthy. Since your dog can only have so many calories every day, it is important to pack lots of nutrition, bulk and appeal into those calories.

Our information-packed Dog Food SECRETS™ ebooks can help you overcome your nutritional naivete.

Embracing this information doesn't mean you have to prepare every meal with a set of scales on the counter, no. Do it a few times and you can do it forever.

After you determine your dog's caloric needs, the ideal solution to meet those needs is to prepare your dog's food at home, where you can have total control over the caloric and nutritional content.

Our books can help you there, too -- as it includes a collection of easy, healthful, natural and delicious recipes created with your dog's palate and welfare in mind. In fact the Silver and Gold packages include over 200 easy-to-make healthy recipes.

Dog Food SECRETS™ teaches you how to easily keep your dog's weight under control and prevent it from becoming sick from obesity --> the number 1 cause of canine health problems. As long as they keep eating commercial dog food, you are fighting an uphill battle.

Click here to discover how to calorie control your dog, its very easy..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Taking Control Of Your Dog's Nutrition

It's dinnertime. Do you know what your dog is eating? If you're feeding him or her commercial dog food, the answer to that just might come as a very big surprise.

Dog Nutrition or Russian Roulette?

That "Chicken Flavor" dog food you've selected may have some chicken in it. Then again, it just as well may not. It's not required to, pursuant to the FDA guidelines concerning dog food ingredient listings. That "Lamb & Rice Formula" for dogs certainly has some lamb and rice in it -- but the total combined could be as little as 25% of the total packaged product, and still conform to regulations. What comprises the remaining 75%?

Is that 75% all goodness? No!

What about all those fillers and by-products and chemical preservatives listed? Do you know what BHA and BHT are, and why they are banned for human use? Are you familiar with ethoxyquin? Rolls right off the tongue doesn't it?

Is meat the first (and thereby most prevalent) ingredient listed, or does corn or grain lead the way? Do you suppose all those artificial colors and flavors are there for your dog's benefit, or for yours? Does your dog food supply the complete and balanced daily dietary provisions for your dog? And, with the loose regulations on dog food labeling leaving us somewhat in the dark as to what exactly we are feeding our pets, how can you be sure?

There is really only one way to be sure.

Give your dog some good home cooking. Homemade dog food allows for flexibility and purity. It also gives us total control over our dog's nutritional needs. We can be assured that all ingredients are of the highest quality, and add up to a balanced, toxin-free diet. We can also maintain complete caloric discretion, modifying as necessary to accommodate our dog's ever-changing demands.

But if you don't know how, you may as well go back to commercial dog food because it can be just as dangerous.

Making the decision to feed your pet fresh food does not mean you need to overcomplicate matters. You do want to make sure that you provide him with all the nutritional building blocks he needs to maintain a healthy body. Animal protein should be combined with vegetables, pasta, rice, cereals and other foods to provide all the protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals needed.

It's not quite as simple as it sounds, entirely, but it's not exactly rocket science either.

Achieving the sought-after balance is a daunting proposition, to be sure. We admit when we began our research, we were literally bombarded with facts and figures, both real and imaginary, and found that the websites delivering disinformation and misinformation abound.

In our pursuit of balance in our dogs' diets, we discovered the balance in the available research. It is our wish now to share our study with you here, in the most concise fashion. As a bonus with Dog Food SECRETS™, we have also compiled a host of easy, healthful and delicious homemade recipes for you to try with your pet.

We are not vets, and our areas of expertise comprise only loving our dogs, and wanting the best for them. You have come this far with us, so we are certain that you want that, too.

Dog Food SECRETS™ shows you eactly how to decide on a diet for your dog, according to its age, weight, level of daily activity, even time of the year and more.

A dog can look healthy on the outside even when its insides are being contaminated, don't wait for the point where it's organs can no longer withstand the daily barrage of toxins.... that day is surely coming and only you can stop it.

Be the master your dog deserves and find out how to feed it properly.

Click here to discover how..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.

Dogs Die From Toxic Dog Food

Today we're going to miss our usual lesson because it's important you read this press release.

This kind of story scares the beegeezuz out of me. I've already had one of my dogs die from toxic dog food and it seems nothing has improved since then.

You must be aware that these kind of cases exist. Read and be concerned!

Andrew

Article Source - Cornell University

Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine develops protein tests to accurately detect pet food-poisoned dogs

Even though Diamond, Country Value and Professional brand dog foods have been recalled for containing highly toxic aflatoxins, they have caused at least 100 dog deaths in recent weeks, say Cornell University veterinarians, who are growing increasingly alarmed. Some kennels and consumers around the nation and possibly in more than two dozen other countries remain unaware of the tainted food, and as a result, they continue to give dogs food containing a lethal toxin.

To better screen affected dogs so they can be treated as soon as possible, Cornell veterinarians report that they now have a new test, adapted from one used in humans, to accurately assess aflatoxin poisoning in dogs. Currently, about two-thirds of dogs that show symptoms after eating the tainted food die.

"Entire kennels have been wiped out, and because of the holiday these past few weeks, the dispersal of recall information was disrupted," says Sharon Center, a professor of veterinary medicine who specializes in liver function and disease at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell, which is emerging as a central clearinghouse for information about the dog food poisoning.

The Cornell Vet College is continually updating its Web site (http://www.vet.cornell.edu/ ) to keep the public and veterinarians informed as new information on the poisonings emerge. Cornell's Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) is analyzing blood and liver samples from sick dogs around the country, testing suspected dog food, conducting autopsies and collecting as many livers as possible from dead dogs to confirm cause of death, tracking dogs that have died and following up on the health of dogs that survive the food poisoning. The AHDC has information for veterinarians on its Web site http://diaglab.vet.cornell.edu/news.asp.

"We suspect that dogs have been dying since November, perhaps even October, but it took the perfect storm of circumstances to get the diagnosis," said Karyn Bischoff, the veterinary toxicologist at Cornell who first identified aflatoxin as the culprit in the recent wave of deaths.

Trying to save dogs
Over the recent holiday weeks, Center and her staff worked around-the-clock to try to save the 17 poisoned dogs admitted to Cornell's Hospital for Animals. "I've been working with liver disease in dogs for 30 years, and I've never seen such miserably ill dogs," said Center, noting that severely affected dogs suffer from intractable vomiting and internal bleeding. "Despite our understanding of this complex toxin, we have no direct antidote for this poisoning. This has been an immensely sad holiday and one that will leave an indelible mark on the owners that lost their cherished family members."

Of those 17 dogs, Center euthanized 12 when it became clear they could not survive; five are still being treated. Dogs that have survived had consumed a smaller amount of the food than dogs that died, Center said. "Some dogs were stealing food from the kitchen counter. Others just stopped eating the food and begged for treats. Unfortunately, some owners used gravy and other mixers to entice their dogs to consume what they thought was safe, quality dog food."

"It's devastating to dog owners who feel responsible for poisoning their beloved dogs," said Bischoff.

Although only about two dozen animal deaths have been officially linked to the tainted pet food, Center and Bischoff know that many more have died or become ill from the tainted food, based on their many communications with veterinarians as far south as Georgia.

"Every day, we're hearing reports from veterinarians in the East and Southeast who have treated dogs that have died from liver damage this past month or so," said Center. "We're also concerned about the long-term health of dogs that survive as well as dogs that have eaten the tainted food but show no clinical signs." She suspects that surviving dogs may develop chronic liver disease, perhaps liver cancer, and that many dogs that ate the tainted food appear healthy are nevertheless victims of liver damage.

Yet many dog and kennel owners remain unaware that some 19 brands of Diamond, Country Value and Professional dog foods have been recalled.

"About half of our clients bringing in sick dogs this past week say that they were not aware of the contaminated dog food problem," said Sara Sanders, one of the veterinarians at Mendon Valley Animal Hospital near Rochester -- the sort of ground zero for the epidemic that resulted in the recall. She first realized that several dogs she was treating for liver problems in December were all eating Diamond food, and she sent food and tissue samples to Cornell, her alma mater, for testing.

Screening ill dogs
Early signs that a dog has been poisoned by afltoxin include lethargy, loss of appetite and vomiting and, later, orange-colored urine and jaundice (a yellowing of the eyes, gums and nonpigmented skin that reflects substantial liver injury). Severely affected dogs produce a blood-tinged vomit and bloody or blackened stools. "Since dogs can take several days to three weeks to exhibit serious signs of illness, all animals that consumed recalled lots of food should be examined by a veterinarian as early as possible," Center said. "Physical exams and blood tests are necessary to differentiate dogs that have been poisoned from those that have not. Unfortunately, the latent onset of signs may require that an individual dog be evaluated several times."

Cornell veterinarians have verified diagnostic tests enabling detection of seriously poisoned dogs. Aflatoxin curtails the production of cholesterol and many proteins that profoundly affect blood clotting. A minimum screening profile should assess the liver enzyme ALT to detect damage to the liver, serum cholesterol, total bilirubin concentration and the activity of the anticoagulant proteins antithrombin III (ATIII) and protein C. The coagulation protein tests, which have been adapted for dogs by Cornell researchers, have high value in detecting affected dogs but require collection of a special blood sample (citrated plasma sample) and an assessment by Cornell's Animal Health Diagnostic Center.

Any dog suspected of aflatoxin poisoning should also have a liver specimen sent to Cornell to definitively confirm the pathologic changes in the liver unique for aflatoxin toxicity, such as fatty degeneration of individual cells.

"Even if dogs show no signs of illness, if they have eaten the affected food, they should have blood tests submitted to detect liver injury," Center stressed. "Dogs that show positive results on any of the above tests should be prescribed liver protectants for two months." For more details, veterinarians should check the Cornell Vet College Web site.

Owners also should take cats that might have eaten contaminated dog food to a vet. Two cats that may have eaten the tainted dog food have died, but no cause of death was determined.

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Andrews Thoughts

The only reason this story got attention is because the death of these poor, innocent dogs was rapid.

Unfortunately, every day thousands of dogs die for what seem like unexplainable reasons. The majority of them however, die from toxic levels of poisons, built up over years of eating commercial dog food, destroying their vital organs.

A slow death is no less tragic than a rapid one, in fact a slow death means more suffering for the afflicted animals.

Dog Food SECRETS™ teaches you how to avoid this happening to your own dog, act now while your dog is still healthy.

Click here to discover how..

May your dog have a long and happy life,

Andrew Lewis

Click here to learn the truth about Dog Training.