Nutrition
What brand should I choose?The food you choose to feed your puppy is a personal choice. The magnitude of the selections can leave your head spinning. A good place to start in your choice is the one your puppy has been weaned on to. Your veterinarian can help recommend some good choices as well. Ultimately it your responsibility to provide the best diet you can for your puppy.
http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/puppy-food-reviews.html http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/ Whatever you decide to use, make sure you transition your puppy or dog to the new food over a 4 week period. Currently we are using Diamond Naturals |
The Health Benefits of Pumpkin
Pumpkin Puree is sometimes very useful in the treatment and maintenance of digestive health of dogs. Few foods are more readily consumed than pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie filling) just a small portion in their daily diets (1/4 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon, depending on the pet's weight) can make the difference between a case of chronic diarrhea or constipation and a normal daily bowel movement. Many veterinarians often prescribe pumpkin as part of the treatment for either intestinal malady, as well as simply a healthful dietary supplement. Diarrhea is usually the result of lack of water re-absorption in the colon (the last part of the intestinal tract), either because of too-rapid transit through the intestines, or because of some toxic, secretory activity in the tract itself. Fiber in the digestive tract can directly assist in the formation of more solid stools and also by slowing the passage of waste material through the colon, allowing more time for water re-absorption. Thus, added pumpkin in the diet can help in the treating of loose stools in our pets. Alternatively constipation is often due to the too-slow passage of material through the colon, allowing too much water re-absorption and resulting in dry, hard, and difficult-to-pass stools. Additional fiber in the diet will keep some of the moisture from being re-absorbed by the colon. Even pets that are not constipated but just having trouble getting that last little bit of stool out, or having some perianal itching afterwards can benefit from the addition of pumpkin in their diets. Therefore, one can see that added pumpkin in the diet can help in treatment and prevention of constipation as well. **Please remember that serious cases of diarrhea or constipation may still need veterinary attention and may not respond to simply adding pumpkin to the diets. To avoid waste, after I open a can of pumpkin puree, I use an ice cube tray to freeze the pumpkin in serving size portions. I put a tablespoon in each compartment. Once frozen, just pop the pumpkin out and store in a freezer bag in the freezer. |