Dog Grooming Tips and Supplies for your Canine Companion by John Hinkley

One of the most important things you can do for your dog is maintain a consistent and proper dog grooming routine. In addition to keeping your dog clean and smelling good, for both you and your guest's sake, there are many health concerns that proper grooming address. Your dog's coat and skin are very important to your dog and oftentimes are an indicator of other health problems that may be lurking. Grooming your dog properly, following correct dog grooming instructions, helps to keep her healthy while also building an important bond between you and your pet.

Basic Dog Grooming Instructions

Since grooming your dog is such an important part of your responsibility as an owner, you should not only have a sound and regular routine, but you should have the proper knowledge, brushes, shampoos, clippers and other necessary equipment. With correct dog grooming instructions, you can help keep you dog healthy and clean.

An important part of dog grooming, even before you begin thinking about baths, is simply brushing your dog's coat on a regular, preferably daily, basis. Brushing helps remove dirt and pests, untangles knots and spreads the natural oils evenly through the coat. Each dog is different and you should consult your vet or a grooming expert on the proper type of brush to use based on your dog's breed. You should brush thoroughly, including her stomach, behind her legs and her ears.

In addition to regular brushing, you should also make sure you keep your dog's nails trimmed--an often overlooked aspect of dog grooming. You will probably want to do this monthly although it will depend on your dog's habits and activities. Make sure you have proper trimmers made for dogs and do not cut them too short. You'll want to stop trimming just before you reach the quick and don't forget to get your dog's dewclaw. Following these routine dog grooming instructions will help maintain your dogs coat and nails but should also be supplemented with a bath.

Dog Grooming - The Bath

An important part of dog grooming is the bath. Although it is okay to brush your dog daily, you should not bath your dog too often. Overbathing will reduce the vital oils that help keep your dog's coat healthy and lead to irritation and itching of the skin. Four times a year is a good rule of thumb, but this will vary depending on the breed of your dog and the types of activities you and your pet regularly do. You should consult your vet or a professional groomer if you are unclear of the proper frequency for your dog.

Before you just throw your dog in the bath and start lathering up you should be adequately prepared. Get your shampoo (made for your dog not human shampoo), some brushes or combs, a washcloth, some cottonballs, a towel or two, and any other equipment or products you might need. You might want to use a detachable spray hose for your bath and a rubber mat makes a good idea to prevent slipping and sliding. Large breed dogs will most likely have to use the bathtub with the rubber mat on the bottom, but smaller breeds can use a plastic basin or rubber storage bin.

For the full article on dog grooming, please visit us at http://largedogbreedz.com/your-large-dogs-health/large-dog-grooming-techniques/large-dog-grooming-and-supply.html .

Dog Grooming Tips and Information on Dog Grooming Supplies and Techniques, you can visit us at http://largedogbreedz.com We are the only large dog breed community portal on the net.

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Why Homemade Dog Food May Save Your Dog's Life by M. Bruno

The recent dog food and pet food recall that has claimed the lives of dogs across the United States as a result of eating contaminated commercial dog food tainted with aminopterin, a rat poison, and melamine, a chemical used in making plastics and fertilizer. As a result many dog owners considering homemade dog food as a safe and nutritious alternative for their dog.

In a recent news article, a law professor states that little change is anticipated ( in the dog food industry) after the current onslaught of dog food recall news and attention subsides.

The probable reason for this conclusion is that there are insufficient financial resources and manpower to effectively monitor and regulate the dog food industry. You can’t trust the dog food industry to watch out for your dog and the government is not your answer either.

This is unfortunate. The dog food industry was born in postwar America to meet a need….the need of business interests to recycle slaughterhouse and industrial waste. This refuse had potential uses as fertilizer, landfill and such, but a more profitable horizon existed in the packaging and selling this “junk” as food to unsuspecting dog owners. It is now a common misconception that your dog can not maintain a healthy life unless he is fed commercial dog food. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To save your dog's life, you may want to consider making your own homemade dog food. This is one of the best ways to guarantee your dog a healthy and safe diet.

Just glance at some of the regular ingredients delivered by rendering plants to commercial dog food manufacturers in the Unites States, Europe and worldwide.

• Euthanized dogs -Toxic chemicals such as Sodium Phenobarbital, the euthanizing agent injected to kill dogs daily at dog shelters. (This comes with the euthanized dog who is ground up at a rendering plant to be added to dog food. The dog may still be wearing a flea collar and be in a plastic bag when rendered )

• Blood

• Feathers

• Undeveloped eggs

• Downed, dying, diseased and dead animals (Known as the 4Ds)

• Hooves, beaks, feet and hide

And a host of other unsavory, unhealthy and toxic products that will slowly kill or euthanize your dog with every feeding.

So what’s the alternative? Well, if you are willing to spend a little time, and maybe even some money, there is a better way to feed your dog. You can halt the daily toxification, provide needed nutrition and increase your dog’s lifespan

What You Should Feed Your Dog

A variety of homemade dog food options are available for you to make your own dog food at home.Some of these include completely natural dog food diets that are currently the rage with certain dog nutrition experts such as The Bones and Raw Food,( BARF) diet also known as the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet.

BARF Diets typically include a variety of uncooked foods such as :

• Bones with meat flesh attached • Organs • Muscle • Eggs • Fruit • Yogurt • Enzymes • Herbs • Vegetables • Supplements and herbs • Cereals

As to the preferred meat, there is none. BARF proponents use beef, chicken, goat, buffalo, whatever is fresh and available.

The same philosophy seems to exist for vegetables. Again the emphasis is on freshness, availability and variety.

While anecdotal tales of remarkable results are reported daily by BARFers, some veterinarians have found that BARF diets can be deficient in certain required nutrients. The inability to qualitatively analyze each prepared meal may account for these research results.

Vegetarian Homemade Dog Food Diets

Dogs, while primarily carnivores are also actually omnivores. In the wild, 10,000 years ago, dogs would take down their prey, and eat not just the meat of the carcass but the contents of the stomach which included undigested grains, berries and grass.

This natural desire for a balanced diet suggests to many dog nutritionists that a vegetarian diet containing sufficient protein sources is desirable. The advantage of a vegetarian diet is that disease and other health related issues can be avoided as well. Additionally, the philosophical objection of vegans to killing any animal as a food source is accomplished.

Homemade Dog Food Vegetarian Diets include

• Bread • Brown rice • Sprouting grains • Carrots • Apples • Dog biscuits • Cottage cheese • Eggs • Lentils • Baked beans

Make a Combo Homemade Dog Food Diet

• A Combo diet is in essence a blend of all philosophies and might include • Meat • Vegetables • Eggs • Brown Pasta • Brown Rice

No matter which approach you choose for a homemade dog food diet there are a few pitfalls. One is the difficulty of preparing a properly balanced dog food diet with each batch.

The Whole Dog Journal states that a properly balanced dog food diet should include whole meat, vegetables, fruit, grain and high quality dietary fats.

Others suggest that the best alternative is to use a very high quality dog food that is natural, without preservatives, additives and the toxins that are found in many of the private and major kibble brands sold in retail outlets. These dog foods will typically cost quite a bit more than dog foods of lower quality, but guarantee a balanced diet for your dog .

If you do choose to prepare homemade dog food for your dog be certain to avoid certain foods which can be toxic and potentially fatal to your dog. These include but are not limited to avocado, raisins, grapes, and chocolate.

If the pros and cons, yin and yang, of the various approaches to making homemade dog food for your dog has your head spinning, don’t despair. I have been researching this field for years and learn something new daily that confuses me even more.

There is a good way to get some perspective on this.

If you decide on making your own homemade dog food there is a wonderful free primer online at http://www.pet-grub.com

Don’t be afraid to get started making homemade dog food if you don’t have access to every recommended ingredient. The improvement in your dog’s health by simply removing the toxins of his current commercial dog food and his new and improved healthy, nutritious homemade dog food will be worth getting started today!

My small 8 year old dog suddenly became ill and no vet could determine the cause. She died after enduring 2 weeks of pain and misery on Mother’s Day morning. Her life expectancy was 25 years. Don’t let anything happen to your best friend. Find out what is in the dog food you use at http://www.dogs-4life.com/dog-food-that-kills.html then learn how you can keep your dog healthy, extend her life and save on veterinary bills at http://www.dogs-4life.com/veterinary-secrets.html

This article may be reproduced unedited with the author's link displayed.

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Nutrition For Your Puppy by Jim McKiel

This article focuses on some of the nutritional foundations needed to insure your puppy grows into a healthy adult.

The mother's milk provides the puppy with all the nutrients and antibodies he needs for the first four weeks of life. You can introduce moistened puppy kibble around the age of four weeks. This will be introduced to the puppy as he continues to nurse. You may feed the puppy his kibble twice a day as long as he is still getting enough of his mother's milk. Whenever he gives up his nursing, which will be around the age of seven to eight weeks, his dry food feeding will increase. It is still advisable to moisten his dry food with warm water for a few weeks until he has adjusted. Unless your breeder or vet advises, it is not necessary to add canned puppy food to your puppy's dry kibble. The dry puppy kibble is sufficient as long as you use a high quality puppy food.

Giving your puppy the right nutrition will provide him a healthy beginning for a healthy life. During a puppy's first six months, he will need a highly digestible diet consisting of more protein and fat. A puppy is usually fed three to four small meals a day until he is about four months old. The amount at each feeding will be determined by the brand of food and the advice of the breeder and your vet. It is very important not to over feed the puppy as this may lead to problems later in their life. Along with the vet, your breeder will be able to guide you on the proper feeding plan of your new puppy.

When the puppy is four months old, you may start feeding him three times a day. Once again, the amount of each feeding will be determined by many factors including brand of food, breeder and vet advice. Around nine months of age a puppy is fed twice a day. Some vets recommend feeding a puppy once a day when they reach a year in age. There are some who think you should continue feeding a dog twice a day; just feed them smaller amounts in the morning and evening. This will help avoid gastro-intestinal problems, especially in larger breed dogs. This varies of course and should be discussed with the vet and breeder.

There are many commercial pet foods available for puppies and the quality of these foods vary. Normally the higher quality foods cost more as they use higher quality ingredients and less fillers. This means your puppy will be able to get more nutrients while consuming less food. During a puppy's growing stage is not the time to try to save money on cheaper pet food or to feed your puppy table scraps. A quality puppy food will have all the necessary vitamins, proteins and nutrients the animal needs. Also, it is not necessary to give your puppy extra vitamins or supplements if the animal is on a quality pet food unless your vet advises you to do so. Along with quality puppy food make sure your puppy has fresh water at all times.

Large breed puppies actually need less calories and calcium in their diets. A puppy who consumes too many calories and too much calcium may develop joint problems. Large breed dogs have a slower metabolic rate and actually reach their adult weight later then smaller breed dogs. It is essential that large breed puppies don't grow too fast or put on too much weight as puppies as this could cause developmental skeletal problems in later life. Large breeds are usually kept on puppy food longer then smaller breeds; sometimes from one year to eighteen months. Ask your vet or breeder when the large breed puppy should be switched to adult dog food.

As discussed before, table scraps are not recommended for dogs. Any human food that contains salt, sugar or other addictives may upset the puppies or dogs gastro system. Animals don't need salt or sugar in their diet and human food is loaded in these ingredients.

Good nutrition for your puppy is the stepping stone to a healthy, happy dog. A well cared for puppy is easier to train and will make an obedient and trusted member of the family.

Jim McKiel lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife Doris and their pet family members Buddy and Buster. They have devoted their lives to the betterment of pet ownership. For more information, visit Large Breed Family Dogs

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