Doggy Diets – Keeping Fido In Trim

In many respects, dogs are very similar to humans. For example, one of their biggest health problems is obesity. To many owners, a tubby dog is extra cuddly, but the fact of the matter is that a fat dog is an unhealthy dog! In much the same way as obesity affects humans, dogs too can suffer from diabetes exacerbated by over weight, and their life expectancy can be seriously shortened.

Some pet owners do not know if their dog is overweight or not. A layer of blubber around the dog’s midriff does not mean it has a comfortable weight. Read more »

How To Choose Healthy Dog Food For Your Pet

Is healthy dog food a myth? You’ve probably wondered, since hearing about the recent dog food recalls. Pet lovers like you fear that their dogs will suffer like so many others that ate food containing dangerous ingredients – wheat gluten and a product used in the production of plastics.

If you’re like other dog owners, you’re taking a much closer look at those dog food labels. They claim to offer the top quality, balanced diet for your pet, but how can you know if it’s true? How do you guarantee that your dog eats only healthy food? Is it even possible to get healthy dog food from manufacturers now? Read more »

I had a nice time last week in a village called Babbacombe, in Devon. We went round the shops and it was quite a hot day so the place gets top marks because lots of the shops had dog bowls outside. Then we found a pet shop with some very nice treats – minty centres and dog chocolate coatings. Mum bought me some of those and also a very nice new fresh dog food called Natural Menu. I have tried a similar food called Nature Diet before, but this new one is cheaper and it is made in Devon, so we are going to see if we can buy it in London. There are no artificial additives or colours and as you know I am always trying different foods to see if they help my allergies so I will see if there is any improvement. Then the highlight of the afternoon for me – we found a charity shop in aid of the local dog shelter. I went inside and I was really spoiled with biscuits and hugs! Mum bought some things to help the rescue dogs but she will not go to the shelter otherwise I might end up with a few little brothers …..

My Dad said he never realised that planning a dog’s diet would become more important than their own meals. Today he made some soup with some cauliflower leaves – for me!!. You remember I have been eating Burns ‘Real Food for Dogs’, this complete dog food has a good reputation among dog owners here in the UK. It is based on the idea that intolerance to diet ingredients may be a common cause of many chronic dog ailments. When the vet prescribes antibiotics for my skin allergy, he is just relieving the symptoms temporarily – not curing the cause.

I started eating Burns’ hypoallergenic dog food about seven weeks ago. I haven’t been eating it for every meal, and I still get nice human food (that’s food for humans, by the way – not made from humans). I was eating the Lamb and Rice version which is meant to be the best variety of Burns’ for helping relieve skin conditions. I have not taken to it very well, probably I am too used to those spicy leftovers.

The terrible situation at Menu Foods is a shock for dog and cat owners in the US. As you probably know, here in the UK brands like Burns, James Wellbeloved and Wagg are popular because they are not made under license – they have been developed by their manufacturers to meet a need. Burn’s dry dog food is my current choice. It is made from natural ingredients only, and was developed by a veterinary surgeon who saw a link between diet and chronic dog ailments and allergies. If you live outside the UK and you have a similar recommendation, please leave a comment.