Give your dog a bone about twice a week as a special treat. Dogs love large beef bones, raw chicken necks, and the tips off chicken wings. If you are not sure how long they have been in the supermarket case, douse them with boiling water to kill any bacteria before feeding.
The benefit of feeding bones is that they give your dog beautiful, pearly white teeth that do not need to be cleaned. However, feeding too many bones will give him constipation and hard, chalky stools. Also, be careful to give your dog only large bones that cannot splinter.
When you give your dog a bone, leave him alone. Dogs get possessive about their bones. They are one of the few items that may cause dogs to growl at you if you try to take one away from them. It is a very special treat, and he wants to be in a place to relax and enjoy it. Let your dog go to his crate, which is the perfect place for him to enjoy his bone in peace. Give him a few hours to indulge himself. After a few days of chewing a fresh bone, it loses its magic, and most dogs will allow you to pick them up or handle them.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on February 14th 2007 in Dog Nutrition
Put table scraps where they belong, in the garbage, not in your dog’s food bowl. Many people think that giving your Lab that nice chunk of fat from their sirloin will add luster to his coat. While it may put joy in his heart, it may also give him loose bowels. An occasional veal bone, if very sturdy (a knuckle, for example), can give him a tooth cleaning and some jaw exercise, but be careful, since most bones are constipating as well as dangerous (an ingested splinter of bone can be fatal).
Nylon or rawhide “bones” are safest. They are available in most pet stores, groceries, supermarkets, and online. If you want to give your dog more than his everyday food (even though dogs generally do not get bored with their meals, unlike humans), try small amounts of fruits, cereal, and vegetables. They do not upset the intestinal tract by their oiliness or indigestibility, and actually promote effective digestion. You may also try well-trimmed (no visible fat) bits of meat. However, a dog raised on snacks of sirloin tips will not take kindly to a change to vegetables, so pursue this course with considerable caution.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on January 19th 2007 in Dog Nutrition
In some dogs it is not unusual to notice a mild diarrhea following a change in food. This is particularly true in younger animals. In most instances it persists only until the dog’s intestinal tract adjusts to the new food. In rare instances the diarrhea resulting from a change in diet lasts longer and may precipitate more serious forms of diarrhea.
To prevent diarrhea from developing during a dietary change, make the change gradually. A gradual change allows the intestinal tract to make a slow transition from the ingredients and physical characteristics of one food to those of the other.
Should diarrhea develop despite the precautions taken, reduce the amount of food being fed by one-half for a day or two. If this fails to correct the upset stomach then return to feeding the old food until the stool is normal again. Should the addition of the new food a second time also precipitate diarrhea, it is probable that the new food does not agree with your dog. If a third food is available it may be best to try an alternative method rather than to continue to subject your dog to a food that fails to agree with it.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on December 29th 2006 in Dog Nutrition, Dog Health
