Many dog owners treat their pets as though they are their own children. They play with them, let them live inside and sit on the furniture, and even sometimes sleep in their beds. There is no denying the love most dog owners have for their pets, but sometimes they unwittingly cause health problems by feeding their canine pals table scraps rather than dog food.
While the occasion table scraps as treats probably won’t hurt one’s furry friends, what a pet dog really needs for proper nutrition is dog food. It’s true that the ancestors of today’s dogs hunted and ate meat. And feeding a dog the occasional meat hunk or carcass probably won’t hurt. But today’s dogs are thoroughly domesticated and are different creatures. Constant table food can cause obesity and even a form of diabetes in dogs.
Dog food is designed with the necessary proteins and other vitamins and minerals dogs need to be healthy. Just like humans, dogs can experience clogged arteries and heart attacks. It’s important to include dog food in the diet in order to keep man’s best friend in prime health.
There are many types of dog food. There are many scientifically designed varieties meant to address different aspects of canine health. Some dog food targets the coat, some target joints. There is a type of dog food for nearly any dog. There are even breed-specific foods, as well as foods designed for the different ages of dogs.
Proper care of one’s dog can result in years of pleasant companionship and beautiful memories. The therapeutic effects owning a pet are well documented. Pets can help teach children responsibility. However, not taking care of this fellow creature can result in heartbreak and regret. Dogs need regular exercise, lots of love, and minimal access to table scraps. What the healthy dog really needs to eat is dog food.
December 13th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
What is considered as quality food you feed for prenatal care of chihuahuas?
I've seen a lot of chi owners on this site talking about prenatal care for their chis. My concerned is what type of food specifically do you feed for prenatal chi care? is it a certain brand of puppy food? is it home made foods? what can i feed her to produce more milk? i was told by a vet to give her yogurt and cottage cheese but what if she refuses? then what do i feed her then?
December 14th, 2008 at 3:48 am
Use Medical Development Formula. It's a food only sold in vet clinics, and no, u dont have to see a dr, to get it. It's the highest quality food for pregnant and lactating mothers, as well as for the puppies until they reach a year old.
I love the Medical brand.
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December 14th, 2008 at 3:50 am
The only thing you need to do is to feed a high quality puppy food in the last trimester of pregnancy. She doesn't need people food, and it may cause upset stomach as dogs are lactose intolerant. After the puppies are born, give her all the puppy food she wants to eat. Some toy breeds are prone to eclampsia, a condition that comes from depleted calcium levels in the bloodstream. Usually after the pups have been nursing for about 2 weeks. The mom can have tremors or seizures. This is not very common, and I wouldn't be overly worried about it…just aware of it. If it happens, she'll need calcium injections from the vet right away. Adding extra calcium to the diet may even cause this, so don't do so unless your vet specifically tells you to. Read the link below for more info on this subject.
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/eclampsia-in-dogs/page1.aspx
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CVT
December 14th, 2008 at 3:52 am
Purina Pro Plan Puppy
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December 14th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Any good quality puppy food is okay and you can supplement it with cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc, calcium rich food during the last few weeks of pregnancy. Best of luck with your chi and the upcoming litter. Try to be home during her last few days before the pups are born to watch her closely. C-sections are pretty common in chis.
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December 14th, 2008 at 3:56 am
I fed my Shih-tzu Innova EVO (this food is very high in protein) while she was pregnant and all the puppies were born VERY healthy and strong. Most of the better foods don't have a puppy and an adult formula they're good for all life stages.
DO NOT ADD ANY VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS IN THE FIRST MONTH OF PREGNANCY.
BIRTH DEFECTS WILL DEVELOP FROM TOO MUCH VITAMINS A & D.
DO NOT GIVE ANY MEDICINE NOW EITHER WITHOUT THE EXPRESS ORDER OF THE VETERINARIAN.
At week 5 you should increase her feeding by 25%.
Give her a daily Vitamin supplement from your Veterinarian
At week 6, increase her feeding again by 25% and divide her feedings into 2 meals a day.
You will notice that she is sleeping a little more now.
At week 7, increase her meal amount again by 25%.
At week 8, increase the feed again by 25%. She is now eating double her normal amount.
Begin feeding her 3 times a day now and make the exercise time shorter, but more frequent.
Walking will be very tiring for her and she is very uncomfortable through the last week of the pregnancy.
Begin taking her temperature rectally twice a day.
The normal dog temperature is about 100.3F – 101.3F.
It will normally drop to about 98. degrees F 8 – 24 hours before the onset of labour and she will refuse to eat or drink anything.
There are books about dog deliveries you can read
NEVER EXPECT YOUR DOG TO DELIVER A LITTER BY HERSELF.
Although animal whelping is a 'natural event' this does not mean that the animal does not get into serious trouble if left unattended.
Mother and puppies frequently die because the owner thoughtlessly left her alone during this crucial time.
References :
http://www.petbitsforyou.com/pregnant.html
December 14th, 2008 at 3:58 am
Careful about adding puppy food. Some breeders I've talked to have had bad luck when they do. The puppies got larger on them causing a c-section. When they stopped using puppy food, they stopped having so many c-sections. Let her eat as much as she wants of her regular food. I've given a pregnant chi bread (it has folic acid now you know). You can offer her cottage cheese, I don't think I've had a dog turn up their nose at it. Will she eat dog vitamins? My vet gave me some for my girls. But not all my chis will take them.
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Other chi breeders