Canis Familiaris- Member of the genus canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric  times.

Canid- Any various, widely distributed, carnivorous mammals of the family of canidae which includes the fox, wolf, dogs, coyotes, and jackals.

Carnivore- Any of the various predatory, flesh eating mammals of the order carnivore, including but not limited to dogs, cats, seals, bears, weasels, ect..

Canines are primarily meat eaters, although a healthy well balanced diet should consist of more than just meat alone it should however be the foundation ingredient in the dog’s diet.

Obesity in dogs is a major wide spread problem. A sedentary lifestyle along with poor diet has contributed to the rise in the number of overweight or obese dogs in the US as rapidly as it has for their human counter parts. “A fat dog is NOT a happy dog!” For many of the same reason that it is unhealthy for people to be obese is also true for canines. Some of the more common problems seen in overweight dogs,  Heart problem, Pancreatitis, Arthritis, Diabetes, Poor digestive health, Dysplasia, Lowered immune systems, Respiratory ailments, as well as skin and coat problems.  All of these issues reduce the quality and length of your dog’s life.

Malnutrition - Poor nutrition because of an insufficient or poorly balanced diet or faulty digestion or utilization of foods.

Malnutrition I have noticed is rarely brought up by veterinarians, breeders, and owners. This as you can see by definition is not starving your animal as most people would tend to think. It is improper balance of the dog’s nutritional needs. This is primarily the cause of unhealthy and overweight pets. Many health issues as listed above under obesity and obesity itself are caused by malnutrition, not so much that people over feed their animals but that they feed the wrong diet.

You can probably see by now why it is so important to invest a bit of time learning what is healthy for your dog to eat and the little extra money to buy a good healthy balanced food source for your pet. By feeding the proper diet you will take less trips to your vet and your dog will live a longer, healthier, and happier life.

In the class I offer on Nutrition I will teach you how to read a pet food label, what you want to see on the label, and what you DO NOT want to see. You will receive handouts to take home, a list of books and resources to read on proper nutrition, a free trial packet of healthy food for your dog, and a new outlook on what you put in your dog’s mouth that will affect their overall health and vitality. “Healing your dog as well as yourself should start from the inside”.      

Foods to Avoid for your dog:

These items listed are toxic to dogs and not everything is known about each one. We do however know that for one reason or another they do have very serious reactions in the body. Some of these will or can have irreversible affects on your pets internal organs.

Onions and all members of the Allium genus such as Leek, Chives, Garlic, shallot. These foods have a compound called (n propyl disulfide) which oxidates, attaches to the red blood cells causing the cells to die. This in turn causes the animal to suffer from hemolytic anemia. These components are not changed when cooked. So weather you cook the food or not the damage will still occur.

Grapes and Raisins are toxic to dogs, if enough is ingested over time or in a fair quantity the dog will suffer from damage to the kidneys. The worst thing about this, is that about 50% to 60% of kidney damage has to be done before it will show up on a blood test. This kind of damage because of the organ is irreversible. The kidney cannot heal itself or regenerate like the liver or some other organs of the body.

Macadamia Nuts are very serious to ingest for dogs as it is a neurotoxin. Affects on the nervous system will be evident in symptoms such as weakness, lethargy, tremors, depression, difficulty standing or walking. You will start to see these within 8 to 12 hours of digestion.

Chocolate is widely known to be toxic to pets as well as coffee. The two components responsible for the toxicity are caffeine and theobromine (A bitter, colorless alkaloid, C₇H₈N₄O₂, derived from the cacao bean, found in chocolate products and used in medicine as a diuretic, vasodilator, and myocardial stimulant.) As a vasodilator and myocardial stimulant it will affect the heart. If enough is ingested if can be fatal. (The more pure the chocolate is the more dangerous it is. Baking chocolate being the worst!)

High fat content is also dangerous for pets in that when we kindly give our dog the fat trimmings off of a piece of meat or a piece of bacon we are actually not being kind. Fat like this can cause pancreatitis. The pancreas is designed to produce an enzyme to aid in the breakdown of fats, but if your dog has been eating kibble or food low in fat the pancreas can actually produce too much of these enzymes and cause swelling and irritation to the organ.
    
 Any alchoholic beverages should be kept well out of reach from your pets. If enough alcohol is consumed depending on the amount vs. the size of your pet which might not be much, can ultimately cause cardiac arrest.  http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&C=216&A=2059&S=1
I have heard of people getting their dog drunk as a joke but had they known the risks of doing so, would it still be funny? Probably not. Never give your pet alchohol!

       Ingredients:
Good healthy nutrition starts with having a base ingredient and as a carnivore that should be meat. So what else should be in your dog’s diet?

 There are a variety fruits and vegetables that are very good for your dog like apples, carrots, peas, spinach, squash, blueberries, bananas, cranberries, pears, and tomatoes to name a few.

Linoleic Acid over 3% and Alpha Linolinic Acid  5%  These are polyunsaturated fatty acids more commonly known as Omega fatty acids. These will aid in healthy skin and coat for your dog. These acids are generally found in plant oils and fish oils.

Any rice found in pet food should be whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, or barley to allow for digestion. Most grains are considered undigestable for dogs meaning that it is simply a filler and the dog cannot break it down or use it in the body.

Now here are a few things you might find on your dog food labels that you should avoid.

By product- Anything that ends with by-product means that it is essentially heads, feet, brains, blood, talons, beaks, bones, or most other things swept off the floor of a processing plant.

Corn- This is also a general filler in commercial foods, dogs cannot digest corn.

Sorghum- Another filler that simply makes more poop for you to pick up.

Tallow- This is a product much like adding Crisco grease to your dog’s diet. Unusable with a high fat content.

Animal Digest- Is a process that is done to rotting meat.   

Propylene Glycol- A sweet colorless, viscous, hygroscopic liquid used as antifreeze and in brake fluid and hydraulic fluid as a solvent. Also used as a preservative.

Brewer’s rice- This is the hull of rice that has no nutritional factors.
 
      Consider This:

    Again dogs, like humans are all different. You will need to consider the breed, size, general health, and age of your dog in order to provide a balanced diet for that animal. For instance I know that my miniature schnauzer because of breed characteristics are prone to problems such as pancreatitis, therefore I provide him with less fat content than I do my giant schnauzer that can tolerate more. The giant from sheer size requires more protein and a high quantity in her diet than the soft coated wheaten. I know to look for potential problems in the wheaten when it comes to proteins because some wheatens develop what is known as PLN (protein losing nephropathy) and PLE (protein losing enteropathy) possibly associated with inflammatory bowel disease. This disease is large amounts of protein lost in the urine and fecal matter of the dog. Because of this I watch for possible signs and am careful when changing diets. I watch for changes in the coat and skin as well as urinary output and consumption of water. Miniature schnauzers are also prone to diabetes so I am extremely careful to maintain a healthy weight as a preventative measure. Each breed will have health issues inherent in that breed. Even if you own a mixed breed and you know what types make up that mix you would do well to research those breeds to find out health issues within them. This will give you an idea of signs to look for and what your dog may or may not be able to tolerate in their diets. The size of your animal can be very important when dealing with diets. Balanced nutritional care for a giant breed will greatly differ from that of a toy breed or miniature, not only the quantity but also the ingredients of their food.

   The age of your animal should also be taken into account as a puppy will need more protein than a senior dog for their growing bodies. A senior dog may need a diet consisting of glucosamine and chondroitin if they have arthritis for bone and join health. Obviously if your dog has an existing medical condition your vet may have them on a specific diet for that problem or even suggest a change in their diet to help with the condition.

   A major and potentially fatal issue for giant breeds in the consumption of food is bloat. This can occur in any breed of any age and common in puppies that overeat. However, this problem is seen more in large breeds with a deep narrowing chest like the Doberman, Irish Setter, Wolfhound, Old English Sheepdog, Boxer, Golden, Labrador, Akita, Standard Poodle, Gorden Setter, Borozoi, Mastiff, Bullmastiff, St.Bernard, Weimaraner, Great Pyrenees, Great Dane, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Bloodhounds,and Newfoundlands.

   These breeds especially when young are prone to this problem. Bloat is a gastric distention usually occurring when the dog gulps down food along with air, drinks water, then is highly active. This is a recipe for disaster, the stomach fills with gas, and can twist, blocking off blood flow to his tissues. This in turn makes it impossible for the stomach to be emptied and can lead to a greater build up of gasses. If left too long without treatment, persisting 6 to 12 hours the dog will go into shock, coma, and then die.  Simple avoidance of bloat is feeding smaller meals throughout the day verses a large meal once a day. Also avoid foods that seem to cause your dog large amount of gassiness and some vets even suggest feeding your dog yogurt to aid in digestion from natural bacteria. More exercise for your dog along with frequent small meals may decrease the likeliness of them developing this issue. However, do not exercise them right after eating.

   Another indicator to your dog’s diet will be their activity level. Less active dogs should eat less of the ingredients in their food that should be otherwise used as energy, allowing it to be burned off instead of stored as fat. A more active dog will require more proteins and some carbohydrates to maintain energy levels so that they have it to burn and allowing maintenance of that level of activity and healthy weight. If you feed a higher protein and carbohydrate content diet and the dog is a couch potato you will soon see the affects of that diet in their body mass. These dogs will easily become overweight and possibly develop health issue due to the extra pounds. This generally occurs more in older dogs and dogs that have a very sedentary lifestyle. So, when feeding your dog keep in mind how active they are and feed them accordingly.

   Also dogs that live outdoors or work outdoors during the winter months may require a bit more food than in the spring, summer, and fall months depending on where you live. The dog’s body burns energy to create heat, for those dogs with shorter coats, thinner body frames, and either very young or old will do better in cold weather with slightly more food to aid in that process of warming themselves.