Best Dog Food Guide: Protein for Dogs

Let us begin by deleting the misconceptions in protein for dogs. As a responsible pet owner, you must know the things you have to give to your dog in order for your dog to thrive and not just survive. This means that you have to know whether protein for dogs is a good thing or not. But I will tell you this, as early as now: Every dog needs it, it is good for them, and it is not harmless. I’ll explain later. Aged research built on experiments in rats concluded that excessive protein intake brings about kidney damage. However, this is to true in healthy dogs.

“Can I feed my dog with too much protein?” The answer is yes. At the time that your dog eats too much protein, some of it will either be excreted in the urine or will be utilized as calories or converted and stored as fat - causing your dog no damage. However, if your dog has kidney damage, you may reduce the amount of protein and give your dog with those proteins that has high biologic value. In this way, the kidney’s effort in excreting excess protein is condensed thus helping the kidney to quickly heal.

Dogs will find it hard to survive if there will be no protein in their diets. In understanding protein for dogs, you must also know this: Nutritive protein contains 10 particular amino acids that dogs cannot create on their own. They are what we all know as essential amino acids, and they deliver the building blocks for numerous significant biologically active compounds and proteins. They also provide the carbon chains required to create glucose for energy. First-class proteins contain an excellent balance of all of the essential amino acids.

Do you know another amazing thing about our dogs? According to studies, dogs can tell when their food is deficient of even a single amino acid and will dodge such a meal. It is not yet known why dogs are known to selectively choose foods that are rich in protein. 

Let us now know the daily recommended allowances for protein for dogs. Puppies weighing 12 lb, 33 lb at maturity, is at 56 grams of crude protein. Adult dogs weighing 33 lb is 25 grams of crude protein. Also, pregnant/nursing dogs weighing 33lb with 6 puppies is at 69 grams/158 grams.

As you can see, puppies need a higher percentage of protein than adults because they need it for their growing bodies. The best diet plan for your puppy is one that incorporates 22 to 28 percent protein. On the other hand, diet plan for adult dogs should comprise of 10 to 18 percent protein. If you have a working dog or sled dogs, you ought to understand that they will need a higher percentage of protein – more than adult home pet dog because of the stress on their muscles. Give a 25 percent for your working herd dogs and up to 35 percent protein for your racing and sled dogs. Lastly, a pregnant and nursing dog will also need a great amount of protein not for themselves but for their growing puppies. Usually, veterinarians will recommend nourishing a mother dog with a puppy food until weaning.

Finally, and for sure you will be asking this: Is meat meal good for my dog? The answer is yes, absolutely. It is a valuable source of concentrated protein thus it is nutritionally superb for your dog. However, it cannot contain blood or hair or any additional in essential constituents. Furthermore, no greater than 11 percent of the crude protein in the meal can be elements that the dog cannot process or break down. 

Life Expectancy of Cats: How Long Do These Felines Live?

Domestic cats have been part in one’s household for the longest time. These small, adorable domestic pets belong to the Felidae family. Cats are known for their distinct sense of hearing and keen night vision, said to be one of the best in the world. With muscular supple body and retractable claws, cats are also said to be very keen observant with excellent memory and can easily learn through experience. The average life expectancy of cats depends upon whether the cat is an outdoor cat or an indoor cat.

Back in decades, about twenty years ago, cats can live just four to six years on the average. However, with the introduction of better and more advanced veterinary care at present, the cat’s life expectancy has gradually increased to a considerable fifteen years, or even more.

To increase your domestic cat’s life expectancy, always consider their diet. Feeding the right pet food, along with practicing a proper lifestyle, play very crucial roles towards achieving a longer cat life. But keep in mind that over-feeding your pet felines is not healthy. In fact, doing so can gradually lower their chances of achieving a healthy and long life.

Another factor that can help increase the life expectancy of cats is their genetic make up. There are actually certain types of cat breeds genetically at risk of particular health problems and diseases, thus giving them lower life spans. On the other hand, mixed breed cats such as the mouser or the moggie have longer life expectancy because of their mix genetic make up, as compared with the other pure breed cats.

Cats that are mostly kept indoors also tend to achieve longer life and can live up to fifteen long years. Why? Because they are not at risk to accidents nor poisoning, neither are they susceptible to attacks from other animals like dogs, cats, among others. Moreover, cats that generally live indoors do not easily yield in to infectious feline diseases because they are less exposed to other felines, thus giving them chances to live for over twenty years.

Play time and regular exercise are also factors that help increase the life expectancy of cats. Older cats must be given ample but gentle time of playtime and exercise to keep them healthy and agile. Remember that just like humans, old cats need more attention and care especially with regard to their health. It is also a good practice to take your feline friends to a regular visit to the veterinarian to help prevent certain diseases and keep your pet fit and healthy.

Most common diseases that affect the cat’s life include the CRF or chronic renal failure, kidney diseases, and diabetes. Chronic renal failure is actually a very common health problem among old cats. The cat’s health is greatly affected once the renal failure sets in. Kidney diseases in cats are those in which the cat’s system can no longer clear all its toxic waste from the blood. As with cat diabetes, this can be corrected with proper diabetes management provided that the disease has been earlier detected.

In general, it is safe to say that the life expectancy of cats is between 15 and 21 years. And to achieve this, give your cats a proper diet and exercise and show them love every day.

All You Need to Know about Vegetables for Dogs

Dogs have always been close to people’s hearts. That’s why it’s important that every dog owner should understand their furry friend’s required diet. Although dogs are often associated with meat diets, they are actually omnivores. As a matter of fact, recent studies suggest that vegetables for dogs provide a lot of benefit. These foods bring in fiber which is good for digestion. Other researches also claim that regular intake of high-quality vegetables also prevent certain diseases in dogs.

On a general perspective, 20% of a normal dog’s diet should be composed of vegetables. The serving would increase and decrease according to the weight and nutritional needs of your pet. Oftentimes, dogs with obesity or symptoms thereof are prescribed higher servings of vegetables.

While some would argue that it’s hard to make pets eat vegetables, there are ways to get around such a problem. For one, you can pureé cooked vegetables so you could easily incorporate it with your dog’s food. There are also preserved vegetables that you can get from any dog supplies shops. Serving vegetables for dogs is like encouraging a toddler to eat greens.

You need to introduce it little by little. Add variety so your dog wouldn’t get bored with the meals. Also, don’t pressure your pet in eating the veggies. You don’t want your dog to associate veggies with drama.

Here’s a helpful guide in serving vegetables for your dogs.

Know what not to give.

Not all veggies are good for your dog. Some contain toxins that could build up in your dog’s body. The key here is to understand which vegetables are bad for your pet. With this, it’ll be a lot easier to pick vegetables. Some of the vegetables that aren’t advisable for dog consumption include avocado, onions, garlic, wild mushrooms, tomatoes, and macadamia nuts. Aside from certain vegetables, make an effort to know which foods are poisonous for your pet.

Stick with the tried-and-tested.

A lot of dog owners have already considered giving vegetables for their pet. You might want to follow their path by sticking to the basics. What are the popular vegetables for dogs? Broccoli, carrots, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, spinach, celery, asparagus, sweet potatoes, green beans peas, and squash make up the long list. Always go for organic vegetables as they are obviously safer. The chemicals in some produce could be harmful to your pets.

Serve them fully-cooked.

Dogs have shorter digestive tracts needed for digesting certain kinds of food. And contrary to popular belief, some vegetables are actually harder to digest. You need to aid your dog by serving vegetables that are fully-cooked. You can also steam the vegetables so that their natural nutrients would remain intact.

Get the advice of a trusted veterinarian.

You can also hit the right nails during the first try by consulting with a trusted veterinarian. These professionals can assess the specific nutritional needs of your dog. Also, they can advise you on what not and what to give your trusted pal. Having regular check-ups also gives your pet the advantage of preventing any diseases.

It’s painful to correct the diet of your dogs. However, the benefits of such efforts would surely be worth all the trouble. In the long run, a healthy, complete diet would help them ward off serious diseases. Naturally, vegetables for dogs guarantee a happy and good life for your loved pet.

Horse Charities: Ways to Help

Horse charities have one common goal. It is to save, care and give home to the abandon, mistreated and neglected horses. Of course, this comes with a price because horse caring can be expensive. These animals require a spacious living environment like barn. An open field with access to fresh water and forage like grass or hay is really ideal considering that horses need to exercise. 

In addition to this, other caring necessity includes grooming, feeding, hoof care, shoeing and veterinary care like vaccinations. Hence, it needs funds to support to cater all these facilities and caring necessities but such charitable organizations rely only in the generosity of the people. 

If you are keen to support the cause, here are eight ways to do it. 

Monetary assistance.

Ideally this is the best way to help any charitable institutions. They know more which areas are lacking financial support and with your monetary support, they can allocate it to the right and most needed requirement. It can be for vaccinations or for paying the utility bills. 

Horse adoption.

If you are fortunate to have a barn or vast farm land, then you can opt for adopting a horse. Fees are normally minimal and processing is usually is easy. Oftentimes they offer retiring horse for adoption. 

Present.

Do you have niece or nephew who wants to have a horse? Rather than looking around for pricey breed, why not make your pick in one of those horses in charities. You will not only make your love ones happy but you are supporting too these organizations. 

Volunteer.

Do you have the knack to care horses? Then maybe you can offer for free your expertise. If you do not have this capacity, don’t worry because volunteers are always welcome. Also, there will never be run out of tasks so a helping hand is always great. 

If you have kids, this can be a good opportunity too to expose them to horses and to instill them the virtue of volunteerism. 

Word of mouth.

Well, not all horse charities have the funds to layout fancy website with all the related information or organize fundraisings. Remember that such event requires marketing to ensure its success and it means additional funds. 

Help them save those funds by spreading the words circle of friends, family and acquaintances. 

Donate horse gears.

If you have the resources to buy new horse gears for donation, then good! If you do not have, then any old stuff will work. It is better to give out those horse gears to horse charities where they can make good use of it rather than allowing it to collect dust in your storage room. 

Support their activities.

Sometimes horse charities require support not only during fundraising gala dinners but on special occasions too. Christmas is an opportunity to raise funds by selling Christmas cards or goodies. Maybe they are selling some farm products and the profits go to the charitable institution. Why not patronize their products? 

Also, spreading such event news to your friends and colleagues will mean more potential revenue. 

There are really many ways to help if you have the desire. Remember that helping is not limited only to donating money. It can be your time, talent, attention and willingness to support. Any effort can make a difference.

Loyalty of Dogs: The Ultimate Manifestation

Stories of dogs rescuing their owners from danger not minding that they are also putting themselves at risk never fail to break hearts and gain sympathy from people, especially animal lovers. 

Even a man with a heart as hard as an iron would melt at the stories of dogs braving the fire, flood, landslide and earthquake, among others, to save their owners. The extent of dog’s loyalty has never been quantified. At this point, man can only describe the loyalty of dogs as ‘unique’ to its owners and to its kind.

In 2006, an English Cocker Spaniel, then only five-month old, saved her owner from dying in a violent car accident by calling rescuers. The dog was Honey. She and her owner Michael Bosch in an SUV fell and rolled upside down into a ravine unnoticed. Bosch, pinning all his hopes to Honey, helped honey get out to find help, which she sure did. Later, rescuers declared that Bosch could have died if had not been for Honey. Honey was awarded the 2006 Dog of the Year.

In 2004, a golden retriever named Brutis fought a coral snake that was slithering close to child. He sustained deadly bites from the snake. His heroism did not go unrewarded. He was awarded the National Hero Dog award in the same year.

Isn’t it interesting to know where dogs learn the act and values of selflessness for the sake of man? For a dog lover, somehow there is pride at the thought that dogs never fail to live up to their repute as a man’s best friend. 

Yet loyalty of dogs do not only exist to the hand that feeds them. There are also countless of stories about dog’s loyalty to their kind. 

A video posted in the internet sometime in 2008 showed a dog who helped and rescue a friend dog. The hero dog braved the speeding vehicles to get to a friend dog that was just hit by a car. The hero dog then dragged his friend at the side road to avoid being hit further. 

There are also stories of dogs whose loyalty go even beyond death. Almost in different parts of the worlds, you will hear stories about dogs that chose to stay beside the grave of their loved ones instead of moving on. They undergo grief, too. Who knows how much grief they are going through after the loss? 

 There are dogs who continue to wait for their owners who died in an accident outside, not knowing that their beloved owners would never come back. Who knows until when they are going to wait?

The ‘unique’ loyalty of dogs is not what these creatures set them apart from other animals. Some said that they are loyal because they depend on their owners for everything. Pet owners disagree. The affection that dogs develop to their owners seems unbreakable for something founded on material things.  A dog’s love is unconditional. Its loyalty knows no boundaries. 

This love and connection leads dogs that were separated from their owners back home. Remember Cash, a German Shepherd from Colorado? In 2008, Cash found his dead owner who went missing for months. He stayed by his owner’s side for weeks without food and drinks in the plains of Colorado only to protect the cadaver from coyotes.

Cat Intelligence: Understanding How the Capacity of your Feline

Most pet owners love boasting about how clever and intelligent their pets are. Dog and cat lovers alike even seem to delight in never ending debates as to which pet is ‘smarter’. And while most dog owners argue that their pet dogs have distinct abilities of doing tricks, feline lovers often counter such claims saying their cats are most of the time too intelligent and smart to perform on command. However, both dogs and cats are smart in their own rights. Like smart dogs, cat intelligence is also something that felines can learn as they grow. 

So are cats really intelligent? Just like humans and other animals, cats have different levels of intelligence. Some cats are bright while others are just ordinary. Anybody who lives in a household full of felines can attest to that fact. Intelligent cats often display their smartness by showing keen interest in the things around them, attempting different strategies especially when an effort to reach a goal is crucial, learning from their various experiences, or communicating with their humans and other pets at home. 

Cat Curiosity.

The classic adage “curiosity killed the cat’’ often begs the question why a particular animal that lacks intelligence is still willing to risk his own life in order to learn something out of an unfamiliar situation or object that rings his curiosity. Why, purely out of instinct, do some animals like cats show a strong sense of interest on things that do not necessarily have any direct deportment on his survival? In essence, the behavior is actually very human. Most people in fact have risked their own lives just to satisfy their curiosity. Just like human children, cat intelligence begins with kittens. The baby felines, when exposed and provided with an interesting and stimulating environment from the time they are born, are more likely to development sharp abilities. When handled and played regularly, these kittens are expected to grow up smart than those raised in a surrounding with less sensory stimulation. 

Experience and Practice.

Have you noticed at some point in time that your cats may seem unable to learn? This is actually a common issue among pet cat owners. However, this happens when a particular subject matter does not catch their interest. Studies show that cats actually learn from experience especially when they a situation information relevant. Meaning, the most interesting a situation is, the more likely your pet felines develop cat intelligence. Additionally, cats have very strong sense of memory. They can easily remember useful information like the sound of their humans or the animals they have interacted with. 

Communication.

Another impressive trait is their ability to communicate. Although only a few cats are vocal, all cats generally communicate. Communication may include cheerfully greeting their owners once they arrive from work, or seeking for food by trying to express anxiety about the issue. 

Navigational Skills.

Cats have very remarkable sense of direction. In fact, cats can easily find their way back home even from long distances. Their superb navigation skills is believed to come from two things: their being sensitive to the magnetic fields of the Earth (although this is only a hypothesis after it was discovered that when a magnet is attached to a cat, their sense of navigation is disrupted), and by using the sun’s angle for navigation. 

Understanding cat intelligence will give a better and deeper relationship between pet owners and their felines. Cats are indeed truly rewarding and enjoyable pets at home. With their intelligence, having a pet feline at home is one thing pet owners should be proud of.

Understanding More About Dog Eyesight

Unlike that of humans, dog eyesight is built in ways that make canines easily focus on their prey, thus resulting to quicker motion. A lot of dog owners actually have the misconception that their pet dogs are totally color blind. But contrary to beliefs, dogs can actually see colors and they have in fact excellent night vision. Although a dog’s sense of smell and hearing is more useful, their eyesight plays a crucial role in the totality of a dog’s performance. To further understand the biological make up of your canine’s eyes, below are some helpful facts. 

From a Biological Perspective, dog’s eyes are generally similar to that of humans. The eyes have its retinal cover all around the eyeballs and are comprised of two kinds of light sensitive cells: the rods and cones. How they perceive colors and the details of their vision is controlled by the cones. During night time, their eyesight is usually controlled by the eyes’ rods, thus allowing dogs to detect motion. Because rods are highly concentrated in dogs than the cones, this allows the dogs to clearly detect motion. Its low cone concentration is perhaps the reason why myths about dogs being colorblind have become very popular over the years. 

Professional animal handlers, as well as veterinarians attest to the fact that dogs can actually see colors just similar with how a colorblind human would see. Color blind people generally are not color blind, rather they only have trichromatic or dichromatic vision. In the same way, dogs cannot distinguish specific colors like the greens and the reds. A dog’s eyes vary depending on their breed but generally, the eye angles are somewhere around twenty degrees. The position actually is ideal as it helps the dogs increase their peripheral vision, thus achieving better field of view. 

Despite the fact that the peripheral dog eyesight allows them to achieve wider fields of vision, it unfortunately disrupts the dog’s binocular vision. With that, it results to less visual acuity- disabling them from seeing things from far off. 

If you think your pet dogs have eyesight problems, it’s about the best time to have a trip to your veterinarian. Running eyesight tests for your pet dogs are very crucial in diagnosing the problems. So the moment you notice your beloved dogs rubbing their eyes on the ground too often, or they try to avoid from light, no doubt your dogs have eyesight problems. Symptoms include bulging eyes, cloudiness, dog eye discharge, eye redness, and excessive tearing. All these are tell tale signs that your dogs potentially have eye problems. 

Veterinarians will recommend specific eye tests depending on the symptoms. For example, if your dogs have dry eyes, the veterinarian may do a tear duct test. The doctor will check for the dog’s natural eye moisture by carefully inserting a strip of paper in the canine’s eyes. If you notice your dogs having eyesight problems, take your pet to your veterinarian immediately. Also, these problems can be avoided by regularly cleaning your dog’s eyes. You may also insert artificial tears in their eyes to removing dust, hair, and other obstructive particles. 

A dog eyesight is just as important as their sense of smell and hearing. To keep your dogs healthy and problem-free all the time, make sure you do regular eye check-ups.  

Things to Consider with Horse Rehoming

Do you plan on adopting a horse to take care at home? Like any other pet lover, taking care of a horse at home is one hobby considered by some animal enthusiasts. If you are thinking about horse rehoming, there are certain things you need to consider. After all, horses generally require your dedication and an ample amount of your time

Horse rehoming is basically the process of acquiring, finding, rehabilitating, inspecting, or retraining unwanted horses. The main purpose of this is to place uncared for horses into new and more suitable homes conducive to their health

Owning a horse entails a lifelong commitment because horses have a lifespan that can reach up to thirty years. Just like domestic cats and dogs, horses have become more prized and loved companions. However, caring for a horse is expensive. If you are a beginner, keep in mind that you might have to shell out a huge chunk of money just to properly handle a horse at home.

Things to Consider before Owning a Horse

Having a horse at home can give you a very fulfilling experience in life, provided that you and your horse are fully prepared for your future. As a horse owner, you need to ensure that you are willing to attend to your horse every day, rain or shine. Proper horse care must be religiously practiced all the time. 

Caring and owning a horse is fun and greatly rewarding. If you have a horse or a pony, be it permanent or temporary; remember that the law requires you to properly care of it. Of course there is no ‘perfect’ way to perfectly care of horses and ponies. After all, every animal has different situations. Basically, it is up to you as the owner to practice reasonable steps to guarantee you meet all the needs of your horse; from their environment, their diet, behavior, and health and welfare

Environment.

When thinking about horse rehoming, consider having a suitable place for your horse to live. By nature, horse fear of confined places as this makes them feel trapped. Therefore, your horse should be in an environment with wide-open spaces where they can freely roam around. Furthermore, horses are athletic animals and they love to move around continuously as they look for and eat grass. The larger the space is, the better. Although keeping a horse in stables are generally safe, experts say stabled horses are a lot more exposed to fumes, toxic dust, and germs than those kept in pastures. You have to ensure, for that reason that the place where your horse lives is free from any forms of hazards and that the fences are in top condition and escape-proof.

Diet.

Providing the right diet is another major consideration. Horses should have a steady access of fresh and clean water. They have to be provided with ample opportunity to graze, ideally a twenty-four hour access. For stabled horses, their diet should be in the form of forage. Pastured horses, on the other hand, although grazing is generally enough, have to be added with hard feed and forage to achieve proper bodyweight.

If you think about horse rehoming, make sure you have fully understood all the basic requirements needed. Along with your dedication and constant care, to raise and care for a horse at home is something immensely fulfilling.