Monday, December 11, 2006

Dog Nutrition Doesn't Just Mean Premium Dog Food

Article Title: Dog Nutrition Doesn't Just Mean Premium Dog Food
Author: Lori Matthews

Your pet is a loving member of your family and you love to
treat them as one of the family. We are always looking at what
we feed our kids. Whether it is their regular meals or the
snacks we give them - we want only the best. The same needs to
hold true for the pets that are part of our loving family, we
need to be aware of what we are feeding them.

More and more, we have become aware of the premium dog foods
that are available and the positive affect it can have on our
pets' health. What we are less aware of is the availability of
premium dog treats. It does not make a lot of sense to give
them high quality foods and then give them a doggie treat
equivalent of junk food. The idea is to give them a healthy
diet all the way around to make sure they are able to have the
best quality life possible.

The idea of premium treats is to provide a healthy alternative
to the typical treats you find in most stores. Premium treats
should be loaded with vitamins, minerals and other health
promoting ingredients. What they shouldn't contain is fillers,
binders, artificial ingredients and colors, chemical
preservatives etc.

Rawhides are animal hides that are cured, pressed and molded
into bone shapes and sold as inexpensive chew treats for dogs.
Many manufacturers cure the hides with harsh chemicals; such
as, an ash-lye solutions, lime and/or bleach. If the curing
process is not enough to help you decide whether or not to feed
your dog rawhide, consider the digestive problems of rawhides.
Prolonged chewing can cause rawhides to become stringy or break
off in small pieces, which can lead to a choking hazards or
throat irritations. Rawhides are digested very slowly and can
cause intestinal problems, even blockages. There are safe and
healthy alternatives to rawhide that can give your dog hours of
chewing pleasure.

Dental bones stimulate the teeth and gums to keep them clean
and well massaged. This will promote all around, good dental
hygiene for your dog. Dogs shouldn't be given any treat or bone
that is not digestible and that doesn't break down well in the
GI tract because it could cause problems. This is essential for
the dogs' complete health and nutritional needs. They deserve
nothing but the best from us and that means not only premium
dog food, but premium treats as well . If we give them one and
not the other, we short-change our pets.


About The Author: Lori Matthews studies health, nutrition and
wellness. She enjoys writing articles on health for both people
and pets. Please visit http://www.premium4pets.com for more
information.

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