The jangling of the telephone sliced through the darkness, shaking me to my core. It was 4:30 a.m., and in the handful of instants before Ken could pick up the phone on his side of the bed, I imagined every possible disaster in the book.

“Who is it?” I mouthed, unable to stand the suspense a moment longer. “Northwest Airlines….” he lip synched to me in return. And so, our vacation began. For months, we had been planning it – our return to Alaska after a two-year hiatus. And now, the recording on the other end of the telephone was telling us our flight had been canceled because the Duluth Airport was socked in by fog. “Oh, noooooo…..” I moaned into my pillow. I quickly reemerged, however. “Let’s get in the car, drive to Minneapolis and catch it there!” I cried. We leaped out of bed and scrambled around in the darkness – resolve quickly taking over for despair. Twelve hours later, we found ourselves circling over the tree-covered hills, dramatic ocean flats and snow-capped mountains surrounding Anchorage. It was like coming home again – our fourth trip to a land we’d grown to know and love ever since our son, Jason, first moved there to attend college in Fairbanks.

We made a quick trip to the market for supplies to replenish the pantry at the fishing lodge Jason now operates on Lake Creek, and we arrived at Rust’s Flying Service on Lake Hood shortly before 5 p.m. with our four big duffel bags and five boxes of groceries. A group of tourists who had just returned from a flight seeing trip to Mount McKinley seemed impressed by our mountain of gear. “You’d think we were going out caribou hunting for weeks, wouldn’t you?” I commented with a grin to no one in particular. We went into the office and checked in for our float plane flight and then returned outside to await our departure. An older woman from the flight seeing group tentatively approached me and asked shyly, “Are you really going caribou hunting?” “No,” I laughed, “we’re actually going out to our son’s fishing lodge.” “Oh, darn!” she replied, looking disappointed. “I was so impressed to think that you were actually going caribou hunting!”

It wasn’t until the next morning, when we were finally knee-deep in the middle of Lake Creek in our hip waders that I finally began to relax and let Alaska truly began to seep under my skin and rid me of all the stress and tension of the days and weeks leading up to that moment. Before I was even ready for it, a silver salmon hit my line. “Mom, mom, let him run with it!” yelled Jason. “And don’t forget to keep your rod tip up or he’ll break it right off!” No matter how often I’ve done it before, I always seem to have that “breaking in” period where I forget everything I’ve been taught – and simply panic. And as quickly as it began, my “battle” with the fish was over as he broke loose and darted away. It wasn’t long, however, before another one hit my line. At this time of year, the salmon are preparing to spawn, so they hit the bait more out of anger and distraction than hunger, and they put up a mighty fight when they get hooked.

My line zinged almost continually as the silver salmon made run after run with it, and finally he managed to cartwheel his entire length above the surface of the water. “Man, oh, man,” I yelled. “This is living!” Remembering at last my carefully-tutored instructions of a couple of years ago, I patiently worked the fish until I got him far enough up toward shore for Jason to ease him out of the water.

The 8-pound salmon was solid muscle and in the early throes of turning the tell-tale scarlet of the spawning season. Intending to release him, I wanted first to have my picture taken with him. I handed my digital camera to Jason, and he carefully transferred the fish into my eagerly waiting grasp. “Now, Mom,” Jason cautioned, “be careful not to squeeze him too hard, but keep a firm grip so he doesn’t get away from you….”

I wrapped one hand around the base of the fish’s tail and gingerly slipped the other just under its gills, keeping him low to the water. And then, as I looked up into the camera lens and turned on a dazzling smile, the fish gave one mighty twist – and got away.

Part II

The bone-chilling cold of the morning was warring with the sleep-inducing warmth of the big quilt that engulfed us. The skies had cleared overnight, and the temperature had dipped below freezing, coating the grass and the front porch of our little cabin with a brittle coat of frost. Though it would have been easy to give in to the beckoning of our warm covers, the thought of the thermos of hot coffee that I knew would be waiting out front on the porch railing was too strong to resist.

I gingerly crawled into jeans that were as cold as the outside air, dragged a sweatshirt over my head and darted outside to grab the waiting thermos and the thick mug that accompanied it.

I knew that my son, Jason, probably had been up for hours already and I marveled at how all things come full circle…. Later, we walked up to the main lodge, where Jason was frying hash browns generously laced with onion on the grill in the kitchen. Off in another corner of the grill was a mountain of eggs scrambled with thick slices of sausage. Breakfast is definitely one of the high points of the day at Wilderness Place Lodge, and after one sniff of its delicious aromas, there was no turning back! We pretty much inhaled our breakfast, however – eager to set out on our planned trip to a salmon creek known as Eight Mile, up the mighty Yenta and Skwentna rivers. We were soon zooming up the Yenta in one of the lodge’s flat-bottomed jet boats, bundled up to the eyebrows against the icy morning air. For a time, I felt as though my eye sockets were freezing – until we rounded a bend in the river and were greeted by the full panorama of the Alaska Range in bold relief against the brightening morning sky. It took our collective breaths away, and we forgot all about being cold.

At last, we arrived at our destination – a sand bar just at the confluence of the Skwentna and Eight Mile. We beached the boat, threw the anchor ashore and disembarked with all of our gear.

As the morning sun began to warm us, it was a day unlike few others – and the silvers were biting! Silver salmon are fighting fish, and their acrobatics and reel-smoking runs make stream fishing for them as exciting as any fishing I’ve ever encountered. One minute the line is casually drifting through pockets of calm water along the shoreline, and the next, the brawny fish hit with spine-tingling aggression and proceed to give you the wildest game tug-of-war you’ve every played!

And though we did battle with so many of them our arms were aching by the end of the morning, we only kept three of them – one to eat for dinner that night and two to take back and smoke over a slow-burning alder fire in the smoker.

Before heading back to the lodge, we decided to stop and hike in from the river to the Skwentna Roadhouse for lunch in the warm, homey kitchen of the old two-story house located in a small clearing in the woods. The roadhouse, like so many others scattered across Alaska, is meant as a stopping-over place for remote travelers in the Alaskan wilderness. This particular one also once served as a wintertime boarding house for children whose families lived in areas too isolated for them to get to school every day. It also plays host to race spectators during the famous Iditarod Sled Dog race each year (the Skwentna Post Office across the river is the race’s first official stopover).

The couple who has owned and run the roadhouse for the past 40 years has been trying to retire for the past several years so they can fulfill their dream of living on a sailboat off the coast of Baja California. But alas – they have been unable to find a buyer and so they run it still.

Part of the ritual of stopping there is sitting around the big kitchen table and “shooting the breeze” with them for a while before ordering your food – no matter how empty your stomach is. When we mentioned we were from northern Minnesota, the husband, John, commented with a grin, “Wow – as if I couldn’t tell from the accent!” “Whoo-ee, Joyce,” he guffawed to his wife, “maybe we should put on the ‘Fargo’ tape while these folks are here…!!”

Information on Wilderness Place Lodge may be found online at:

Wendy Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/an-alaska-fishing-experience-on-lake-creek-travels-in-the-village-of-skwentna-87311.html

Ding, Ding, and now over to our announcer – and now to introduce the other challengers, fighting out of the blue corner (again, no mention of their weight) from ………

The Plonker Club counter says that it is only 1 day 20 hours 34 minutes 26 seconds until Gordon Ramsay puts the latest group of wannabe head chefs through Hell in order to futher their careers, but mostly for our entertainment.

The Official Fox website (http://www.fox.com/hellskitchen/) is now slowly releasing more information as the start date (Jan 29) draws closer – and now we have been fully introduced to Gordon Ramsay’s next willing victims.

As we stated when introducing the women’s team (in the red corner!), Hell’s Kitchen will start with two teams, sperated on the basis of gender, so now it is over to the first four men from the blue team

Ben

Ben Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen Season 5 Contestant

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Age: 26

Occupation: Executive Sous Chef

Experience:

Club Chef, Club at Symphony Center

Sous Chef, Rhapsody Restaurant

Executive Sous Chef, Bistro 110

Chef De Cuisine, Holly’s American Bistro

Head Chef, Diversey Yacht Club

Kitchen Experience:

8 1/2 years

Culinary School:

Kendall College

Notes:

Food comes first and foremost in the life of this native Chicagoan. Ben is the self-proclaimed “hoss” in the kitchen- a real workhorse. A former boarding school kid, Ben has developed a successful career involving his passion: food. Ben lights up when in the kitchen and demands excellence from himself and those around him. If his co-workers cannot handle the pressure of the kitchen, he will tell them to go back to Denny’s. Ben expects to excel in Hell’s Kitchen.

Charlie

Charlie Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen Season 5 Contestant

Hometown: Las Vegas, NV

Age: 24

Occupation: Prep Chef

Experience:

2nd Chef, Soirees Catering

Kitchen Supervisor, House of Blues

Kitchen Experience:

Almost 9 years

Culinary School:

Western Culinary Institute

Notes:

At times, people have been intimidated by Charlie’s unorthodox appearance but he loves the challenge of making people warm up to him. If Chef Ramsay can get past his facade, Charlie thinks he’ll see him for the chef that he is. After finishing culinary school in Oregon, Charlie moved back to his home in Las Vegas. With his newly learned technique and theory firmly planted in his head, Charlie feels he’s a natural in the kitchen.

Danny

Danny Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen

Hometown: Edgewater, FL

Age: 23

Occupation: Executive Chef

Experience:

Sous Chef, Flip Flops Grill & Chill

Sous Chef, Chase’s on the Beach

Line Cook, Ophelia’s Pasta House

Line Cook, The Old Salty Dog

Kitchen Experience:

8 years

Culinary School:

Sarasota County Technical Institute

Notes:

Danny calls himself a redneck that hunts, fishes, and doesn’t care what people think of him. At just 23 years old, Danny has already proven himself in the kitchen, winning the hearts and stomachs of his customers. This self-proclaimed ladies man feels he’ll run circles around anyone and is not afraid to go after Chef Ramsay.

Giovanni

Giovanni Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen

Hometown: Destin, FL

Age: 37

Occupation: Executive Chef

Experience:

Executive Chef, Creehan’s Copper Grill

Executive Chef, Marina Cafe

Executive Chef, Chops

Kitchen Experience:

20 years

Culinary School:

Culinary Institute of America

Notes:

Giovanni has cooked his way to the title of Executive Chef, which allows him the ability to be the pompous, arrogant person that he is. He wants everything done in a timely manner, and he wants it done right. If things are not done right in his kitchen, he will do whatever it takes to get his point across. Despite his strong personality, he hates serious confrontation because he is afraid he will do something he will later regret. Giovanni came to Hell’s Kitchen because he knows he is the best, and he knows he can handle anything Chef Ramsay throws at him.

Round two, introducing the rest of the blue team will be coming shortly (after these words from our sponsors)

Polar Bear
http://www.articlesbase.com/visual-art-articles/gordon-ramsay-with-the-boys-team-in-hells-kitchen-part-1-745688.html

only for those who have started a boarding kennel.

i just need an average
thanx

$80,000 + and a lot of insurance "Hartford Insurance" is the best for this type of business.
You've got to have a place, employees, 25+ hour service for the dogs, janitors and maintenance and then either part-time or full-time trainers(salaries for them don't come cheap if they are certified) Also, you'll probably need to hook up with a couple of local vets for advisement's. Look at it as taking on a pet (cost for one year) and multiply that for how many dogs/cats you want to keep – It's a 7 day a week job and find the right accountant or take a quick course at a local college – you won't be sorry you did in the end. Hire everyone you can trust and watch out for animal abuse by an employee (we all loose our cool once in a while, but on an animal, it could really hurt you in the end, even if it's just teasing) Sorry to be so negative, but it's like opening up a daycare for kids – you've got city and governmental laws to worry about without even considering animal rights activists and more. One bad word of mouth and you're done.

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One of the most common respiratory infections in dogs is Infectious tracheobronchitis, which is also known as kennel cough. According to vet professionals, this is a highly contagious infection caused by a combination of infectious agents. Many times, there is a viral infection with the canine parainfluenza virus followed by a secondary bacterial infection with Bordetella bronchiseptica. This disease is called kennel cough because it is most often transmitted between dogs living together in close quarters as in a kennel.

Pet owners may notice symptoms of this disease after their dog has been in close quarters with other dogs. Kennel situations could be a boarding facility; a pet hotel when owners are away on vacation and chose to leave their dogs; could be with a groomer; or at a dog show.

A common clinical sign is a deep, hacking cough that sounds like the dog has something caught in its throat. Some dogs may cough up a white, foamy discharge at the end of coughing fits. The cough can sound very serious; however, the infection usually clears up within one to two weeks. Vets should be able to easily identify kennel cough as the cause of the coughing just by clinical signs and history.

Antibiotics may be recommended to prevent secondary bacterial infections. Cough suppressants may help to stop the coughing as well. These treatments are usually not required though. Rarely does infectious tracheobronchitis develop into a serious bronchopneumonia which requires more aggressive treatment, according to vet professionals.

Some pet owners may want to alleviate kennel cough before it happens. In these cases, there are several kennel cough vaccines available to pet owners for their dogs. It is recommended by vets to vaccinate dogs before they go to a kennel, dog show or pet hotel, etc. Pet owners should be aware that a lot of veterinary hospitals, boarding facilities, grooming clinics, etc., require the vaccine prior to admittance. Pet owners should check with their vets on vaccination recommendations to keep their pets happy and healthy.

L Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dogs-and-kennel-cough-81634.html

Were bringing our dog there wile we go to the beach and i just want to know if they will be nice to my dog.

I had a Labrador Retriever 10 months old. We took it to the vet to be boarded while we went out of town. My dog contracted "parvo" and died one week later . It was very sad and heartbreaking. Now…when I go on vacation, I will pay someone to watch my pets or I will take my pets with me.

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While choosing a vacation destination that meets the entire family’s needs and desires is always a difficult process, deciding what to do with your furry friend doesn’t have to be. Whether you are heading overseas to a far away exotic location or simply cruising across the country for a beachfront getaway, your dog or cat can be by your side when you stay in a pet friendly vacation rental.

Vacation rentals are a convenient and comfortable lodging alternative to cookie cutter hotels and crowded, bustling resorts. More customized and tailored towards your individual family, you can find homes with the perfect number of bedrooms to comfortably accommodate the entire group all while staying close to your favorite attractions. Forget about compromise during your stay and get everything you always imagined out of your vacation with a vacation rental that suites your family’s style.

Since a vacation home rental offers plenty of space and all of the comforts of home you are accustomed to, you will never feel cramped inside of your accommodations. While hotels only give you a couple of rooms, you can enjoy the freedom of a fully-stocked kitchen, a cozy dining room, a spacious living room, and other extras such as a game room and media room during your vacation. And when you are bringing along the family pet, the additional room will certainly come in handy.

Although boarding Fido or Felix in your local pet hotel or leaving him at home under a neighbor’s care are always possible options, you are certainly going to worry about your four-legged friend no matter where he is staying. Pet friendly vacation rentals, however, give you a completely different option since your best friend can remain under your watch and care even while you enjoy the stunning beaches and entertaining attractions of your vacation destination. Whether you choose to bring your dog along for a walk through the town or leave him behind in your home away from home, each day starts and ends worry-free since you know your family pet is safe and happy.

Even though many pets are completely content to spend the day indoors, you can find a wide selection of vacation rentals with fenced in backyards for those animals who love to soak in the great outdoors. Completely in contrast to many hotels, where you have one or two rooms that open out to a balcony (if anything), a vacation home rental offers plenty of space, both inside and outside, for your pet’s enjoyment. And when your pet feels free to sleep and play even when you are not around, he is less likely to cause problems or destroy items within your accommodations.

While some homes place restrictions on the size of animal you can bring, you will most likely be able to bring along your little friend. It is best to keep in mind, however, that you will be liable for any damage that your pet creates so use your best judgment when deciding if it is a good idea to bring Fluffy or Daisy on the family trip. If he is not housebroken or used to spending most of the day inside, then it is probably best to leave him behind under the care of knowledgeable individual.

Pet friendly vacation rentals can make your getaway retreat a little more relaxing with the peace of mind that your beloved dog or cat is getting the love and attention he deserves. Snuggle up with him in the living room at the end of an entertaining day or bring him along to the beach for a breathtaking stroll near the ocean. No matter what you have planned for your vacation, you can bring along your four-legged friends for a true family trip.

Jen W.
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/pet-friendly-vacation-rentals-94919.html

As the author of several pet loss books, I frequently receive letters and e-mail from people thanking me for my work. Along with their kind and generous words, people often give me kudos that I do not deserve. Somehow people feel the need to thank me for helping animals. The truth is I don’t do as much for our animal friends as people imagine. I do help support scores of shelters by providing books for their fundraisers, making financial donations and helping out in any other way that I am asked to, but my work, my goal is to help the people that help animals.

Dogs and cats do not read my books. People do; and many of them have a sad story to share. In the past decade I have received no less than 5,000 such stories. It is heart-wrenching to read of their losses and the grief they feel. I am so thankful to be able to offer soothing words and advice and to correspond with them for as long as they feel they need my assistance.

They are not the only ones to benefit from our communication however. I have acquired a wealth of knowledge from them; in particular on the dangers that face our pets and how to avoid exposing them to those dangers. Most of what I have learned is common sense, but it would surprise you to know how many people are born without that commodity. I won’t go into the sad details, but generally speaking, many people lose their beloved best friends through circumstances that just did not have to be. From swimming pools to open gates, to exposure to the elements, most “accidents”, and therefore grief, can be avoided.

I have been affectionately labeled a “worry wart” by those who know me simply because I try to think ahead and imagine what dangers there might be for my pets when I am away from them. Admittedly, I do sometimes go a little overboard. For instance, when we are traveling and cannot take our pets with us, we have someone stay with them in our home rather than boarding them at a kennel. It is more expensive, but it comforts me to know that they are in a safe environment that I created for them.

If that is not bad enough, I hand the person staying in our home a small book of rules and information about the animals. I know that no one reads them, but it eases my concern to know the information is available to them should they need it. To my shame, there is still more to my confession. I also call my pet’s babysitter several times each day to ensure my buddies are okay.

I suppose the label of worry wart fits, so I will wear it proudly. I would rather look silly erring on the side of safety than to bury my head in my hands in grief for having overlooked a potential danger

“Oversight” is the word I want to emphasize. It is the one common denominator that I find present in each sad story that is shared with me. When tragedy comes the catalyst is usually someone not perceiving that a danger existed. I am not blaming anyone. Indeed, there is no blame to assign. I am merely pointing out that sometimes people are not aware that certain conditions or situations might present a danger to their pets.

Let me use myself as an example. I have three dogs, all rescued from shelters. Two of them sometimes have “discussions” because the smaller of the two is dominant and pushes the larger one (twice her size) around. I was aware that there was some occasional squaring off, but these always amounted to nothing more than grumbling at each other with a low growl and icy stare. They usually got along splendidly, and on those rare occasions where they had a small confrontation over a rawhide or toy, it usually was settled by the dominant one having her way.

Returning home one day from shopping, we were greeted by a frantic neighbor who told us that these two dogs had gotten into a real scrap while we were gone. Fortunately, we had made a way for the dogs to go outside into the fenced yard whenever nature calls and the incident took place in the yard. Had it happened in the house, it is doubtful my neighbor would have been aware of it and the story might have ended tragically different than it did.

He told us that he immediately ran over to the fence and yelled for them to stop, but they would not listen. He ultimately had to jump the fence and separate them because he was sure that the larger dog was going to kill the smaller one if they remained together. My initial thought was that he was exaggerating a bit, but when I saw the gashes and cuts on the bloodied smaller dog, I knew there was a real problem.

As a consequence of that episode, our home is now divided in our absence, as is the yard. The two problem “children” have separate doors that they can use to access and exit the yard. They can still be together, but they are divided by a fence. That doesn’t stop the neighbor’s dog from jumping over into either side of the yard (which we are still working on), but it keeps my two rascals from mixing it up.

My point is that while we need to guard against dangers, there is a limit to what we can anticipate and guard against. Sometimes even worry warts miss things. Still, when we accept the responsibility of caring for an animal, we need to be vigilant and proactive in their care and safety. There are just so many potential dangers. With a little thought and perhaps a little study on the internet, we can gain critical knowledge that we can easily apply to our pet’s environment to ensure their safety.

For instance, how many of us give tennis balls to our dogs? They are fine for smaller dogs, but pose a real choke hazard to larger dogs. Tennis balls are a disaster waiting to happen, one that has happened far too many times. Swimming pools are another problem. Fortunately for me, my dogs detest the water and won’t go near it. Most dogs enjoy the water, however, and an exposed swimming pool is an open invitation to fun.

While you are at home and they are swimming with you, there is little danger. When you are gone however, if they purposely or accidentally enter the pool, they often cannot find their way out, if indeed there is one. You may not realize that when you are with them, YOU are their way out of the pool. When you are gone, the whole dynamic changes.

I have had so many readers share their pool tragedies with me, that I felt compelled to find a solution and make it available to pet owners on my website. I found a company who offers a flotation device that allows dogs of any size to exit pools without assistance. I feel that this is such an important product that I advertise it on my website without charge. I do not make any profit from sales of this product. The only benefit to me is the satisfaction of knowing that another tragedy will be avoided when someone purchases it and uses it.

There are so many dangers, too many to mention here. So please do some research and educate yourself. It is important that we be vigilant. Those trusting faces depend upon us to look out for them. If there is a way for our cats and dogs (and other animals) to get themselves into trouble, they will find it. We need to find it first and eliminate it as a threat.

Be a worry wart. It will pay big dividends.

Gary Kurz
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/pets-in-peril-123952.html

Every year, thousands of families bring their pets along on their vacations. Some feel as if their pets are part of their families, and don’t want to leave them behind. For others, there is simply no one at home to watch the pet, no funds available for boarding, or the trip was a spur-of-the-moment plan and there was no time to consider anything else except to bring the pet along.

Of course before you head out the door with your pet, there are some things to consider like accommodations, because not all hotels, motels, campgrounds and other lodgings accepts pets. So go through this checklist before you hit the road so you don’t have to leave your cat or dog in an unsafe environment.

Do Some Research & Confirmation Work

Check popular campground guidebooks, hotel, motel and other lodge listing research work to see which places accept pets. Then call ahead to confirm, as most print publications went to press at least a year ahead of time, and places may have changed hands or ownership status along with their pet policies. Find out if the location charges extra per night, plus if there are deposits and if there are any size requirements (for example, do they accept large dogs).

Portable Pet Kennels

Many pets ride fine in automobiles. However, some do not. Plus you may be traveling part way by airplane, bus or other means, and not only that, once you reach your destination, pet kennels turn into pet beds, making safe havens for your furry friends each night away from home. So you might want to check out portable pet kennels.

For airline travel with pets, call ahead to the specific airlines you’ll be using for exact details and requirements for traveling with pets. On some fights, you need to have given your animal food and water roughly 2 hours before take off, so you’ll want to check for exact details to see what your pet will need and the size carrier that’s allowed, etc. Some smaller ones for cats and small dogs may be allowed under the seat, so ask.

Fido’s Belongings

When you are vacationing with your cat or dog, pack a favorite toy or two, blanket or pillow, and any special things it may need, just as you would your own. Don’t forget some pet food, of course, plus some snacks or treats. And if your pet may need medication of any kind, bring along any medicines and / or any pet vitamins, etc. that might be needed. And as an added precaution, bring along the phone number of your vet, in case there is an emergency.

Dawn Orbeck
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/tips-for-traveling-with-pets-135554.html

Boarding 2 dogs max in my ownhome instead of them going to concrete kennels other services include dog walking dog sitting

You can usually add a tag-on to your homeowners insurance for an out of home business. However, for a dog walking service, as it is not out of my home, but that dogs are to be picked up, my agent offered insurance through Lloyd's of London..It runs $500 per year.
Your local independent agent should be able to take care of that for you..
If you are in USA, you might consider filing as a LLC (limited liability ) so that your home and property are exempt form any business issues..You can do this online, or through a local attorney, and it only costs $40-$60 online, or about $120 through an attorney

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I personally do not advocate for commercially prepared dried pet food diet. From the pet food recall incident, we know that dogs today get sick from cancer, diabetes, liver and kidney diseases at a young age and most died suffering from the onset of the illness. The pet food recall exercise have just confirmed my thoughts about pet diet does contribute and play a major role in their health condition today.

Thus, we cannot ignore the fact that commercially prepared food is a cause of these recent pet health issues. Cook for your pet today instead if you can. Check out my previous article on quick and easy way to prepare home cooked meals. Alternatively, you may visit my site to sign up for regular newsletter on FREE tips on health care for dogs at www.dogcarezone.com If you are unable to provide for homemade natural diet or BARF, here are my suggestions on selecting and doing the best you can with your kibble options for your dog.

• Select from specialty shop like your local pet shop rather then buy from supermarket. This option is most convenient for working adults however, much consideration must be put into selecting premium dog foods to ensure quality food source goes into preparing the food.

• Select only brands that has meat sources listed as first two ingredients in the list. Look out for words like human-grade food source or organic. Avoid brands that list grains as their main source of protein, meat meals and by-products, dyes, artificial preservatives like BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin and propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is known to cause bloat and anemia in dogs.

• Do your research on dog food brands that you are feeding. Talk to dog owners who purchase the same brand as you and observe if their dogs are healthy and coat is looking good.

• Choose premium brands from specialty store and perform some basic research on the source of meats and food source of the brand you choose.

• Consider cooking and making a little extra fresh foods for your dog’s daily meal and let this little extra be about 30% of your dog’s diet. Very simply, just include in your dog’s kibble diet cooked meats with some pulp vegetables and eggs instead of just dried food or canned foods. This will not throw the diet out of balance and your dog will have a more palatable and healthier meals.

• Add enzymes to their meals. Cooked food or kibble diet do not contain enzymes which is responsible for breaking down the food properly. You can consider feeding aloe vera juice with the kibbles. Aloe vera juice is a natural plant full of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Take note to purchase pure aloe vera juice from health food store, not those aloe vera drinks found in supermarkets.

• Enzymes are also found in fresh fruits daily (just a little portion a day (AVOID all citrus fruits, avocados, grapes and raisins), if you feed your dog one meal a day, feed them fruits for their second meal)

• Canned Dog Food vs Home Cooked Meats

• Personally, most canned dog food usually contain some preservatives and/or salt. Though some preservatives are natural, but we have to ask ourselves. If eating canned food daily is not a good for us humans, logically, it is unhealthy for your dog as well. Canned food is a very convenient option and can be used occasionally when you are in a rush or your dog is in boarding. But on a regular basis, avoid giving your dog canned food everyday.

• If you would like to make your dog’s meals more palatable, cook a pot of minced/chopped meats with olive oil, add some minced vegetables and eggs. Freeze a week’s worth of cooked food in portions of 3 days worth. Defreeze as and when you need so you can mix with dry dog food. It will save you a lot of preparation time if you do in bulk but most importantly, you have prepared a much more healthier and wholesome meats for your dog. It is also a cheaper option compared to canned food.

For more precious health care tips for pets, visit my site and subscribe to the newsletter today! www.dogcarezone.com

Veronica Eng @ www.dogcarezone.com/blog

P.S. No amounts of the information should be duplicated in any website, ebooks or books without the author’s permission. Email to info@veronicaeng.com if you want to do so. Alternatively, include the author’s website www.dogcarezone.com as a reference site to your book or article. Thank you for your kind cooperation.

Veronica Eng
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-select-commercial-pet-food-a-quick-and-easy-guide-125832.html