Archive for March, 2008
Dog Health - Creative Dog Food Recipes
Most vets and dog experts will tell you to stay with one dog food and wean your dog off the old one if you start a new one. Contrary to the belief that dogs don’t care about variety, variety may just be what your dog needs. I know my dog gets tired of the same old food after a while. Also, I believe there is nothing wrong with mixing in some table scraps with dry kibble. I would even recommend it if the food (for example is meat or chicken) is cooked by itself and no oil or flavoring added. Chopped up raw or cooked vegetables is an excellent addition, as is a tablespoon of rice each meal for your dog’s health. You will be surprised at how much your dog will enjoy vegetables. If he doesn’t eat it, it may not be chopped up finely enough.
Dry dog food is a must for healthy teeth and digestive tract. Canned dog food and scraps should never be an option. Mix canned and dry food if necessary. If the dog only picks out the canned food or scraps, leave the left over food out. If the dog is hungry enough, he will eventually eat it. If he consistently leaves the food, check the ingredients to see if corn is listed first. If it is, you may need to upgrade to another variety like lamb and rice for a healthy dog.
Dogs and chickens bones in most cases are a dangerous mix and should be avoided. But if and only if, you are very careful, chicken bones can be a safe and wonderful treat for your dog. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!
If you do try this, you should start with drumstick bones. You should not start off by just throwing a bone to your dog. At first, hold the bone to them and let them chew off the ends only. Hold it so your fingers are blocking the middle portion and let them have one bite. Feel the middle of the bone. If it is hard or if the bone splinters when the dog bites it, don’t give the rest of it. If it feels soft, let him have another bite and watch to see if he chews it very well. If he doesn’t and just swallows it, don’t give it again. This cannot be taught. The dog should instinctively chew it well. Never leave a dog a bone unsupervised and be ready at any time to stick your finger in their mouth and swipe it out if they start to choke on it. If that doesn’t work, try to get them to drink water or give them some food you know they will eat and this should unblock it.
If you have a small dog or have a certain breed, chicken bones may not be for them. In time, you will feel comfortable giving different types of chicken bones to your dog and it will be one happy camper and healthy dog.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Dog Health
Tag: dog healthGreat Health Benefits Of Seafood
Seafood contains essential oils that are an important part of your diet. Oils provide the source of energy we need and they are also great flavor enhancers. More importantly, they are a source of significant fatty acids.
Seafood oils are unique and have great nutritional benefits to our body. This oil contains the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Our body only produces small amounts of these important fatty acids; therefore we need to rely on other sources for this essential nourishment. Seafood is one of the best sources of these nutrients. In fact, oils are the second biggest components in most seafood.
Eating seafood just once or twice a week can provide good health benefits. Eating fresh seafood is a great way to obtain your required dose of these essential oils. Oils extracted from seafood are also available as nutritional supplements.
Oils derived from seafood help prevent some of the most deadly diseases today, including Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, arteriosclerosis, bipolar disorder, bronchitis, cancer, heart diseases and more.
The omega-3 oils decrease the risk of heart diseases, high blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis. They are also beneficial to infants’ brain and eye development.
The oils in seafood can also prevent osteoporosis. This is because the oils improve calcium absorption in our bones and can prevent the bones from becoming brittle.
According to recent findings, Omega-3 also helps improve people’s immune functions, thereby reducing infections.
Seafood oils are known to have properties that lower blood pressure, benefiting especially those suffering from hypertension.
Another kind of oil found in seafood is the omega-6 fatty acid. This is important for growth and plays an important role in people’s health and well-being.
Eating a seafood diet can also help you reduce weight. For years, seafood has been part of many weight loss programs. This is because, unlike diet pills, seafood is natural and has beneficial properties to people.
However, fish can rot quickly. Therefore, you should cook it the day you buy it. Here are some tips for preparing seafood:
* If you do not plan to cook the fresh seafood the day you buy it, you should store it for no longer than two days at very cold temperatures.
* If you are going to thaw the fish, keep it in the refrigerator or thaw it under cold water. Do not leave it to thaw on your kitchen counter. This is because the nutritional value of the seafood may diminish.
* You can prepare many delicious seafood dishes from great seafood recipes. You can fry or grill seafood. You can combine it with fruits and vegetables to make it even more delicious. You can marinate it and further enhance its flavor and get rid of its unique smell.
* Some people do not want to eat seafood for fear of choking on the tiny bones. In this case you can request the fish store to help you remove these fish bones.
Remember that seafood is not only delicious; it can also provide wonderful benefits to your health.
For more on Seafood, visit Susan’s site at yummy-seafood.info. Susan’s other articles are also available at home-and-family-hub.info
Tags: fresh seafood, seafood, seafood market, seafood online, seafood recipe, seafood restaurant, seafood retail