Cheap Dog Food That Won’t Kill Your Pet

By admin | Published: November 18, 2009

Cheap dog food doesn’t have to mean cheap ingredients that are harmful to your dogs health, and while the very cheapest brands contain low quality ingredients like byproducts, corn and wheat there are still some very affordable foods on the market that are both healthful as well as wallet friendly.

The main thing when seeking out cheap dog foods is finding one at a low price that contains a larger quantity of high quality ingredients. Keep in mind ingredients found on the bag are listed in order of density inclusive of water weight. Also, meat should be the  primary ingredient in any dog food.

When selecting a cheap dog food make sure the brand you choose does not include certain ingredients.

Ingredients To Avoid In Cheap Dog Food:

Corn, corn gluten meal
Animal by products, chicken by products, by products of any kind
Wheat if at all possible

Examples of Good Ingredients:

Meat listed simply (chicken, beef), meat listed in meal form (chicken meal, salmon meal)

Stay away from grocery store brands.

While it can be convenient and often times inexpensive to pick up cheap dog food while shopping at your grocery store, the brands found in such stores tend to be not only cheap but filled with unsavory ingredients such as by products, corn and other fillers, as well as an over abundance of fat (cheap dog food brands are often sprayed with animal fat in order to make them palatable). Instead, opt for a trip to your local pet store where there are affordable dog food brands available, and while they may not be top of the line, they contain a much higher quantity of better quality ingredients than you’ll find in cheap grocery store dog food brands.

A couple of cheap dog food brands that you may consider are Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul (which we did a write up about on our Dog Food Ratings) page, as well as Kirkland which is available at Costco. Both of these brands are easy on the wallet while being safe food choices for your dogs.

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Miniature Pinscher Breed (Min Pin Breed)

By admin | Published: November 17, 2009

Overview: Rough and tumble, the Miniature Pinscher breed is most certainly a big dog in a small dog’s body. This breed is outgoing, energetic and is suitable for those who dwell in the city, country or just about anywhere. Drawbacks include a penchant for barking, and so unwanted noise should be discouraged and curtailed early on with this breed. They do however make excellent watchdogs (as opposed to guard dogs), and will certainly alert a family to any incoming visitors. The Miniature Pinscher Breed is small but sturdy, generally weighing somewhere between eight and twelve pounds.

Exercise Requirements: The Miniature Pinscher breed tends to have a higher energy level than most smaller breed dogs, and need to have their exercise requirements satisfactorily met. Failure to do so will most likely lead to a bored dog who make engage in destructive behaviors such as chewing objects (ex. furniture or shoes). While miniature Pinschers can get a fair amount of exercise indoors, they should be provided with a long daily walk in addition to outdoor off leash time when possible. Most Min Pins will not be happy to simply play the role of a lapdog and enjoy romps in the woods and other exercise and socialization opportunities.

Grooming: As a sleek, short haired breed the miniature Pinscher does not require a great deal of grooming. A weekly brushing (which literally only takes minutes), and the occasional bath will keep their coat in good condition and minimize shedding. Miniature Pinchers are not known to be a heavy shedding breed.

Training: While Min Pins are quiet smart their high energy level can make them difficult to train, especially as puppies. It is important to enroll the miniature Pinscher breed in obedience classes from an early age and to continually work on training with them, as this is the best way to ensure that they wll grow to be well adjusted family members. This is not a suitable breed for someone who does not have a good amount of free time to spend exercising and training their dog.

Health Concerns: Robust and healthy, the miniature Pincher breed is not plagued by a great deal of health problems and it is not uncommon for Min Pins to live over thirteen years. However ,they are somewhat prone to conditions that other small dog breeds are such as luxating patella and progressive retinal atrophy. They also have a higher than average incident rate of Legg’s Perthes Disease, which often requires surgery to correct. When purchasing a Min Pin it’s important to ensure that both breeding parents (and if possible, grandparents) are health tested and do not carry a history of these conditions.

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Raw Diet For Dogs (BARF)

By admin | Published: November 15, 2009

A lot of dog owners are starting to move towards a raw diet for their dogs, believing that it is more biologically appropriate than the commercial kibble that most canines today are fed. Perhaps the most popular raw diet for dogs is the BARF diet which stands for biologically appropriate raw food (and bones.) Basically, the diet attempts to provide dogs with foods more similar to what they would be eating in the wild, believing this is better for the dog, and frankly a heck of a lot tastier than commercial kibble.

Of course, there are proponents for and against the BARF raw diet for dogs, with critics pointing out that domesticated dogs are not wolves, and do not have the same protein and meat requirements due to more sedated lifestyle. As we know too much protein in any species can be potentially damaging to the kidneys, resulting in serious health complications up to and including death. Also, there are those that would worry about bacteria in raw food, as while dogs do have a shorter digestive track and can usually ingest raw food without harm, should the raw meat not be stored properly it could become a potential bacteria danger.

Those are are for the raw diet would cite that many dogs these days are dying from cancer, as well as other diseases that may be attributed to the commercial dog food (further studies will need to confirm or deny this) that most dogs today are fed as their main food source. Furthermore, many who have fed a raw diet to their dogs have noted improvements in the skin, coat, energy level, and breath of their dogs, as well as a decrease in amount of stools. It is well known that higher quality foods tend to decrease the amount of bowel movements that a dog needs to have, as they also need to eat less food to meet their nutritional requirements. Another consideration is that many commercial dog kibbles contain corn and/or wheat, ingredients that many dogs are allergic to. Corn has no nutritional value to a dog and is unfortunately the chief ingredient in many lower grade dog kibble brands.

What exactly does the BARF raw diet for dogs consist of? The BARF diet suggest feeding dogs a diet that closely resembles that of what their wolf ancestors would have been eating in the wild. Raw meat including meat from muscles and organs, as well as raw animal bones (never give a dog cooked bones as they could splinter and cause internal damage and even death), and some amount of raw vegetables are generally incorporated into the raw diet for dogs. NOTE: When implementing a raw diet for dogs it’s important not to overlook the importance of adding raw bones into the dog’s diet as chewing bones is a great natural way to keep your dog’s teeth and gums clean and healthy.

NB: GoodDogBreeds.com does not endorse any specific canine diet and suggests that all dog owners do adequate research before deciding if a raw diet for dogs is best for their pets.

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