Dog health articles
May 2, 2013 • 12:16 am 0
Of all these benefits, the coolest is that coconut oil is scientifically proven to improve brain function in older dogs – findings that have important implications for people and animals.
Full article Dr. Jean Dodds’ Pet Health Resource Blog: Coconut Oil – The Good Saturated Fat
Filed under: Coconut oil, Nutrition
August 26, 2012 • 3:49 am 0
Over the past five years, sugar has increasingly been added to some popular brands of dog and cat treats to make them more palatable and profitable.
Sugar is also added to pet foods and treats for a variety of reasons, other than those are related to palatability. For example, corn syrup is used as a thickener and to suspend the dough for proper mixing of ingredients, and dextrose is used to evenly distribute moisture throughout a food.
Does sugar really have any business being in dog food?
Full article Animal Endocrine Clinic: Sugar: The Bitter Truth by Robert Lustig, MD
Filed under: Nutrition
May 15, 2012 • 11:25 pm 0
Dogs eat grass for a number of reasons, which include physiologic urge.
Reasons dogs eath grass
Full article: Physiologic Urge or Taste Preference: Why Do Dogs Eat Grass?
March 5, 2011 • 10:50 pm 1
Plants are the only organisms that can naturally produce omega-3. This is why plants, especially seeds, contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acid. And among these plant sources, flax seed contains the most omega-3.
Fish get their Omega-3 from the plankton or algae they feed on (e.g., herring, sardines and anchovies). Carnivorous fish such as salmon and cod get their omega-3 from the smaller fish they eat.
Read more at Dog Arthritis Blog: A Dog Owner’s Guide to Omega-3 Fatty Acids
December 30, 2010 • 5:45 am 0
Essential fatty acids are those that are required in the diet of a dog or cat because the animal is unable to synthesize the fatty acid.
Linoleic acid is essential for both dogs and cats. Cats also require arachidonic acid in their diet as well. Both linoleic acid and arachidonic acid are omega-6 fatty acids.
Read more at Pet Health Care Gazette: Dog and Cat Supplements: The Facts About Fatty Acid Supplements
Filed under: Fatty acids, Nutrition
December 18, 2010 • 9:55 am 0
The seemingly endless recalls of commercially prepared pet foods both “natural” and “not so natural” (i.e., those touted “holistic” and others more traditional), made me realize that we still have serious problems with pet food, three years after the melamine tragedy.
No matter what the label claims as to its health benefits, the food can still be tainted, or the vitamins in the package present in excess or deficient amounts.
Becoming acquainted with the signs of vitamin deficiency and excess can help us identify contributors to chronic ailments in our companions. We can then “consider the source” of vitamins and then add foods rich in daily requirements that might otherwise be missing from the diet.
Read more at Pet Connection: Biting veterinary dogma for a back-to-basics look at vitamins
Filed under: Nutrition
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