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Diet Recommendations
The first thing to consider is your pet as an individual- his or her activity level, allergies, sensitive stomach, etc. We can help you find the very best diet for your dog but here are some guidelines:
What would you say if someone advised you to eat only engineered food such as Balance Bars*tm for the rest of your life? How do you think your dog feels living on kibble? We recommend a high quality organic kibble whose first five ingredients list a meat, poultry or fish, who lists whole ingredients such as potatoes vs. potato flakes, no sugar, and no artificial flavors or colors. Some (but certainly not all) high quality kibble:
 Now your dog is eating a high quality dog food-GREAT! Now add some small bits of meat and vegetables to his dish and see him get healthier and happier! Would you like to take it a step further and feed him a super premium freeze dried or raw pet food? Here are a few options:
Are you ready to take the plunge and COOK? Let us design a diet just for your dog! Things you should not give your dog: As we researched toxic foods for dogs we realized that most of us know several people who regularly feed their dogs all of the things on the list and have had no ill effects. Some, like garlic and avocado are common ingredients in many dog foods. Still, with so many healthy foods why gamble with your dog 's health? Foods that may be toxic to your dog:
2. Chocolate- Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. Semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate are the next most dangerous forms, with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. 3. Macadamia nuts- The toxic compound is unknown but the affect of macadamia nuts is to cause locomotory difficulties. Luckily, the muscle weakness, while painful, seems to be of short duration and all dogs recovered from the toxicity. 4. Grapes and Raisins: Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill some dogs. Whether the ingested grapes are purchased in grocery stores or grown organically in private yards doesn 't seem to matter. 5. Tomatoes: Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomato plants and the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe. 6. Avocados: The fruit, pit and plant are all toxic. They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart 7. The seeds of Apples, Cherries, Peaches and similar fruits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs as well as humans. 8. Coffee, Coffee grounds, tea and tea bags: Drinks/foods containing caffeine cause many of the same symptoms as chocolate For more information on poison control and pets: www.aspca.org |
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