Author Archives: Cheryl Hanson

Dog Food Essentials for Healthy Dogs

Leave a reply

Dogs are very sensitive to chemicals and additives, so a way to a good start understanding what dog food essentials are necessary for healthy dogs, will be what constitutes good dog food.  Good dog food supplies nutrition, and a clean base of holistic health, without chemicals and unnecessary calories.  If your dog is overweight, you may want to consider a 100% raw dog food, for a healthy coat, good weight control, and strong healthy bones and teeth.

Dog Food Essentials Begins with Nutrition

All dog food offers some form of nutrition, but few are offering the right blend for your dog, without many chemicals and preservatives.  One way to tell if you can find the right benefits from your dog food for your dogs, is by looking for the words by product,corn,sugars,fillers or rice.  It is well documented that corn is a very bad filler for dogs, and offers no nutrition for your best friend.  Puppies to dogs do not digest corn, so removing this one item will guarantee better dog food, and it is a dog food essential.

Dog Food Essentials Offer Vitamins and Minerals

Great Dog Food Essentials Starts with Knowledge

If your dog food is full of omega 3 for dogs, offers no preservatives, provides omega 6 supplements in the base of the food, you are going to be offering great dog food to your dog.  Vitamins like B, B6, B12 and C are great vitamins and minerals for your dog.  Dogs need vitamin C just like people do, and often times, a dog who suffers from allergies or has a problem digestive system, is not getting enough vitamin C.

Along with Vitamin C, Vitamins A, Beta Caro-dine, Vitamin E and Selenium offer great immune system support, and bring other minerals like calcium to bones and necessary anti-inflammatory properties to the skin.  Without these great nutrition boosters, your dog will have more problems with toxins and chemicals that it comes into contact with each day.

Balance of Nutrients are the Dog Food Essentials

Cheaper dog food will cost you in the long run, with more visits to the vet, and a lack luster skin and coat for your best friend.  Your dog will suffer from gas, more issues with digestion, and clarity of thought.  The best dogs are shiny in the eyes, eat raw food when possible, and are given fish oil occasionally in addition to their holistic and healthy mineral rich food.

Watch out for by products, corn, meat meal, rice, potatoes, and fillers such as husks or unknown proteins.  Buy from America and Canada, and then you will be happy to know that there are some regulatory controls towards healthy food options for your best friend.  Do not feed dog food that has lots of preservatives, as it can sit on a shelf, and offer no vitamins or minerals.

And the best dog food essentials offer a well rounded life for you and your dog. Exercise daily, with playtime between you and your dog will be good for you both!  Your dog offers natural stress relief, and your dog will be running off steam too, by a daily walk, a ball toss, or a daily run at the beach.  Why are you sitting on the couch now?  Get out there and experience the joy of being with your dog, as dog food essentials begin with enjoying life as it happens.

 

 

 

 

 

Small Dogs Deserve Great Dog Nutrition and Can Be Easy to Over Feed

Leave a reply

When you have a small dog, it can be really easy to over feed them, and still not give them great dog nutrition.  If you are over feeding people food, chances are you are not feeding them vegetables and small pieces of fruit, but a small piece of a human cookie, or sugar or starchy treat.  The best treats for little dogs are no human food, and very small but feed throughout the day meals from dog food that really supplies great dog nutrition.  This is important, as smaller breeds suffer from liver and pancreatic disease when they are fed too many starches and sugars, and they will be suffering from uncomfortable digestion problems with such offerings.  When you eat unhealthy food, and treat them with it, it is 10 times worse for your small best friend, and can be very bad for them.

Find Great Dog Nutrition the Holistic Way

For centuries, rich families fed their little pets table scraps from their table.  They fed mostly protein and vegetables, as everyone grew their own food, and killed livestock on their farms and townships.  These little dogs grew popular in the renaissance, and found their way from Europe to Asia, to North America. People simply love to nurture another loving creature, and these little lap dogs fit in with our human families so well.  The increase in little dogs has not been surprising, but what has been sad, is seeing so many of them with poor nutrition, and bad teeth, and not being offered the great dog nutrition that they deserve.  They are family after all, so why are we feeding them inexpensive starchy foods that offer them very little great dog nutrition?

Small Dogs Need Great Dog Nutrition

The fact is, you can easily save money by feeding the best food for these little champions.  You will have less allergies, less vet visits, and more health and happiness from your dog.  You can choose, a cheap corn based dog food from a big box grocery super center, or you can feed a better bag of $25 dog food for a couple of months.

 

Why Feeding Great Dog Nutrition Saves Money

 

The thing is, your  little dog, will eat far less than a larger dog, and vet visits are very expensive.  For every size dog, feeding great dog nutrition, by buying better American made dog food, that is organic or holistic, will provide great vitamins and minerals for your best friend. Large dogs always save money by their owners buying better food, that is often times more expensive than the cheap filler dog foods.

The cost for a large dog to be fed great dog nutrition can be around $180 a month.  For your little best friend, who needs far less food, it will cost around $60.  This is such a value, as vet costs are the same for large or small.  Even when you spend more for your larger dog, the fact is you save a lot money by not visiting the vet with symptoms of allergy, skin irritations, digestion problems, and a myriad of solved problems by feeding better food.   Buying anything with by products, corn, or processed ingredients will only create a lack of great dog nutrition.

Achieve Great Dog Nutrition by Not Over Feeding Little Dogs

Often times, caring dog owners will overfeed their little dogs, and they often come up with excuses that they must treat them.  The best treat for any dog, is to treat them by letting them be a dog.  Some humans forget that little lap dogs are dogs, need exercise and require a good walk each morning and evening.  You as well, need the exercise, and need to get out of the house to walk.  It is an amazing gift that you must remember to provide your little best friend for great dog nutrition.

 

 

Pumpkin can Help with Digestion Issues

Leave a reply

If sweet potatoes are the king of veggies, Pumpkin is the queen of all vegetables that can help with a myriad of digestion issues because it brings healthy fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins.  The beauty of above ground vegetables like pumpkin is it is a rich source of vitamin A, which can improve circulation in the body, and can help the immune system destroy parasites and worms.  If you have a dog that is very new to your home, feeding a can of pumpkin over the first week, is a great way to start out on the right paw.  There are great things to be said of summer squashes and winter squashes, but the real beauty lies in the seeds too, as they are like little pills of anti-parasite and worm killer.

Pumpkin and the Pancreas

Add some Pumpkin for Health

Anytime you have a dog that is riddled with allergies, and a lack of a luminous coat, lethargy and digestion issues, you have a dog that is being fed chemicals and toxins in its diet.  Recently and in the past, the news has been full of dog food that has been labeled as poisoned or full of dangerous bacteria.  The chicken strips that are full of bacteria are dangerous because no immune system can handle the toxic bacteria and virus that are often covering dehydrated protein like chicken, beef or turkey.  A better chew is a pumpkin or sweet potato chew that is dehydrated.  The beauty of this kind of chew is that often it is made in America, or Canada.  And, the dried vegetable chews are a quality product that has high standards of organic, natural processes, and offer a true business model that is really valuable to our agricultural trends and farming to bring true value forward.  As well, any chew should be from local resources, not from far away places like China or Indonesia.  The better product will always yield more nutrition and be better for your dog.

Pumpkin is Digestible Fiber

Not only is pumpkin full of Vitamin A and antioxidant benefits, it is a benefit in terms of fiber.  When you have a dog or cat who has diarrhea, you would think feeding a starchy whole grain piece of toast, or  a cracker would help, but these dry  forms of carbohydrate are actually not the solution.  The best solution for this condition or any upset stomach, is a soft form of pumpkin.  Canned organic pumpkin is a great option, and often what your dog or cat needs is the loose fiber that is in the pumpkin.

Chinese Medicine is often Pumpkin

For centuries, Chinese herbalists have recommended pumpkin  to ward off inflammation and disease of the liver and pancreas.  These two organs are responsible for removing our toxins and chemicals that are naturally and artifically present in our environment.  As well, our liver is responsible to remove fat from our bodies, so any protein or fatty tissues that are not necessary for health, can be essentially removed with a healthy liver and pancreas.

If your pet has hair ball issues, feeding pumpkin from a can, can be a great addition to their diet.  The extra fiber, nutrition and key chemicals that it stores in its walls, are great for intestinal disturbances, as the natural chemicals are great for cellular walls and for improving transference for hydration.  This increase of ease of food to the blood stream, and proper water transfer, creates a better system for your dog’s digestion, and pumpkin is the way to do it.

 

 

Beef and Sardines Dog Food

2 Replies

If your dog is overweight, chances are, they are eating way too much carbohydrate, snacking all day, and are not happy with how tasty their food is.  What if you could cook a simple meal for them, and make it nutritious and taste really great?  Here is a wonderful recipe, that I have adapted over the years to bring great Essential Fatty Acids into my dog’s diets, and as well, some super taste.

 

Surf and Turf for Dogs

Here is what you will need to make this killer beefy fishy meal!

2 Bunches of Carrots with Stems Attached, 2 lbs or more

1 Bag of Organic Green Beans, Frozen or Fresh, to equal 1 Pound

1 head of Cabbage, be sure to find Organic

2 pounds of Organic ground beef or buffalo

2 tins of sardines, no added salt, organic in olive oil

6 eggs

2 cans or 28 oz of re-fried veggie beans, pima or black OK

 

Cook the meat in a big pot on the stove, and cook on low.  Add the refried beans and the eggs.  Cook slowly, until a temperature of 185 is reached.

With the remaining ingredients, push through a food mill, or through a food processor.  Be sure to add the oil from the sardine can, into the meat mix.  Then, join all the ingredients together, and cook for 15 minutes, on low, or until soft.

Move your meal into small 1 cup or 2 cup containers for daily use.  It should make around 24 cups.

Store in the freezer, and when you want to serve, be sure to move a container from freezer to fridge, until all are eaten.  Only store in fridge for 2 days or less.

Dogs will need around 1 cup a day if they are 30 pounds.

 

 

You can serve this warm, or cold.  I suggest cold, as it is easier for you, and will preserve the vitamins and minerals, when you defrost the portions from the freezer.

Cooking with Chickens

Leave a reply

Roasting or cooking chickens, can make great dog food, in a simple and easy way!  To do this, you will need two full sized chickens, and some time to roast them.

Here is a great recipe, that offers real nutrition, and can be a great way to add value to your dog’s daily nutrition.

Chicken Roasts for Dogs

2 Large Chickens, from 5 pounds to 8 pounds

2 cups of filtered water

2 garlic heads, peeled and separated

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 cups of sweet potatoes, or 4 large sweet potatoes

2 bunches of carrots with stems, chopped, not skinned

2 yellow zucchini or squash, chopped into large pieces

2 spaghetti squash, whole

1 Bag of Frozen Green Beans, 1 pound

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Bake squash and sweet potato on a cookie sheet for 1 hour.  Remove and cut squash in half, remove any hard or husky pieces from the squash.

Take all the pieces out of the chicken, ie the glizzards paper, and neck etc.  Keep the gizzards and cook with chicken, but toss the chicken neck or any bones that have no meat attached.  Place chickens, and sweet potatoes in a large pan, and cover with the 2 cups of water.  Bake for 2 hours, or until all the chicken reaches a temp of 180 internal degrees. Once the sweet potatoes and the chicken is cooked, remove, and place chicken on a plate or cooking sheet to cool.

 

Meanwhile, take the remaining ingredients, and layer over the sweet potatoes and the water, and bake for 15 minutes.

While the veggies are softening and baking, with plastic food safe gloves, remove the bones completely from the chickens.  Be sure to get all the hard bones, as they are dangerous for your dog!

Then, once all the items are cooked, cool a bit, and push all the veggies, chicken and squash through the food mill.

All the water, and the herbs can be then joined into the big milled veggie/meat mix.   The milled mix is your final product, and can be then separated into containers, for freezing, and daily use.

 

This should take you around 4 hours from start to finish, but the food will be enough for 4 weeks, for a 30 pound dog.  Your dog will be dancing in the kitchen with you!

Make Dog Food

1 Reply

If you are looking for a healthy food for dogs, a high protein dog food, a human grade dog food, why not make your own?

Cooking for Dogs

You should know, it is not as hard as it seems, and they can get great nutrition from your home cooked meals, as well, as a path to great health.  If you are interested in cooking for your dogs, here are the things that you should know!

You will need to boost your kitchen equipment up a bit, if you do not have some of these recommended items, and you will need some time each week, to make the food, and freeze it for the next two weeks.

When I cook for the dogs, I make chicken on one weekend, and beef or venison on the next.  That way, they have the variety that they so love.  You will need to plan a bit, as the ingredients for each recipe should be purchased ahead of time, and will need to be fresh, and only organic.

So, here are the items you will need!

  • A working oven, large enough to roast two full sized chickens
  • A large pan, for both chickens,
  • Aluminum foil, spring water, thermometers, and some timers to keep track of cooking time
  • Veggies, and fruits as needed per recipes
  • Garlic, sea kelp, and rosemary
  • Essential Fatty Acid Oils
  • A meat grinder, or an attachment to your mixer
  • Containers to freeze your meals, and appropriate freezer space
  • A lovely space of time to show your love to your dogs

If you can space out your time, with shopping and planning, and then cooking, it will be easy!  Be sure to check the rest of this site for recipes and your great next meal for your dog food.

Hypoallergenic dog food

Leave a reply

What is the fact on hypoallergenic dog food?  What does this term mean?  If you are looking for a dog food that is great, you are at the right place.  Our reviews and products have been tested by the dog community at large.  There are no reasons why you can not afford a great dog food, and one that is technically hypoallergenic.

Dog food hypoallergenic

Hypoallergenic means the food creates a positive solution to many of the allergic reactions that dogs suffer from.  Whether it is skin allergies, ear infections, eye problems, or other hot spot problems, your dog is simply not getting the right minerals and vitamins.

The best way to combat this, is to remove many common dog food brands, and use common sense.  If you can not recognize an ingredient, that should be a red flag to move to a different brand.  The brands that work, are those that do not contain grains, by-products, have some Essential Fatty Acids, and have natural immunity boosters.

Be sure to review the brand carefully.  It should be made in the US, UK or Canada.  No chinese imports, and there should be a variety of vegetables, and pure human worthy proteins.  If you are feeding a food with meat meal, you are getting chicken feet and beaks.  This is unacceptable.

A great way to beat allergies, is to be sure to feed the best food available.  Here is a great list for you to look for!

Halo Canned and Dry Food

Flint River Ranch

Avoderm

Evanger’s Canned

Nature’s Variety