Caring with clear leadership
Obesity and overweight problems have become a big issue in the dog community as well as human society. An overweight or obese dog can get many medical problems, hip and back pain, lethargy which all help contribute to a shorter less fulfilling life for the animal. Please see your vet if your dog is becoming too heavy.There are an enormous variety of dog foods available and it is important to get one that suits your dog and your budget.
In the processed and prepared foods I tend to find that cost is a good indicator of the quality of the food. The vets also tend to stock the premium brands. I have found that the premium brand poos tend to be easier and cleaner to pick up.
This diet is called a BARF diet and there are many recipes on the internet.
Wilbur's BARF recipe
1 kg Organic Pet Mince (Beef or Chicken)
500g Mixed Raw Vegetables/ Fruit (e.g.carrot, broccoli, beans, apple, cauliflower etc)
50g Flaxseed Meal
2 Raw Eggs including Shells (shells for Calcium)
2 tablespoon Mollasses
1/2 teaspoon Seaweed Powder (kelp or dulce)
Method
Finely chop Vegetables, Fruit and Eggs in food processor.
Mix Mollasses, Seaweed Powder and Flaxseed meal into mixture and then combine with raw pet mince.
Important
All ingredients are raw.
Do not feed your dog onion,sultanas, tomato leaves or chocolate because these are very bad for their systems.
Changing diets should be done gradually over a couple of weeks. Introduce 10-20 % of the new food and then increase over the following days until the new food makes up the whole diet. Changing the diet too quickly can result in an upset tummy.
Probiotics can help improve the gut flora aiding the digestion of the raw food. We use Blackmores' PAW Probiotic which is available at Pet Stores. We have also used Dr Mercola's Dog Probiotic which is available online
Disclaimer: The tips here are general advice only and if you are at all concerned about the problem please seek professional advice straight away.