People who have never had a dog that won’t eat before, have no idea how stressful it can be for the owner. You love your dog and provide for him, but he just won’t touch his dinner, no matter what you try. Before you try anything else, you need to figure whether the problem of your dog not eating is mental or physical.

But before we jump into the problem of your dog not eating, we need to make sure you don’t have a special interest dog. If you have a dog with a known medical condition, a puppy, a pregnant, or a nursing dog, you need to go to your vet. These dogs have special nutrition requirements and need to be looked at professionally.

If this is a sudden eating problem, check to see if you have changed any of your dog’s food or routines, as this can be the problem. If you haven’t changed anything, make sure your dog isn’t in pain and isn’t acting like he is really tired (listless) – if so, take him to your vet. Otherwise, just wait a day or two. Your dog may have gotten into something that has upset his stomach, or he just doesn’t feel well. Ensure he has plenty of fresh water and the chance to go outside when needed. If after two days he still shows not interest in his food, take him to your vet – he may have a physical problem, like internal parasites.

So if your dog doesn’t have a physical problem that keeps him from eating, then it must be mental/emotional. But this can be fixed, by following these tips.

1. Does your dog get enough attention? Some dogs get lonely and bored if they don’t get enough attention. When that happens, they will do anything to get attention from you. So they don’t eat their dinner – and you freak out! Hey, the attention they desire. This soon develops into an eating problem for your dog. Start interacting with your pet more – play with him and take him on daily walks.

2. What if your dog is not trying to get attention, but is just plain spoiled? Then you need to step up and start acting like the master. Simply put his food bowl down and after 20 minutes pick it up and throw the food away. Do not give your dog any treats at any time during the day. Make his mealtime the only time he gets to eat. If he still has not eaten after 3 days of this, you may want to take him to the vet and make sure there are no physical problems.

3. Do you hover over your dog or are otherwise anxious about his eating, or not eating? You may be making him nervous or suspicious with your always being around. Dogs can easily pick up on our feelings and fears, without knowing the why’s of our feelings.

Give your dog his dinner, and leave. If he follows you instead of eating, put him in a room with his food and close the door. Do not return for 20 minutes – just let him be. If it doesn’t work the first day, try again for a couple more days. Once he senses, or rather doesn’t sense, your problems, he may be able to eat.

4. Is the dog food you are feeding him any good? Look at your dog food ingredients label. The first ingredient should be some kind of protein, like chicken meal, lamb meal, etc. There should also not be too much non-nutritional grains listed. It may just be that the food you are offering does not have enough nutrition in it. Or that a certain ingredient may not be agreeing with him. Look at super-premium, organic, or all-natural dog food alternatives. A lot of the economy dog foods are mainly filler with fat sprayed on them to entice the dog to eat what he would not otherwise eat – some dogs see through this and just won’t eat it.

Try using these tips and you may solve your dog eating problems. Don’t let your dog’s dinnertime be a time of anxiety for you or your dog.

If your dog is not eating because he dislikes his dog food, please visit the Healthy Dog Food Blog to learn more about how to find the best food for your dog to stay in optimal health. This article is for informational purpose only and is NOT intended to replace the advice of a veterinarian or pet care professional.

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As one of my dogs began to get sick I started to research dog health topics. TV has become boring for me, and so I try to spend most of my free time researching how to improve the length of my dogs lives.

Those of you that know me also know that I believe the number one cause of health issues with dogs is commercial dog food. That is why I have been on a mission to spread the word about the best dog food, and I am a big believer in homemade dog food.

In actuality, the majority of people will need to provide supplemental commercial food in addition to the homemade diet. This is the reason I take a lot of time with the best dog food topic.

One area of controversy that I encountered was the usage of meat by products in dog food. You’ll recognize this because a meat, such as lamb or chicken, will be shown with the word by-product attached.

What exactly is it and will your dog benefit from it? If you investigate on the topic you will discover two groups, one group supports by products as positive, but the other group say it is dangerous for your pet.

It may depend, lets look at what defines a poultry by-product.

The by-products taken from animals such as chicken and turkeys, consists of ground up, processed, and cleaned left over parts of the carcasses. These parts include the beaks, necks, feet, intestines, and other parts with exception of the feathers, though trace amounts may be present. The problem with “by-product” ingredients is that you don’t know what you’re actually getting and in what amount. Currently, no standard exists that specifies how many feet, quantity of intestines or makeup of nutritional content. Honestly, none of this is really fit for human consumption.

Some will argue that a dog in the wild will eat everything listed in a by-product ingredient and that is what makes it okay to feed it to your dog. That might be true enough, but that is like saying a homeless person eats out of dumpsters and garbage cans, does that make it the best things for you and I to eat?

Since I plan on feeding my dogs the best food possible, by-products will remain in the trash and won’t be found in any of the food I provide.

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When one of my dogs started to have health problems at the age of six, I got pretty serious about dog health issues. I don’t watch TV much anymore, if I have any free time I’m usually doing research to try and improve and extend the lives of my dogs.

Those of you that know me also know that I believe the number one cause of health issues with dogs is commercial dog food. That is why I have been on a mission to spread the word about the best dog food, and I am a big believer in homemade dog food.

In actuality, the majority of people will need to provide supplemental commercial food in addition to the homemade diet. This is the reason I take a lot of time with the best dog food topic.

One area of controversy that I encountered was the usage of meat by products in dog food. You’ll recognize this because a meat, such as lamb or chicken, will be shown with the word by-product attached.

What exactly is it and will your dog benefit from it? If you investigate on the topic you will discover two groups, one group supports by products as positive, but the other group say it is dangerous for your pet.

The answer is, it depends; we need to explore what it really means when we say there are poultry by-products.

“Poultry derivatives contain mashed up, renderings, clean portions of murdered poultry cadavers, such as necks, beak, feet, unhatched eggs and intestines, leaving out feathers, “except in various amounts that might happen by accident in normal processing”The trouble is you are not aware of the ingredients all the time. There isn’t any standard that states there are a certain amount of feet or a measurement of intestines or any form of nutrition at all. In reality, none of this is actually suitable for a person to eat.

There are some who will make the argument that because some of the by-product ingredients are what the dog would actually eat in the wild, they are fine for them to eat in a dog food. Even if this is the case it is tantamount to saying that because homeless people eat out of garbage cans, dumpster food is great for everyone else, too.

Because I want the best possible nutrition for my dog, I’ll avoid those foods that contain by-products and stick with the best dog food with natural ingredients.

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Do you think, just because a dog food brand is well known that it makes it the best dog food for your dog? Brand names are often well advertised but that does not mean they are what is right for your dog.

Your vet, unfortunately, does not have the best dog food available for your canine. I’ll bet that 90% of Vets that sell dog food are selling Science Diet, yet it does not meet the requirements to make my top ten best dog food list.

After my Beagle started suffering from Seizures, I have spent a lot of time researching the best dog food available on the market. I have learned more about how to decipher a dog food label and understand what all the ingredients are, than most people know about their own human food.

The problem was the more research I would do the deeper I would get into this ugly world of commercial dog foods.

It became apparent that in order for me to be sure I was feeding the best dog food, I would need to understand a whole lot more about how the pet food industry worked.

I have wrote many articles on my findings about how the Industry uses weak laws and the fact that they are virtually self regulated to deceive pet owners with deceptive wording on labels and packaging.

The only law that even comes close to helping us pick the best dog food is the law that states ingredients must be listed in order of predominance by weight. So if the first ingredient is a corn product, it doesn’t matter if the name on the bag says Chicken dinner delight, the main ingredient by weight is the corn product.

The best thing to do is skip over the name on the bag and go straight to the ingredient list. After you make it through the first couple of ingredients that you think you understand what they are, that is where the fun begins.

Ingredients like dried egg product is completely different than whole eggs, or just eggs. You would not eat what goes into dried egg product, so why should your dog? The same thing with Chicken by-products, this is a far cry from any chicken you would throw on the grill for supper tonight.

These ingredients are just the ones that you can kind of figure out what they might be, but how about the preservatives and vitamins listed that you probably won’t have a clue what they are?

The main reason for me being pleased that at initial stage of my study; I could get a rigid guide telling what one must check on labels of packed dog foods and I have been following the same to choose best food for my pet dog.

This has helped my weed through over 150 brands of dog food, and only 10 were good enough to make my top 10 best dog food list. When you compare the labels on these 10 to the brands your Vet are selling, you are going to start to take healthy feeding decisions out of the hands of your Vet and do it yourself.

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Do you consider big name dog food brands to be made with the best dog food ingredients? After studying the matter I’ve come to the conclusion that people are aware of a brand not because it’s particularly healthy but because it’s a brand that can afford some heavy advertising.

Sadly the best dog food for your dog is probably not even being sold in your Vets office. Most Vets sell Science Diet and it does not even come close to making my top ten best dog food list.

Because my dog started to have Seizures, I started to research to find out how to pick the best dog food available to keep him healthy. I was forced to become an expert on reading dog food labels, to try and figure out what those listed ingredients really are. I sometimes think I know more about what is in my dog’s food than I do my own.

The problem was the more research I would do the deeper I would get into this ugly world of commercial dog foods.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that I would have to learn some things about the Pet food industry in order to give my dogs the best dog food that’s out there.

I have documented my findings in many articles about the pet food industry, which is virtually self-regulated, and about how the industry uses deceptive labeling language to deceive pet owners about true contents of pet food.

The only law that even comes close to helping us pick the best dog food is the law that states ingredients must be listed in order of predominance by weight. So if the first ingredient is a corn product, it doesn’t matter if the name on the bag says Chicken dinner delight, the main ingredient by weight is the corn product.

Do yourself a favor and ignore the name on the bag and take a look at the ingredient list to determine what the food really is. After looking at the first few ingredients and rubbing your head, then you can look at the rest of the list which you’ll have no clue what the word mean. Yet here I am telling you the label is still the best place to learn what is really in the food.

As you start to look at ingredient lists, your going to see healthy sounding ingredients like dried egg products. Don’t be fooled this particular ingredient is anything but healthy. The only thing healthy in dried egg products is the word egg, and the last I checked you can’t eat a word. Why do you want to feed your dog food with ingredients that need to be marked not fit for human consumption before sold? Another good one, is Chicken by-products, if you think this has anything to do with chicken you would serve your family, think again.

Though some of the listed ingredients are self explanatory, there are preservatives and vitamins added that may be unnecessary and hard to identify.

I have learned what to look for in the best dog food on the market.

Out of 150 brands of dog food, just 10 were of good quality that I would consider feeding to my dog. You want your dog to eat healthy and when you look at the ingredients on these 10 dog foods and then do a check against what is available at your vet’s, you will see the need to take a personally proactive approach.

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How much time do you spend on picking your dog food? Do you understand how to read the labels and do you know what each ingredient really is?

The reason I started to research dog food was my six year old dog started to have seizures.. The facts about what goes into dog food is sickening and I decided I needed to help educate pet owners about this danger.

I promise you I’m not going to give you a sale pitch for some high priced fancy dog food. I will explain to you how to learn how to look at the ingredients in your dog food and understand what they really are.

What if I told you that if you learn how to feed your dog properly, it could add up to 8.3 years to their lives? That’s 8.3 more years of tail wagging, tongue liking unconditional love.

After many hours of research I finally found a resource that explained how to read the labels found on dog food. Believe it or not even thought the FDA regulates dog food labeling, it does not hold commercial dog food labeling to the same requirements as it does for people food.

The FDA’s weak regulations of dog food labeling have made it easy for the pet food industry to hide unhealthy ingredients that they use to make the food more attractive to dogs so that they’ll eat it. Some of these ingredients are actually deadly over the long term for your dogs. The problem is they are allowing the industry to play with words and that makes it hard for the pet owner to really know what is in the food…

If a dog food is named Turkey dog food it would have 70% turkey 9of some sort) compared to a food named Turkey flavored that would have 0% turkey in it..

Another way they are allowed to play with words is, if the use the words “with, Dinner or Nuggets” they only need to contain 3% of that ingredient in the food.

The truth is the dog food industry has been allowed to deceive the pet owner into thinking they are purchasing quality ingredients, when the truth is we are purchasing ingredients not fit for human consumption.

Some companies in the commercial pet food industry are adding waste leftovers from human food processing plants to add protein to their dog foods. We could not eat these by-products so why would we want to feed it to our dogs?

The dog food labeling regulations our written so poorly that they allow the industry to make toxic ingredients sound like they are healthy. One would think that when they read Dried Egg Products as an ingredient in their dog food, that that would be a good thing. In reality this ingredient is a waste by-product of the egg industry first marked unfit for human consumption before it is sold to the dog food companies.

It is easy to be fooled by the healthy sounding ingredients listed on your dog food label, but once you understand what you’re reading your see these toxic by-products ingredient have been sugar coated with a healthy looking name.

Once I found out what was really in most commercially made dog food, I switched my dogs to a homemade diet. This does take some work and I understand that not everyone can do this, and that is why it’s so important that you learn how to read and understand a dog food label.

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The raw food pet industry is in full bloom.That is a wonderful thing because raw food can help your pet thrive in ways you could not imagine. A raw diet can help your pet get off insulin, heal their inflammatory bowel disease and we could go on for a week. But…before buying what you believe is a “balanced” diet for your pet, especially if it is your cat, you need to get just a bit educated. Cats and dogs have vastly different dietary needs. Feeding your cat raw food designed for a dog, (and many manufacturers will not make the distinction) can be harmful to your cat.

When you decide to buy prepared raw food for your kitty, here are some things you HAVE to look out for:

1.Calcium/Phosphorus ratio. Cats, as opposed to dogs, have quite a narrow range of the calcium to phosphorus content of their diet. The ideal range for cats is 1.2 – 1.4:1 Calcium is found in bone and phosphorous is found in muscle meat and organs. Various types of meat will have various levels of phosphorous. When purchasing a raw prepared diet it is a must that the food has the correct ratio of calcium and phosphorous. If the information is not readily available on the manufacturers web site, nor on the package, you will need to email and call them. Make sure you get a definitive answer with the exact numbers including how they arrived to them. An imbalance of Calcium and Phosphorous can cause a serious imbalance. Next is the:

2.Percentage and Type of Vegetable matter. Adding some vegetables to a feline diet is OK as long as it is a small percentage. 3-5% is OK. The food you feed should contain max 10% veggies. No grains, of course! The percentage may not be readily available and you may need to contact the manufacturer. Garlic and onions can cause anemia in cats and should never be used. Tomatoes can exacerbate arthritis and most vegetables will raise the urinary pH which can cause urinary tract issues. Herbs should never be used long term and are frequently added to raw prepared diets. We would avoid any pet food containing herbs. Many herbs safe for dogs and humans are toxic to cats. Next We Have:

3.Organ meats. Does the food contain organ meats and at what proportion? What types of organs are included? Feline diets should contain approximately 10% organ meats. Organs provide important vitamins and other nutrients vital for the cat.

4.Taurine. Taurine is an essential amino acid to the cat. In the wild, cats get an abundance of Taurine from mice. (But how many domestic cats get fresh mice routinely?) While all meats contain Taurine to some degree, handling and freezing the meat diminishes the amount. Some meats, like rabbit have a dangerously low amount of Taurine. chicken have a various amounts with chicken hearts having a high amount. We recommend you add Taurine to ALL raw food you give your cat. It is not only easy, but also inexpensive. A big plus is that even the finickiest of cats will notice! Add about 1000 mg per pound of raw food. A deficiency can be serious, causing blindness and even death. Adding some is an easy insurance.

Feeding your kitty a raw diet is absolutely ideal.You and she will love the results. Just make sure the food meats the requirements for a cat.

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How can you ensure that the dog food you feed your pet is safe? The best way is to consider making homemade dog food. Do not worry about recalls on spoiled dog food. Instead, you can know exactly what goes into your dogs food by mixing foods on your own.

When you make homemade dog food for your pet, you will need to add meat, starchy foods and vegetable into the mix. The most basic meals have meat, rice and carrots or other vegetables. If your dog deserves a gourmet treat, use tasty meats and a variety of vegetables along with potatoes and rice. Just be certain that every meal contains starches, vegetables and a meat product.

Dogs love kidney and liver meats as well as turkey, chicken and beef. Rice, pasta, potatoes and other carbohydrates are the tastiest for your pooch. Carrots, celery and any number of vegetables will work well in the homemade dog good you make for your pet. Just do not forget to have starches, meat and veggies in every homemade dog food mix.

You will want to cook meat products before you mix them with other ingredients to make your homemade dog food. Many recipes call for you to mix all ingredients together and then cook or bake them for awhile. Think of it as making a casserole for supper, the only difference is this meal is for your pooch not your family.

Homemade dog food can be made by purchasing a book with recipes for homemade pet foods. You can also use the internet in order to locate an assortment of recipes so that you can prepare safe and healthy meals for your pet from home.

Your dog can gain many healthful benefits from homemade dog food. You can protect your dog from chemicals used to process dog food that is available in stores. In addition, you can help to avoid bacteria and other dangers that can find their way to dog food in stores. You should talk to your dogs veterinarian before you start to make their homemade dog food.

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Make your dog your own version of gourmet dog good by preparing them homemade dog food. Reduce the risk of your dog eating dangerous bacteria or other substances that are sometimes found in dog food purchased in stores. Protect your pet from dangerous foods on the market, just as you protect your family from foods that have been recalled or are considered unsafe.

Dogs need to have meat, starch and vegetables for a healthy diet. You can easily create your own blend of these foods from home. Homemade dog food can be as simple as mixing beef, rice and carrots. Dogs also love to eat ground turkey. The important thing is to ensure that your homemade dog food has all three key ingredients for your dog.

Eggs and other dairy foods should also be added to your dogs food. Rice, potatoes and even pasta can be used to provide your dog with the necessary starches for their diet. Beef and ground turkey are most commonly used in recipes for homemade dog food. Liver and kidney meats provide many nutrients for your pet, not to mention a taste they will enjoy.

Lean meat is best for your dog especially if they are overweight. You do not want to use fatty meats. Dietary needs might be a little different if your dog is still a puppy. In that case, you will want to talk to their veterinarian so that you know exactly which type of meats you should use in their dog food along with any other dietary needs specific to young dogs.

You can grind the meat you will use in a meat grinder if it is not already ground meat. If your dog does not like any meat chunks, you will want to process the meat. You can make large quantities, but it is important to remember that once food is cooked and prepared for your dog it should be eaten within three days.

Your dog can gain many healthful benefits from homemade dog food. You can protect your dog from chemicals used to process dog food that is available in stores. In addition, you can help to avoid bacteria and other dangers that can find their way to dog food in stores. You should talk to your dogs veterinarian before you start to make their homemade dog food.

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Finding a nutritious healthy food for your cat is not as easy as it seems. Looking at the beautifully designed bags filled with kibble, along with the enticing text using words such as “wholesome” “nutritious” and “Veterinary Recommended” it can be easy to be put at ease, especially after reading that the very first ingredient is meat!

There are many ingredients found in cat food that do not belong there. They have no value to your cat, instead they can be downright detrimental.

While the pet food conglomerates want you to believe that grains are “wholesome” for your cat or dog, they are implicated with a long range of health problems. Not to mention grains have no part of the diet that our magnificent felines have evolved on for the past few millions of years.

Corn, which can be found in most pet food, is a really bad ingredient. It is highly allergy producing, it irritates the intestines, and possibly the most detrimental problem is that corn has a high glycemic index.

Every time your cat eats food containing corn, there will be a spike in blood sugar levels. Cats do not metabolize foods the same way we do, and do not have the enzymes and hormones necessary to keep their blood sugar levels within normal range after consuming carbs. Cats are designed to get their energy from protein, not carbohydrates.

While the diet of a wild cat contains approximately 3-5% carbs, many commercial kibbles contain 30-60% carbs. 10-20 TIMES the normal amount.

After a meal of corn containing kibble, the cat will have a spike in blood sugar. Cats do not release insulin after eating carbs, cats release insulin after eating protein, thus are inefficient lowering the blood sugar.

Constant spikes in blood sugar levels are taxing on vital organs such as liver and kidneys and taxing on the endocrine system. The end result is not infrequently insulin dependent feline diabetes.

Corn is also implicated in feline obesity. Cats do not register full from carbohydrates like we do. They register full from eating protein. In order to get their protein needs satisfied, the cat has to eat more food, thus becoming obese after ingesting foods rich in corn.

Finding a grain free food for your pet should be on the top of your list. Today there are grain free canned foods and even grain free kibble.

Start looking today for a brand of food that contains no corn, no wheat and no soy. Your furry friend will thank you.

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