It’s always best to look for treats that are made with natural and organic ingredients and have no artificial flavorings or colorings. When reading labels, look for short ingredient lists with few, if any chemicals added.  Some of the worst possible treats that you can give to your dog are those cheap, bargain bags of multicolored biscuits that are loaded with artificial flavors, artificial colors, and meat or poultry by-products.  But fair warning, I just found chicken by-product meal and animal digest listed as ingredients in a very well known brand of dog treats.  Even if you are buying a name brand that you trust, you still need to do your due diligence.

It does pay to look closely at the labels. My guess is that most people would not knowingly give food or treats that included these ingredients to their pets if they knew what they actually were.

Make Your Own Treats
Fortunately, there are safe and healthy alternatives to consider.  First, you could always make your own treats.  Sure, it takes more time than just buying them off of the shelf but, when you make your own, you can be sure that the treats are made of healthy, wholesome ingredients. We have some pretty tasty recipes here and a “how to video” here to make it easier for you if you decide to give this a try.

Easy Shortcut for Homemade Treats
If you want a shortcut to making your own treats, you can get a good, premade mix from K9 Cakery where all you have to do is add water and oil, stir and bake.

As you can see, no questionable ingredients there at all.   I just recently made these myself for my two German Shepherds, one of which is a picky eater, and they both loved them. They were very quick and easy to make!

Buy from a Good Company
A third option would be to find a quality brand of baked biscuits. I think Sojo’s brand is fantastic because their products use nothing artificial, no preservatives, just simple, natural, HUMAN-QUALITY ingredients.

Nothing there but wholesome ingredients.  Yum….sounds good enough to eat!

Whatever you decide, just do your best to leave the unsavory and unhealthy ingredients out of the next treats you give your dog.  After all, treats are supposed to be a positive thing, not a health threat and your dog is relying on you to make sure that his treats are healthy and safe.

For more recipes, go to: http://www.doggiebistro.com/free_homemade_treat_recipes

If you’re like most dog owners, you probably assume that commerical dog foods with brand names that are easily identifiable – Purina, Iams, Pedigree, etc. – must be good for your pets, right? After all, millions of pet owners buy them and feed them to their beloved pets, and surely they wouldn’t all give their dogs something harmful. Unfortunately, this may just be the case.

Now, before I get any further along, let me make it clear that I am not a veterinarian. I do, however, have a science background and education, and I’ve had more dogs in my care in one year than most people will have in a lifetime. As an observant and naturally curious person, I’ve paid close attention in the past 20 years to the general health of my pets and those I’ve had in my care through a rescue shelter I was involved with for several of those years. I’ve also picked the brains of several top vets in my state in my quest to get to the heart of the matter concerning the best dog diet.

What has become abundantly clear is that one type of diet stands well above all others in terms of fostering good health and long life. More on that later…

I’ve seen dogs fed commercial foods, both wet and dry, from the cheapest brands to the so-called “premium” brands. I’ve also seen dogs who were fed vegan or vegetarian diets, as well as those fed raw meat and bones (known popularly as the BARF Diet). While individual dogs will do just fine on any of these widely divergent diets, what I’ve looked for are general trends in population subsets. How do these 10 dogs fare in their lifetimes when they eat cheap kibble every day? How about those 12 dogs who are getting a vegetarian diet all the time? And what happens to those 25 dogs who are being given a raw meat and bones diet? These are the types of questions I’ve asked as I’ve dealt with large numbers of dogs and their owners or keepers over the years.

These have in no way been controlled experiments, and I would never attempt to pass them off as authoritative or as adhering to any strict interpretation of the scientific method. In other words, take my conclusions with a large grain of salt. I’m really just out to get the wheels turning in the minds of all dog lovers who read these words.

After all of this careful observation and tracking, clear patterns have emerged time and time again…

Dogs that eat commercial kibble or wet food have lots of health problems later in life and tend to die youngest. This is even true when they’ve been fed “premium” dog foods, sadly.

Dogs that are fed vegetarian diets do better, but must be given large amounts of alternative protein sources to make up for the lack of it in standard vegetarian fare. A purely vegetarian diet is difficult to provide that will satisfy a canine’s basic nutritional needs, but it is healthier and leads to slightly longer lifespans than any commercial brand diet.

Without any doubt (based on what I’ve seen over many years and hundreds of dogs), the best possible diet to feed your dogs is raw meat and bones with an occasional slop made up of vegetables, fruits, and organ meat. I’ve seen clear and compelling evidence that this diet leads to three amazing results: much better overall health, excellent dental health, and longer lifespans.

Countless times, I’ve seen dogs with repeating, nagging health issues (obesity, allergies, etc.) turn completely around on a raw meat and bones diet. And it doesn’t take long to see how much whiter and cleaner their teeth become. This is actually very important (dental health), because a growing number of vets suspect a link between the bacteria produced by poor dental hygiene and internal complications as dogs age. Because dogs have to crunch through raw chicken, beef, or pork bones daily, they get and keep very clean teeth in short order.

It still amazes me to hear the feedback from a dog owner who has converted to the raw meat and bones diet. Virtually without fail, they all become true believers. In some cases, the improvement in their dogs is nothing short of startling.

A common fear voiced by many owners is the worry over the bones getting caught in their dog’s throat or splintering and cutting them internally. This is a common misconception that actually does apply to COOKED bones. Never give your dog a cooked bone (especially chicken bones)! Raw bones, however, are no more of a threat than any other mouthful of food your dog chews. I have yet to deal with even one case of a dog on this diet having any kind of serious problem with the bones (out of hundreds).

Yes, handling raw meat and bones requires a commitment many are uncomfortable with. You have to get over the ‘yuckiness’ and embrace the benefits to your dogs! Another issue is finding a good source of affordable products. It’s a good idea to locate a chicken processing plant nearby. They will often sell chicken cages (breast bones and related parts). Chicken cages are ideal because they provide a good balance of meat and bone – not too much of either in proportion to the other.

However, you should not always feed chicken. Mix things up to vary their protein sources a bit. Get some pork and some beef now and then to keep things lively and to provide your dogs with important nutrional elements that the chicken alone probably isn’t providing. And don’t forget to mix up a slop of green veggies, carrots, apples, bananas, and some raw livers or hearts at least twice a month. [*Note: have your pet checked for allergic reactions to any of those ingredients before trying this for the first time. Adjust accordingly.]

This is the main idea behind the success of the raw meat and bones diet: it comes closest to simulating the exact types of foods dogs ate all during their evolution. Think about it. Did dogs eat processed commercial food from bags or cans? Did they grow and harvest vegetables, fruits, and grains? Did they dine on cooked meats? Of course not! They evolved eating prey the pack took down and scavenging the carcasses of former kills. All raw!

You might be wondering, given this evolutionary perspective, why I’m suggesting that you prepare and feed a veggie-fruit slop every now and then. Good question! It’s a bit unsettling to ponder, but consider the state of the prey (or dead bodies) that dogs ate all those years they were evolving. The animals they ate also ate, and more often than not, that meant their stomachs contained undigested vegetables, fruits, and other plant matter. The dogs dining on them didn’t ignore that stuff – it got eaten along with everything else that could be stripped from the body.

So you see, this diet works because it mimics what dogs naturally fed on for tens of thousands of years. It really is that simple. There’s nothing deep or esoteric about it at all.

Just try it. Take this challenge: give your dogs a raw meat and bones diet for 60 days. Try to find a meat and bones source that is close to a 50/50 meat-bone ratio (chicken breast cages from a processing plant are great, but you can also try pork necks or beef ribs from any grocery store). If you go the pork or beef route, give your pet plenty of time to wear down the raw bones. Chicken bones are soft and easily chewed up, but pork and beef bones take much longer. If you don’t see any noticeable improvements – healthier coat, more energy, better teeth, excellent blood work-ups – go back to his former diet.

If you do take the challenge, I’m betting you’ll be fairly amazed and continue. About 90% of those I know who’ve tried it stick with it. Give it 60 days. Isn’t a healthier, happier dog who lives longer worth it?

About the Author:

John Schwartz has written extensively about dog health issues, safe dog products, and humane dog training practices. He is a passionate advocate for spay and neuter education. His website can be found at http://www.puppies-dogs-supplies.com

Natural, additive free treats are in high demand these days, especially in the wake of the recent pet food contamination scares.  If you think about it, what pet owners–given a choice–wouldn’t want to give their best friend a healthy treat that was free of artificial dyes and chemical preservatives?  When you add the demand for healthy treats to the fact that there are over 67 million dogs in the United States alone, the profitability picture starts to look amazingly bright.

Speaking of profitability, the profit margins in the dog bakery business tend to be rather high since you can make each treat for only pennies and can charge several hundred times your cost.  A dog bakery can also be a fairly low cost business to start.  In many states–but certainly not all so you need to check–you can transform your own kitchen into your dog bakery and find most ingredients in your local grocery store.  Packaging your product can be as simple and cost effective as using paper bags with labels that you print out on your computer so your product costs can stay rather low.

As far as recipes go, we have a free collection of  recipes here, and a little additional research on the internet should help get you started.   You may need to perform several taste tests with your own dog and other neighborhood “volunteers” to make sure you have got it right and it wouldn’t hurt to run the recipes by your veterinarian too, just to make sure you are on the right (healthy, premium) track.

Recently, I discovered a wonderful new resource, K9Cakery.com, which has everything you need to get started and more.  They even have a homemade dog treat mix,  a dog cake mix,  icings and other decorations for your treats, cookie cutters–really, it doesn’t get much easier than this! If you are interested in this idea at all,  you should check them out.

Need more information?  We’ve found two really good start up guides and recipe collections that deserve a closer look.  Getting the best information will help you get started right and shave hours off your learning curve time:

You’ve  probably already heard that chocolate isn’t safe for dogs to eat and that is absolutely true. Dark chocolate is the most harmful because it contains the highest concentration  of the toxic ingredient theobromine. Depending on the dosage and the size of the dog, theobromine may cause a dog to vomit and have diarrhea, seizures, panting, frequent urination, excessive thirst,hyperactivity, abnormal heart beat and sometimes die. Milk chocolate contains less theobromine and therefore is less toxic than dark chocolate while White chocolate, with the least amount of theobromine, is the safest of the three. Even so, it’s best not to feed your dog any chocolate at all, why take the risk? (Plus, that way you get to eat all the chocolate yourself, it’s a win-win.)

Although, it’s hard to imagine a situation where a dog would consume coffee, it should definitely be avoided.  According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the caffeine in coffee can be toxic to a dog’s heart and nervous system. So, if your best buddy likes to enjoy your morning coffee with you, you’ll need to find a healthy substitute for him.

It may surprise you to hear that the onion is yet another human food that isn’t healthy for our dogs. It’s not a common poisoning, but it does cause anemia, and may hurt the kidneys. Fortunately, we’re not talking about the small bit of onion that may be in the leftover stew or meatloaf. Dogs do need to eat quite a bit of onion to become ill–approximately 1/4 ounce of onion per pound of his body weight–which is quite a lot.

Xylitol is a common sugar replacement that is used in sugar free cookies, gum, baked goods, toothpaste and other foods. Unfortunately, Xylitol can also be deadly for our dogs.  Its effects are twofold: Firstly, it can cause low blood sugar with seizures and vomiting. Secondly, it can lead to liver failure, vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Be very careful to check all sugar-free product labels for Xylitol, sometimes it’s hard to see.  Truthfully,  I don’t allow it in my house anymore after a few close calls with our dog and Xylitol sweetened gum belonging to one of my teens.  Since Xylitol poisoning can be fatal, having it around just doesn’t seem worth it.

Grapes and raisins are a popular, healthy snack for us so it may surprise you to find out that these common foods can harm and even  kill your dog. Strangely, no one really knows what ingredient is in grapes that causes this toxicity or why some dogs can eat grapes and have no problems, yet others can become deathly ill.  We do know that it damages the kidneys and the damage, which starts within hours, can be so severe that the dog stops producing urine. Unfortunately, if this happens, he’s unlikely to survive. Pretty scary, right?  I was shocked when I first heard about this, having given grapes occasionally to my dogs for years without problems.  I guess I was lucky–and so were my dogs!

Considering how common some of these toxic foods are, it’s probably a good idea to make sure you know which foods are unsafe before you  share them with your dog. I’ve listed just a few unsafe foods above but we have a more complete list of the Common Foods that are Unsafe for Your Dog for you to read here. Please read the list and make sure your family members are familiar with it also. You might want to consider posting it on the refrigerator for easy reference for everyone. If you are in doubt about a food and it isn’t listed, check with your veterinarian before you ever feed it to your dog.  If he does manage to eat something poisonous, call your veterinarian immediately or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour emergency hotline at (888) 426-4435.

I did make River homemade food according to the recipe I gave in the earlier post and he really liked it. Making the food was a bit labor intensive for my busy schedule but I would have continued to do it anyway if I hadn’t run across a great time saving short cut.  I’m all about short cuts as long as I don’t have to forfeit  anything important.

Fortunately, there is a company, Sojourner Farms Natural Pet Food Company, which offers what they call “pre-mixes” that you just combine with meat and water and presto, you have fresh, homemade dog food in minutes. This seemed like the best of both worlds–I get to control the quality of meat that I give my dog and they make it safe, simple, and convenient for me to feed my dog healthy, premium dog food. Sounded good, really good.

I checked  Sojourner Farms out and found they’ve been making pet food in their own facility for 25 years and are committed to using only human-quality ingredients that are safe, healthy and free of contamination. In fact, co-owner Maggie Johnson had this to say about both quality and safety: “It has been a great relief for our customers to know that we don’t use any feed-grade ingredients, by-products, or chemicals in our products, and that all of our grains are locally grown in the Midwest. And, considering that[one of] the recent high-profile recall[s] is due to contaminated wheat gluten and corn, people feel safe knowing that all of our dog food is wheat and corn free.” This was just what I was hoping to hear and now it was time to order.

The first thing I noticed when ordering was that they have no shipping charges! That’s fantastic since shipping charges are something I had previously considered a real down side to ordering any dog food online because of the product’s weight.  For dog food, I had three types to choose from: Original–which needs meat and veggies added, Grain-Free–which is a “just add meat” mix, and their Complete mix where all you add is water. I have a German Shepherd that scratches a lot and may be allergic to some grains so I chose the Grain-Free mix. Sojourner Farms suggests you transition to this food–well, any new food–gradually so I followed their guidelines without any difficulty.

My dog River, who is a finicky eater really seems to love this food. I’m sure the fact that I add 1 1/2 cups of meat to 1 1/2 cups of mix helps him to eat it with gusto! The mixing wasn’t a big deal and just takes a few minutes – quick and easy.  A great side benefit is that I no longer have any guilt about the quality of food I’m feeding River–I actually feel good about making a safe and healthy choice for him. I’m so glad I took a chance and gave Sojo’s a try. (By the way, River’s itching seems to have stopped entirely.)

Homemade Dog Food

Like a lot of other concerned dog owners, I started looking around for a healthy and safe alternative to grocery store kibble. I finally decided that  going the homemade route might be the answer, as long as I could figure out what the right ingredients were. Doing a little research turned up lots of suggestions and a simple, workable recipe for homemade dog food:

Which Vegetables? Which Fruits?

The recipe above is a really good guide  but it may leave you wondering which meats, fruits and vegetables are best to feed your dog.  Sojourner Farms Pet Food Company,  maker of the excellent Sojos brand of homemade dog food pre-mixes, has these  suggestions:

“We recommend USDA beef, chicken or turkey (ground or whole from the grocery store or butcher, or frozen meat patties sold in your local pet store). Always use safe handling methods when dealing with raw meat.”

“In addition, we encourage people to get creative and feed their pet a variety of healthy foods like shredded carrots, beets, blueberries, apples, broccoli, zucchini, peas, green beans, sprouts, bananas, melon, pears, brown rice, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Veggies should be raw or steamed. Avoid junk food, fried foods, citrus fruits, grapes/raisins, onions and spicy foods.”

How Much to Feed?

How much should you feed your dog?  I went by the suggestions Sojos gave for their pre-mixed foods here and it worked well for my dog.  My suggestion is to  go by that and then watch and see if your dog is staying at the right weight. If not, just adjust the food quantities accordingly. Bone appetite!

Here are the potential risks involved:

• Small bones such as chicken bones can get wedged in the roof of the mouth, between the big upper molar teeth. Although this isn’t life threatening, will frighten your dog, and can cause abrasions to the gums.
• Bones can also present a choking hazard, as they may be swallowed and get stuck in the back of your dog’s throat, requiring emergency treatment.
• Even large marrow bones aren’t safe. These are hard enough to break your dog’s tooth, which can lead to painful gum infection and tooth root abscesses.
• Some bones can get stuck in the gastro-intestinal tract and cause a blockage, requiring surgery to clear it.  Even worse, if a shard of bone actually pierces his intestine, it can lead to peritonitis, a potentially fatal infection of his abdominal cavity.
• A bone can get stuck in the esophagus, the tube that food travels through to reach the stomach. Your dog may gag, trying to bring the bone back up, and will require a visit to your veterinarian.
• Your dog may have a hard time passing the bone fragments because they’re very sharp and they scrape the inside of the large intestine or rectum as they move along.  This causes severe pain and may require a visit to your veterinarian.It’s also possible that bones can cause your dog’s feces to become very hard, which leads to painful constipation. If this happens, he may need an enema and laxatives to help him pass his bowel movements.

If you buy into what the FDA is saying–and there are many who aren’t entirely in agreement–then the trick is to figure out how to keep your dog’s teeth clean if you can’t give him a bone to chew on.  Since most dogs have periodontal disease to some extent before they reach 3 years old, an effective substitute must be found.

“Talk with your veterinarian about alternatives to giving bones to your dog,” says Stamper. “There are many bone-like products made with materials that are safe for dogs to chew on. Always supervise your dog with any chew product, especially one your dog hasn’t had before,” adds Stamper. “And always, if your dog ‘just isn’t acting right,’ call your veterinarian right away!”

Another simple and safe solution is to brush his teeth! The current recommendation from veterinary dentists is that you need to brush his teeth at least once a day, preferably twice. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use a finger toothbrush. These are made out of silicone and have soft rubber bristles. You can put them on your finger just as you would a finger guard, add some toothpaste made especially for dogs and just  rub your dog’s teeth with your fingertip.

If you can give your dog safe bone alternative and find five minutes once or twice a day to clean your dog’s teeth, he will have a healthier mouth. He will also have fresher breath, which will make it much nicer to cuddle up next to him on the couch.

Finding and booking hotels that allow dogs is much easier with BringFido.com. They provide unbiased reviews, detailed pet policy information, and online reservations with over 25,000 pet friendly hotels.  Another great bonus with Bring Fido is that they guarantee you the best rate available on prepaid reservations or they will refund you the difference plus $20–you just can’t beat that!

If you are on a road trip, it’s not always possible to know where you will stop for the night so knowing which chains are most likely to have dog friendly accommodations can definitely be a plus. Here are a few of the top pet friendly hotel/motel chains:

1) Motel 6, Often referred to as “America’s original pet friendly hotel,” has 900 locations across the United States that accepts pets. No extra fees or deposits are required for pets.

2) Best Western is the world’s largest hotel chain and has over 1900 pet-friendly locations, 1000 of which are in the U.S. & Canada. With so many locations, they’re sure to have a hotel accommodation for you and your pets

3) La Quinta Inns & Suites -  Pets up to 50 pounds are allowed at all but four of their 700+ properties nationwide but it is best to confirm this over the phone with them. LaQuinta does not require deposits, fees or up charges on rooms with pets.

4) Red Roof Inn welcomes pets to their 340 locations in 36 states with no additional charges for pets. On their website, they proclaim: “Just because you’re furry, shouldn’t mean you have to spend the night in the car.”

5) Comfort Inn & Suites has over 550 pet-friendly properties in the U.S. renowned for quality and service at affordable prices.

Fortunately, with a little planning and a few adjustments, there are ways to bring our dogs along and not regret that decision.   Here are some guidelines for having a great time on vacation with your dog.

Safey First -

• First it’s really important to make sure you have your dog’s identification up to date with your current address and phone number.  If he has any health conditions, it’s a good idea to include these details on a tag on his collar. It’s also a good plan to take a current photo of your dog so if he does get lost, you can use the photo instead of a description on your “lost” posters.

• Speaking of “lost” posters,  losing one’s beloved dog hundreds of miles from home is something no dog owner wants to think about.  It’s rare, but sometimes things we didn’t anticipate do happen and a dog can become lost.   A great remedy, especially if you have a dog that tends to wander, is to purchase an affordable RF Tag or GPS Tracker for your dog.  While doing some research, I found a company that sells a small RF Tag that goes right on your dog’s collar for under $30. That seems like  a small price to pay for the security and peace of mind it will bring and I am definitely going to get one for my dog River when we travel.

• Before you go on vacation, it’s best to find out what regional disease risks your dog may be exposed to while you’re away. Some regions have ticks which can spread Lyme disease; other regions will have mosquitos which can transmit canine heartworm. If you know this ahead of time, your vet can help you take steps to make sure that your dog doesn’t become infected. It goes without saying that if your dog takes any prescription medication, you need check and make sure you have enough to last the duration of your vacation. If you happen to miscalculate and run out, your vet may be able to fax a prescription to the local vet, but why have that kind of stress if you can avoid it?

On the Road -

• When driving to your vacation destination,make sure you stop periodically and give your dog time to stretch his legs and take a comfort break.  Offer him some water at the same time but try not to give him much food during the day while you are traveling–you may wish you didn’t!

• Finding Dog Friendly Hotels and Motels can be a bit difficult if you wait until the last minute so it’s good to plan ahead.  If you know where you are going to be stopping each night, check out the dog friendly accommodation listings at  BringFido.Com and you will be all set. If you aren’t sure where you will be stopping, you can still find which motel/hotel chains accept dogs which will make everything so much easier.

Vacation Destination -

• When choosing a vacation venue, make sure there are activities he can share in. Perhaps there’s an off leash beach, or a trail walk he can hike with you. It would be sad if you made all the effort to bring your dog with you only to have to leave him behind when you go on outings.  Again, Bring Fido is an excellent resource for researching the dog related activities and options that may be available where you want to stay.  Here’s a few things to consider:

• If you’re renting a house for your vacation, check the fencing carefully for any gaps your dog could squeeze through.  If you are camping, it’s really a good idea to bring his crate so he’s safe when you’re not able to keep an eye on him.

• Do you anticipate being gone occasionally for several hours without your dog?  Consider a pet sitter for that day or a dog walker which you can find locally at Sitter City.

There’s nothing more fun than sharing your vacation with your dog: frolicking in the waves with him, or strolling together along a scenic trail. It’s great fun and it can’t help but improve your relationship.  By taking the time to plan ahead, you can avoid most problems and be able to fully relax and enjoy the company of your best friend while having a really great vacation.

______________________________________________________________

Links to Resources Mentioned in the Post:

Animal GPS – Affordable GPS and RF Trackers
Sitter City- For Pet Sitters and dog walkers (also babysitters if you need them)
BringFido.com -  A dog travel directory that provides unbiased reviews, detailed pet policy information, and online reservations at more than 25,000 pet friendly hotels through a partnership with Travelocity.  They guarantee you the best rate available  on prepaid reservations or they will refund you the difference + $20.