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What should I
look for when buying dog food or cat food?
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Any name brand pet food that has
been tested by veterinarians is good for your pet.
Science Diet,
Iams & Eukanuba and
Purina are highly recommended. Many other
pet foods are good, though. Ask your veterinarian about a specific brand.
Discount and Grocery Store brands are a no-no, because the fillers used are
not tested. |
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Overweight Pet: I have a question
about my one year old Min-Pin Miniature Picher female. Her weight is 13 lbs
and she keeps losing hair. I had her tested for low thyroid but it came up
normal. I can't afford to take her back to the vet again to find out why she
is so heavy. Molly doesn't eat that much of food but she cannot lose her
weight. Min Pins are suppose be between 8 to 10 lbs but Molly is overweight.
What should I do? |
| Weight control in dogs
and cats is very similar to our own, but MUCH easier! Find a high
quality, low calorie food for her first. For over the counter foods, I
suggest Science Diet Light or Iams Weight Control. Others may work for
her, but these have more studies behind them. Then, feed her only the
amount for the weight she should be, or her goal weight. Limit treats and walk
her two to three times per day.
Purina did a study where they
took Labrador Retrievers and fed half of the litters all they wanted and kept
the other half at a good weight. The thinner dogs lived an average of
1.8 YEARS longer. The larger dogs have heart disease, arthritis,
diabetes and a generally lower quality of life. Also, think of weight in
a percentage rather than numbers. In this example, Molly is 13 pounds
when she should be 9. That is 45% over her ideal weight. A person
that should weigh 150 and is 45% overweight will weigh 217.5. Wow. Good Luck to anyone getting their pet in better shape!
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I have a black lab. He is 7 months old and weighs about 65 lbs. He is
pretty big and while my husband and I are at work we keep him outside in the
back yard. I want to make sure he is getting enough water especially during
the summer. |
| How much water should I give him? A general rule of thumb is that an
animal needs to consume 2.5 times the amount of water, as its daily intake of
food. If an animal eats 2 lbs. of dry food it should consume 5 lbs. of water.
(There are 8 lbs. in a gallon.) If he eats 4 oz. of dry food, he should drink
10 ounces of water (1¼ cup). Factors such as high heat and exercise or
lactation can increase the needed amount two or three times above normal. Most
animals consume more than their daily requirement. A little extra water
consumption never hurts, but too little can be catastrophic. Animals that eat
canned foods get most of their moisture from the food and may drink much less
than an animal on dry food. |
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Is it OK to feed my dog raw eggs? |
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No. Raw egg whites contain a
substance called avidin that can cause anemia (low red blood cell count) in
dogs. Raw egg yolks are fine for dogs, and so are cooked eggs. However, named
brand dog foods are nutritionally complete, and supplementation is not
necessary. |
