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Food Storage:
For convenience and economy, many people buy the largest
available bag of food, and store it for long periods of
time. Before you purchase those 50-lb. or 100-lb bags,
consider how long it will take your pet to consume this
amount of food. Keep in mind that the longer food is in
storage, the greater the probability that some spoilage will
occur.
To avoid spoilage and contamination, store food in a cool,
dry place, inside a sealed *food-grade plastic container.
*
A common error that people make when storing large
quantities of dry food is to dump it in a large plastic
garbage can or rubbermaid bin. This is inappropriate because
the material used to manufacture these is not *food-grade*
plastic. This means that dyes and other plastic additives
can potentially leach into the food. Also, fats from the
food can leach into the plastic and become rancid,
contaminating the next batch of food. Unless the container
is specifically manufactured for food storage, leave food in
the original packaging when placing it in the bin. This will
help it retain its quality.
Switching Foods:
A
sudden change of a pet's primary diet can be hard on both
their stomachs and their eating habits. Changing the main
ingredient of your pet's diet (eg: brand of dry food)
should be done gradually and over a period of at least four
days (preferably longer), mixing the old food with the new,
while slowly increasing the amount of new food and phasing
out the old.
Some pets are more sensitive to dietary changes than
others. If your pet experiences stomach upset or diarrhea,
adding a probiotic supplement or a tablespoon of plain
yogurt can help even-out digestion. Also a tablespoon or two
of canned “pure” pumpkin (not the pie filling) can be
added to the food to help firm up loose stools.
Food Bowls:
Feed
your pet in a
stainless
steel bowl or ceramic crock (Plastic bowls
are not recommended, as they trap oils and bacteria and can
cause skin irritation, and aluminum bowls can transfer
harmful toxins). Be sure to clean your pet's bowl with soap
and water every day or two to remove any old food and
prevent bacteria from building up.
what to look for in a food bowl:
- A flat bottom that will prevent bowls from tipping over
and spilling.
- Rubber feet or rims to keep the dish from traveling across
the floor.
- A material that can withstand the high temperature water
in dishwashers in order to kill bacteria and germs, and that
doesn't collect grease.
- A design that is easy to clean.
- If your dog has floppy ears, you'll need to make sure that
the bowl is large enough for their nose, but small enough
that their ears don't fall into their food.
You Really DO Get What You Pay For:
A common misconception about commercial (or grocery store
brand) pet foods is that they are less expensive than
premium quality foods. In the long run this is simply not
true...
Commercial brands are full of fillers and by products which
hold little to no nutritional value so your pet must eat
larger portions in order to sustain. In comparison, premium
foods are made up of quality ingredients and are
nutritionally balanced to promote optimum health while
requiring smaller feeding amounts. So Although a premium
food may have a high price tag, the high nutritional value
it provides means you can feed less of it to your dog to
meet his nutritional needs. You may even discover its cost
per serving is comparable to commercial foods.
There are also the health benefits to consider. Quality
ingredients equal healthier, happier pets. It just makes
sense. Over the course of your pet's lifetime, feeding a
premium quality food can vastly decrease vet bills by
improving your pet's overall health and well being.
And then there's the "poop factor". Less filler equals less
yard waste. Need I say more?
Human foods that can kill your pet:
written and compiled by: Tonyia Lopez
How many times have you looked down at the face of your dog
while eating and felt compelled to give them a bite or two
of your food? And how many of those times did you think that
what you might be giving your dog might kill him/her?
Probably never, at least I know it never crossed my mind
before I began to research and found out the many different
food that can be deadly for my dogs/pets. Below I will
provide a list of dangerous foods, the toxicity of them and
symptoms of poisoning , more extensive explaining in the
most seen toxicity cases.
#1 Chocolate : contains theobromine, a
compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. When
affected by an overdose of chocolate, a dog can become
excited and hyperactive. Due to the diuretic effect, it may
pass large volumes of urine and it will be unusually
thirsty. Vomiting and diarrhea are also common. The effect
of theobromine on the heart is the most dangerous effect.
Theobromine will either increase the dog’s heart rate or may
cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite
possible, especially with exercise. After your pet has eaten
a large quantity of chocolate, many of you may assume your
pet is fine. However, the signs of poisoning may not be seen
for several hours, with death following within 24 hours or
so.
Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms.
These forms of chocolate contain ten times more theobromine
than milk chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate
are the next most dangerous forms, with milk chocolate being
the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than a 250gm
block of milk chocolate to be affected. Obviously, the
smaller the dog, the less it needs to eat.
#2 Onion and garlic poisoning: contain the toxic
ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger. Can
cause sickness in dogs, cats and also livestock. Pets
affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anaemia,
where the pet’s red blood cells burst while circulating in
its body. (That really scares me)
Signs:
At first, pets that are affected by onion poisoning show
gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhea. They will show
no interest in food and will be listless and weak. The red
pigment from the burst blood cells appears in an affected
animal’s urine and it becomes breathless. The breathlessness
occurs because the red blood cells that carry oxygen through
the body are reduced in number. The poisoning occurs
a few days after the pet has eaten the onion. All forms of
onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw
onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked
onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and
commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a
supplement to young pets, can cause illness.
While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate,
it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would
need to be eaten to cause illness.
A
full list of other dangerous foods:
Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple
core pips (contain cyanogenic glycosides resulting in
cyanide poisoning)- contain a cyanide type compound and
signs of toxicity include apprehension, dilated pupils,
difficulty breathing, hyperventilation and shock.
Potato peelings and green looking potatoes
Rhubarb leaves
Moldy/spoiled foods -
Dogs love to get into the trash. A medical problem arises
when the trash contains moldy or spoiled food. In addition
to food poisoning, some pets can develop tremors related to
the ingestion of certain molds.
Alcohol
-Toxicity can cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms,
and may result in death. Signs may include odor of alcohol
on the animal's breath, staggering, behavioral changes,
excitement, depression, increased urination, slowed
respiratory rate or cardiac arrest and death.
Yeast dough-
Symptoms of vomiting, retching, abdominal discomfort,
lethargy, depression or bloat is possible.
Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine) -symptoms
are very similar to those of chocolate toxicity and can be
just as or even more serious.
Tomato leaves & stems (green parts)
Broccoli (in large amounts)
Raisins and grapes-
So far, about 10 dogs poisoned by grapes and raisins have
been officially reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Center. The amount of grapes or raisins ingested has been
between 9 ounces to 2 pounds, and dogs ingesting these large
amounts have developed kidney failure. Aggressive, and
sometimes prolonged, treatment may be necessary to give the
affected dog a chance at survival; without treatment death
is possible. Despite testing, the reason for the kidney
failure and the amount necessary for toxicity remains
unknown. For now, any dog that ingests large amounts of
grapes or raisins should be treated aggressively, so contact
your veterinarian immediately if ingestion has occurred.
Cigarettes, tobacco, cigars
Avocados-
contain a cyanide type compound and signs of toxicity
include apprehension, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing,
hyperventilation and shock.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda-Ingestion
of large amounts of baking soda or baking powder can lead to
electrolyte abnormalities (low potassium, low calcium and/or
high sodium), congestive heart failure or muscle spasms.
Dairy Products-Small
amounts of plain yogurt or cheese are tolerated by most dogs
but it is probably safest to avoid dairy products
altogether.
Nutmeg-Signs
of toxicity include tremors, seizures, nervous system
abnormalities or death.
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