Healthy dog

A healthy diet is recommended along with clean fresh water, good exercise and proper veterinarian care. 

We also suggest considering a more chemical free life for our companion animals. Consider a healthy but not abusive vaccination regimen and consider the necessity for flea and tick repellents used systemically, they are not always necessary.

Examine and determine the usage of chemicals in both yard and home, insecticides, fertilizers, weed killers, cleaning chemicals and synthetic carpets and fabrics can all be considered potential health hazards.

The less chemicals your companion animals have to tolerate the healthier they will be.

Your pet’s health is just as important as your own. A pet’s diet, the biggest health variable controlled by its owner, is crucial to its well-being. That’s why selecting a healthy pet food is the most loving choice you can make for your pet.  Most pet owner's are completely unaware of the alternatives to commercial pet foods or the tremendous benefits that providing your dog with good, quality healthy pet foods can provide.  Dogs and cats are healthiest when they eat whole, natural foods.  Pets can add years to their lives not to mention quality of life.

It’s not always an easy choice to make. With so many different pet food products to choose from, it has become increasingly difficult to determine which pet foods are actually "healthy" for your pet. It is important to understand that the pet food industry is the primary outlet for human by-products. There are ingredients which are allowed to be used in pet foods that are, at best, scary.  Dog food and cat food companies try to take shortcuts by using vegetable protein fillers and cheaper sources of fats. 

Healthy pet foods are free from chemical additives of any kind, including preservatives such as Ethoxyquin and BHA/BHT, which are frequently found in pet foods but are banned from human use in many countries. By eliminating the cheap filler ingredients and low-grade proteins that are so common in commercial pet foods your pet gets more nutrition from less food, with calories and fats in each formula balanced to fit the needs of your specific dog.  So in essence you may pay more per bag for your healthy dog food, but you will feed up to 25% less so your cost truly doesn't increase by much or at all.  You may also be avoiding long term vet bills because you have a healthier pet.

Another benefit.  Your pet's stools will be smaller and more regular.  Keep in mind that a healthy stool is not rock hard. A healthy stool actually fluctuates from firm to soft and then back to firm again over a period of ten days to two weeks.  Less food, smaller stools and a happy, healthy canine.

So here are some indicators of what to look for and what to avoid in pet foods:

DO'S:

Protein Source: 

Named meat or fish (chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, herring, etc.)

AND

Concentrated named meat proteins (chicken meal, turkey meal, lamb meal, herring meal, etc.)

Carbs and Veggies: Whole grains and starches (brown rice, barley, sweet potatoes)

AND

Fresh, whole fruits and vegetables (whole potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, alfalfa, apples, etc.)

Fats, Oils: Named fats from quality sources (chicken fat, lamb fat, sunflower oil, herring oil, etc.)

Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements: Natural preservatives (mixed tocopherols, Vitamin E), Antioxidants (Vitamin A, C and E), Chelated minerals (iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, etc.)

DO NOTS:

Protein Source: 

UFI’s: Unnamed food ingredients (poultry by-products, meat and bone meal)

AND

Protein fillers (corn gluten meal, wheat gluten, egg product meal)

Carbs and Veggies: 

Carb Overload (refined flours, wheat, mill runs, brewer’s rice)

AND

Processed fruits and vegetables (dehydrated potatoes, tomato pumice, alfalfa meal)

Fats, Oils: Fats from non-specific sources (animal fat, poultry fat, vegetable oil)

Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements: Synthetic preservatives (BHA,BHT, ethoxyquin)

Coloring (caramel color, FD&C colors)

Dog waste removal is important for a lot of reasons, but the most important reason may be health related.

Did you know that pet waste left lying on the ground can actually make you, your family and your pets sick? Animal waste, especially dog waste, can contain and transmit parasites such as: Roundworm. Hookworm. Coccidia. Tapeworm. Whipworm and more. 

When infected dog waste is left lying on the ground, the eggs of these parasites enter the soil and live there - for a long time. Then, when humans (or pets) come in contact with that soil, they also come in contact with the parasitic eggs, thus potentially starting an infection. Young children that play on the ground, teens or adults playing a pick-up football game, or gardeners tending their soil are all prone to coming in contact with the infested soil.