Dog Health Problems and Symptoms Where Do You Turn?Written by Tara Pearce
I hope reason you’re here is to be proactive, rather than having a sick dog. My heart breaks every time I see one of my dogs in pain or not feeling well. Luckily it doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, I get very upset. Doing research on your dog’s health problems and symptoms can help prevent problem from getting worse. And I must stress, when in doubt, see a veterinarian. I know quite a bit about dogs and I still hesitate before going to vet, so you’re not alone.If you have dog health questions, your vet is best person to ask. However, some common health problems in dogs can be addressed at home. Skin care for a smelly dog, for example. This can often happen due to skin allergies. Chinese Shar-pei can be bad for that, and I’ve been lucky so far. One of best tips I’ve heard from breeders though is to not bathe her too often, as it can dry out skin. This is perhaps quite opposite if you have a long haired dog. I suggest visiting and joining online forums for your dog’s breed, or at least dogs in general – you can get invaluable information there. For record, when I do bathe my Shar-pei, I use an oatmeal shampoo. No skin problems in 3 years. You be judge.
| | BARF Diet For Dogs - Not As Gross As It Sounds!Written by Tara Pearce
Are you just starting to research BARF diet for dogs – also known as “bones and raw food” or RAW diet? It can be confusing – I remember asking TONS of questions when I first started. How do you know how much to feed? WHAT do you feed? Can you mix BARF diet with processed food? How long does it take to prepare raw food? How much does it cost to buy all BARF products necessary? Should you feed raw meat and vegetables? Well, on last question, only you can decide what’s right for your dog, but I’ll answer rest of your questions as best I can.How do you know how much to feed? It really depends on weight of your dog. Most people recommend 2-5% of their body weight. Just make sure you know your dog’s weight before starting, and then watch their weight and adjust depending if they gain/lose/maintain. WHAT do you feed? Raw meaty bones, like chicken necks and backs for example. Muscle meat which has no bones. Organ meat, like lungs, liver, kidneys, etc. Some people also include raw vegetables. Can you mix BARF diet with processed food? It’s not recommended as processed food, or kibble, is digested in about 10-12 hours, and raw food in about 4-6. This can lead to serious health problems. That being said, some people do it quite successfully – but I wouldn’t.
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