First off dogs and cats are carnivores.  They need meat.  Canine nutritional diets should ideally consume single source proteins as the majority with limited fruits and veggies (with the exception of grapes and raisins). Grain intake should be kept to a minimum. I personally believe that dogs and cats do better on a grain free diet but some animals do well with limited grains including brown rice, oatmeal, or cracked pearl barley. 

The first 5 ingredients in pre-cooked weight sequence on any pet food or treat label are what prominently make up that pet food product.  Quality pet food ingredient labels should read like a good stew with high-grade sources of protein as the first 2 to 3 ingredients.  I always like when I see fresh meat in the ingredient list and it should say whether it is chicken, beef, whitefish, etc.  Some foods may say it contains meat meal.  Those can be okay as long as it specifies the protein source – chicken meal, fish meal.  Beware of any of the following types of ‘meals’: meat meal, bone meal, by-product meal.  Anything with by-products listed isn’t a high quality food.  By-products are the left over parts of an animal that is deemed unfit for human consumption.  Did you know that chicken by-products can contain beaks, feet and even feathers?  My rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t eat it don’t feed it to your animal.

The second thing to look for is any sort of corn, wheat, or soy products in the food.  These are major sources of allergies in pets.  They are also a great indicator for low quality pet foods.  These ingredients are used as cheap fillers with empty calories and no real nutrition source.  They are also hard to ingest.  If you were to give a dog a bowl of steak or a bowl of corn which do you think he would go for?  My friend recently got a rescue dog.  She kept telling me that the dog, Karly, wouldn’t eat her food.  She said she would bark at it and run away.  It would take hours for her to really get hungry before she would break down and eat what was in her bowl.  I had to educate my friend on pet nutrition a bit and then I gave her a grain free fish based kibble to try.  She said Karly went crazy when she put it in her bowl!  I asked my friend to look at the ingredient list on the old food.  The second ingredient was corn!  No wonder Karly didn’t want to eat it.

A few other things to be on the lookout for is generic animal/poultry fat.  Fat should have a specific protein source.  In the past, manufacturers admitted to using rendered dog and cat in their food! This practice no long occurs, but using the term “animal fat” allows manufacturers to include lower priced ingredients, often to your pet’s detriment.  Also avoid artificial dyes and colors.  These are used to make the food more appealing to the owner and not the animal.  BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin, and Propyl Gallate are preservatives to avoid.  These synthetic preservatives have been identified as potential cancer-causing agents.  Most high end foods will now use vitamin C and E to preserve their food.

Another thing I hear a lot from pet parents is that they need to keep an animal on the same type of food because they have a sensitive stomach.  I say that is a lot of bull.  Do you like eating the same thing for every meal day after day?  Rotational feeding will help your animal from developing food allergies.  It will also help strengthen their digestive tract so they don’t have those issues.  It’s best to start them off with rotational feeding when they are young but it can still be done with older dogs.  Slowly transitioning them between foods helps to strengthen their digestive tract without giving them what I like to call “mud butt”, i.e. diarrhea.   To transition to a different food mix 75% of the old food with 25% of the new food for a few days.  Then mix a 50-50% ratio for another couple of days and end with a 25-75% ratio for the last couple of days.  In a little over a week you can have your dog or cat on a different food with few complications.  Now not all dogs will need this.  My dog, Riley, can eat anything!  She’s got an iron stomach but I’ve switched her food up since she was little.  As long as it is a good quality food then I don’t necessarily care what flavor it is.  I think she enjoys it that way as well.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to pet nutrition.  There is so much out there.  My goal is for you to be armed with the basics.  I think pet nutrition is common sense.  Use your common sense to determine what is the best choice for your dog or cat.  One of my favorite companies in Nashville is Riley Roo Pet Delivery Service.  They know about nutrition and other pet “problems”.  They carry good quality foods, toys, treats, and supplements and deliver them right to your doorstep.  (Great for those of us who are busy and don’t always have time to make it to the store!)  They also have a lot of knowledge when it comes to different pet issuenbs.  You can always email them at info@myrileyroo.com if you have a specific question or check them out at www.myrileyroo.com and because you read this blog Pawsitive Steps clients get $5 off their order with coupon code “Pawsitive”.

Things to Avoid

1. 1.     Generic terms such as poultry or fish
2. 2.     By-products
3. 3.     Corn, soy, and wheat
4. 4.     Animal/Poutry Fat
5. 5.     Rice Gluten (Glue)
6. 6.     Brewers Rice (the sweepings of the floor of the mills)
7. 7.     BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin, Propyl Gallate (preservatives)
8. 8.     Artificial Colors (Dye #s) & Flavors

Author: Brianna Swanberg

Now that’s changed. Over the last decade, research has shown how animals and humans have similar neural pathways for the development, conduction, and modulation of pain.

“They feel pain just like we do,” explains veterinarian Shana Savikko, a veterinary adviser for the American Animal Hospital Association in Lakewood, Colorado. “And that pain can be debilitating, decrease the quality of life, and decrease the bond between the pet and the owner.”

Armed with better knowledge, veterinary medicine has taken a huge leap forward in reducing animal suffering caused by painful surgeries, injuries, illnesses and chronic conditions.

Read more here http://www.dogster.com/dog-health-care/pain-in-senior-dogs

Prevention is Easier Than Treatment

Heartworm disease is easier to prevent than it is to treat. The first line of defense in preventing your pet from any disease or infection is through the promotion of a healthy immune support by providing optimal nutrition, exercise and play, minimizing stress, thoughtful vaccination protocols, and veterinary care. According to the Integrated Pest Management Information Network from North Carolina State University, “Healthy animals are best able to withstand and, to some extent, avoid infestation.” Dr. Michelle Tilghman, D.V.M. says, “Strengthen [your pet's] resistance with whole foods. Dogs and cats are more likely to resist heartworms when they are given all-natural foods, which help keep the immune system strong.”

Read more http://www.dogster.com/dog-health-care/heartworm-treatment-for-dogs

Pawsitive Pets will service the needs of pet owners including: pet sitting of dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles and small animals, dog walking and exercising, veterinary visit, overnight stays, plant watering, mail collection, holiday or vacation care, and special care for young, elderly, and sick animals. Pawsitive Steps also has a list of home and concierge services created to make your life that much more simple.

Daily rates start as low as $16. Pawsitive Steps is fully bonded and insured for all services provided. Pawsitive Steps is also a member of the Pet Sitter Associate, LLC.

“We are extremely excited to open. Getting the opportunity to help make pet’s lives that much more fun and interesting has huge rewards,” said Mahalie Dodson, Owner of Pawsitive Steps.

NHA is offering several opportunities for you to microchip your pet. Please see the below dates, join us and make sure he always finds his way home.

April 17, 2010
National Pet ID Week
NHA, 213 Oceola Avenue

April 24, 2010
Tour For Life
Metro Animal Services, 5125 Harding Place

August 21, 2010
National Homeless Animals Days
NHA, 213 Oceola Avenue

September 18, 2010
Dog Day in the Park
Centennial Park

December 4, 2010
Home For The Holidays
NHA, 213 Oceola Avenue

April 16, 2011
National Pet ID Week
NHA, 213 Oceola Avenue

Pawsitive Pets will service the needs of pet owners including: pet sitting of dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles and small animals, dog walking and exercising, veterinary visit, overnight stays, plant watering, mail collection, holiday or vacation care, and special care for young, elderly, and sick animals. Pawsitive Steps also has a list of home and concierge services created to make your life that much more simple.

Daily rates start as low as $16. Pawsitive Steps is fully bonded and insured for all services provided. Pawsitive Steps is also a member of the Pet Sitter Associate, LLC.

“We are extremely excited to open. Getting the opportunity to help make pet’s lives that much more fun and interesting has huge rewards,” said Mahalie Dodson, Owner of Pawsitive Steps.

For more information on Pawsitive Steps, please contact: Pawsitive Steps; Phone: (615) 573-7387; E-mail: info@pawsitivestepsnashville.com or visit: www.pawsitivestepsnashville.com.

Mahalie was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She relocated to Nashville in 2000 but left for a brief time to explore Charlotte, North Carolina. It was there that Mahalie realized that her true calling in life was to work with the animals she loved.

Mahalie has spent her entire life around animals. As a child her house was always filled with dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, gerbils, hamsters, fish and even a squirrel. Her love of animals prompted her to walk away from the corporate world and start her own dog-walking business and her love of Nashville prompted her to move back in 2009 after a year away.

You will often hear her say “If I could take home all the dogs in the world I would.” And those sad ASPCA commercials are a sure way to see her cry. She has a huge heart for animals and she makes sure to give plenty of love and attention to each client’s loved ones.

Although Mahalie has been around animal her entire life her passion for dogs didn’t really blossom until she was 26 and she adopted her first puppy of her own, Noah a full blooded beagle. “I fell in love with her the minute I laid eyes on her, she just stood at the back of the barn and refused to make a fuss over being adopted, I knew right then that she was my dog.”

After Katrina hit New Orleans, Mahalie’s heart broke as she watched one animal after the other being deserted and abandoned by owners, and rescue workers and wanted to do something to help. In an attempt to adopt a Katrina dog, which was delayed months due to owners reclaiming, she decided to adopt Odie, a German short hair pointer mix from Metro Animal control. ” He looked like a Dalmatian all covered in spots and all he wanted to do was cuddle with me, I had to have him.”

“A friend of mine saw a picture of me looking down at my dog who was laying upside down and said, ‘Girl, you need to start having babies.’ I said, “I already had two!”

These days Noah and Odie are beloved children not pets, and Odie even though fully grown and weighing 50 pounds still thinks himself to be a lap dog and still loves to cuddle, and Noah; is still independent and not willing to impress you unless you have treats.

Mahalie’s philosophy is that pets should be beloved members of the family. They should be well cared for and always loved, after all they always love you