• How do I switch my pets food?
• How to read pet food labels
• My Pet is allergic to ________. What can i feed?
• I'm looking for something specific, can you order it for me?
• 10 things in your home that can kill your dog
• What is diatomaceous earth (DE) and why is it good for me and my pets?

How do I switch my pets food?

Your dog's digestive tract is sensitive and needs time to acclimate to changes in diet. We recommend the following transition guidelines based on customer feedback, advise from veterinarians and our own experience with our family pets.

An abrupt change to a different diet can cause some dogs to experience gastro-intestinal upset, for example, loose stools or vomiting. While this upset usually disappears in a matter of days, it can often be avoided by following these simple transition guidelines. Unlike humans, dogs often eat the same diet for months or years and their digestive systems are not as used to change as ours are.

We have found that the smoothest transition from one dog food to another is to mix the foods together. This process should usually take about six days as outlined below, but you can increase the transition time if your dog is particularly sensitive.

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How to read pet food labels

Animal Digest: The first two ingredients by alphabetical order are two of the worst. "Animal Digest" is a broth that's cooked up of stuff that we'd rather just not know about. It can include some of what's in the aforementioned by-products, but also skin and the contents of the animal's stomach after it was slaughtered. Yuck. It's the soup that you won't find Campbell's offering anytime soon.

Barley: Barley is a pretty good quality grain in pet foods. It's not a main source of allergies, and it's easily digestible. So if grains are in the pet food, as they are in most, this is a welcome sight.

Beef Tallow: If you're going to ingest pure fat, what animal would you rather it be from....chicken or cow?? Turkey or cow?? The reason why cheap pet food companies use beef tallow is simple: it's very cheap. It's also a very bad fat source for pets as it is for humans. This is pure, greasy, white cow fat. Yummy.

Brewers rice or brewers yeast: At first, a person may look at the word "brewer" here and be reminded of a person who makes alcohol. Well, there's a good reason for that, because that's exactly what these ingredients are. They happen to be the leftovers from the alcohol-making process, which is bought very cheaply by the pet food companies. It's devoid of nutritional value, being as how it's been absolutely used up by the time it's used in the food. It's just a filler.

Canola Oil: A decent fat source, although not the best. It certainly beats beef tallow, but isn't as good as any sort of fish oil or sunflower oil.

Corn Gluten Meal: This is the remainder of the corn after the best parts of the corn have been removed. This is why I call it "filler of a filler". One of the absolute worst ingredients, as it does absolutely nothing for the animal and actually is difficult to digest.

Eggs: Eggs are one of the best protein sources there are. The best thing to see is "whole eggs", but even "dried eggs" or "egg product" is going to be a fairly good protein source.

Fish Oil: This includes salmon oil. Very rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, which are absolutely excellent for heart health. This is one of the finest, if not the finest, fat source possible in pet foods.

Flaxseed Oil: Another great fat source, with Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids for heart health. Cheap foods will almost never have this.

Fruits: Much like humans, animals benefit from fruits as well. They're excellent sources of fiber and vitamins. Some you'll see in foods include blueberries, cranberries, and apples. It's an expensive ingredient, so expect to find this in your finer foods.

Meats (chicken, turkey, duck, etc.): Any time a meat is named on the label, this is a good thing as long as "by-product" isn't behind it. However, be advised that if the word "meal" is not behind it, they are weighing it BEFORE it is dehydrated for inclusion in the dry food, which gives sort of a false ranking of what proportion of it is really included in the food. This leads us to the next entry....

Meat "meals" (chicken meal, turkey meal, fish meal, etc): One of the best ingredients you can see in a pet food, this means that the meat is of a decent quality and it was weighed AFTER it was dehydrated...therefore meaning the proteins are more condensed. Seeing these towards the top of the ingredient list is a great thing.

Meat and Bone Meal: One of the lowest quality meat products used. The origin of the meat is suspect, as it isn't named. If the manufacturers wanted you to know what the source was, they'd name it. Since it's probably not braggable, it's just put down as "meat". Not only that, but the lowest-quality parts of the animal are generally used as well. Oh, and as the name suggest....ground bone as well. Nothing good about this one.

Natural Flavors: There are varying reports about this. The more expensive companies state they are just using broth created when the animals are being cooked, but I've read about there being not-so-flattering methods of getting these flavors with bargain manufacturers.

Oatmeal: This is another pretty good grain, much like barley and rice. It's generally found in more expensive food but not exclusively.

Potatoes (or sweet potatoes): This is the single best carb source in pet foods, and is a good ingredient to see.

Rice (or whole grain rice): This is generally thought of as being the best grain that can be put into pet food. Rice "bran" or "flour" is NOT the same, however, as nutritional quality is diminished with those processes are used on the rice. This is easily digestible, and a good source of fiber for animals.

Salt: Run, don't walk, if this is included highly in a pet food. Excess salt isn't good for humans, and it isn't good for pets either. If this is included in a pet food, chances are it's missing something else.

Soybeans: A rather low-quality grain, and source of food allergies. It's a cheap ingredient typically used by cheap companies with little benefit to the animals.

Sugar (or corn syrup): Bad ingredient used by companies to make food more palatable to the animals if the ingredients themselves aren't enough to make the dog or cat actually want to eat it.

Wheat: Absolutely useless ingredient in pet food and a leading cause of food allergies in dogs. "Wheat middlings" are especially bad, since they are considered to be the "sweepings" off the floor. Absolutely AVOID this if at all possible.

Source: www.petfoodratings.net/glossary.html

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My pet is allergic to ____________. What can i feed?

Please check the table below to find a possible choice of food to feed your dog if they are allergic to a particular item. If you don't see what your specific allergen listed, please feel free to contact us and we will be more than happy to help you find a suitable food.

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I'm looking for something specific, can you order it?

10 things in your home that can kill your dog>

1) Antifreeze: Many people do not realize it, but common antifreeze kills many pets each year. It smells and tastes very sweet to your dog and is very appealing to him. Ethylene glycol is toxic however, and each winter, many animals are killed by it. Symptoms of toxicity include seizures, vomiting, stumbling and lethargy leading to kidney failure. Make sure to keep your antifreeze out of your dog's reach. If you suspect that your dog has ingested antifreeze, take your dog to the veterinarian immediately.

2) Chocolate: Chocolate contains a substance called the obromine which is toxic to dogs. Baking chocolate and dark chocolate is especially dangerous. While it usually takes a somewhat large amount of chocolate to kill a dog, poisoning and death does occur with smaller amounts ingested. Signs of chocolate poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination, and increased activity. This can progress to seizures and unusual heart rhythms. Call your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your dog has eaten chocolate.

3) Bleach: As you might imagine, household bleach is toxic to dogs. Keep all products containing bleach out of your dog's reach. Symptoms of bleach poisoning include drooling, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Do NOT induce vomiting if you suspect your dog has ingested bleach and contact your veterinarian immediately.

4) Tylenol: As little as two regular strength Tylenol tablets can kill a small dog. Dogs lack the proper liver enzymes to break down acetaminophen. Signs of toxicity include drooling, lethargy, and abdominal pain. If you suspect your dog has ingested Tylenol, call your veterinarian immediately.

5) Watch Batteries: If your dog ingests a watch battery, it can cause a potentially fatal ulceration in the stomach within 12 hours. All other alkaline batteries are toxic to dogs as well. Symptoms of toxicity include drooling, lack of appetite, vomiting, and lethargy. If you suspect your dog has ingested a watch battery, contact your vet immediately.

6) Moth Balls: Moth balls are very dangerous to dogs. They contain an insecticide that causes central nervous system excitement and seizures. When metabolized, ingestion of moth balls can lead to liver failure. Symptoms of poisoning by moth balls include vomiting and seizures. If your dog has consumed moth balls, do NOT induce vomiting. Seek veterinary care immediately.

7) Fabric Softeners and other detergents: All sorts of household detergents are toxic to dogs at one level or another, but fabric softeners fall into the highly toxic category. Signs of toxicity include vomiting, lethargy, burns to the mouth, drooling, muscle weakness, and even coma. Do NOT induce vomiting if your dog has ingested any detergent. Contact your veterinarian immediately.

8) Mouthwash: Mouthwash can contain boric acid which is highly toxic to dogs. Symptoms of poisoning by mouthwash include vomiting, drooling, seizures, and coma. You should take your dog to the veterinarian immediately if you suspect poisoning by mouthwash or other household item containing boric acid like contact lens solution or denture cleaner.

9) Peach Pits: With most fruits, the pits and the seeds are toxic to dogs. Signs of poisoning include drooling, vomiting, and lethargy. If you suspect your dog has eaten a peach pit or the pit or seeds of any fruit, take him to the veterinarian immediately.

10) Household Plants: Many common and popular household plants are highly toxic to dogs. A partial list of toxic plants includes poinsettias, lilies, ferns, devil's ivy, aloe, and ivy. Symptoms of poisoning due to ingestion of toxic plants include vomiting and central nervous system excitement. Many of these plants are fatal if ingested. Please contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your dog has eaten a toxic houseplant.

With diligence on our part, we can help prevent our dogs from getting into substances that are toxic to them. Many veterinary school websites offer lists of things that are toxic to dogs and what you should do if your dog ingests such things. As always, if you think your dog may have eaten something dangerous, contact your veterinarian immediately or take your dog to the closest emergency clinic.

Dog Article courtesy of I-Love-Dogs.com

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What is diatomaceous earth and why is it good for me and my pets?

Diatomaceous Earth is totally organic and safe. It contains less than 1% percent of Crystal & Silicon. Some of the uses for Diatomaceous Earth include; household pets, gardens, flower beds, field crops, grain storage, and livestock feeding. Diatomaceous Earth is Mother Nature's product with no harm to the environment, pets or to people. Diatomaceous Earth is not an earth, it is the fossilized remains of microscopic shells created by one celled plants called DIATOMS. Diatomaceous Earth kills by physical action, not chemical, by puncturing the insect’s exoskeleton and absorbing its body fluids, thus posing no harm to warm-blooded life. Moreover, on any surface, these natural pesticide products have a remarkable repellency factor. As long as it is present, insects tend to stay away, making a serious infestation unlikely. Also, the more it is used, the more an environment is created that tends to make insects feel unwelcome.

Our best friends come in all shapes and sizes. Protect them with Diatomaceous Earth. When lightly rubbed into their coats it is very effective against fleas, ticks, lice, and other pests on pet dogs, cats, and their premises. It can also be used as an organic wormer and will kill any worms or parasites the pets may have. When using as a de-wormer mix the Diatomaceous Earth into your pets food. Mix well into kibble and wet food. Ask your vet how much for your size pet.

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