"Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants."John W. Gardner
|
| |
The Appeal of Animal Jewelry
Animal jewelry has always been popular. Even in ancient Egypt, people wore jewelry fashioned after animals like the cat and the ibis. In modern times, you see animal jewelry captured in charm bracelets and necklaces. Why is animal jewelry still popular ...
Treating dog arthritis with natural supplements.
Dog arthritis is one of the most common diseases that affect canines; especially large breed dogs (60-90 lbs) the best thing you can do is to prevent the occurrence of this disease with the appropriate supplements when your dog is 4 or 5 years old and not ...
What's The Real Deal On Pet Insurance?
Even if you haven't had a run-in involving your pet of late, pet insurance has probably crossed your mind. And if you have, the bill for any non-routine care may have cost you anywhere from a cool couple hundred to nearly a grand.You might have wondered ...
|
|
|
| |
We have talked about the importance of both diet and exercise when dealing with a pet that has arthritis. I think that diet is such an important issue that it is one we should discuss in greater detail. It is becoming common knowledge that as humans, our bodies perform better when we "eat right." It is equally important for pets to follow healthy food guidelines as well.
The Generic Foods
There are three "groups" of processed foods and it usually one or more of these that we purchase to feed our pets: 1) the "Generic" group, 2) the "Premium" group, and 3) the "natural foods" group. The first group is the focus of this discussion. All three groups appeal to us for obvious reasons. We like the convenience factor. All we have to do is "scoop and dish it."
This first group that I will call the "generics" is the least desirable from a nutritional standpoint. Of course, that is why they carry the lowest price tag. Unfortunately, when you are trying to provide a healthy diet to an arthritic pet, it frankly does a less than desirable job in my opinion.
What is that stuff?
This is the category of pet foods that contains animal and plant by-products. If you are paying attention, they also contain artificial preservatives and additives. This group of pet foods uses the cheapest possible ingredients. Unfortunately, manufacturers are not held to extremely high standards here.
It is also important to note that pet food is a "spin-off" of the human food industry. As we all know, the standards are certainly higher for food manufactured for humans than it is for pets. What happens is that the pet food segment of this industry gets the opportunity to "unload" ingredients that would not pass muster for humans.
This is where you will find that even the "grains" purported to be in these foods is either over processed or is whole grain that is simply not fit for humans to eat. As well, there are often parts of an animal used in manufacturing pet food that frankly put, is not the least bit desirable.
Measuring Up
You do not have to become a "food expert" to make decisions here. Assuming you can afford to spend a little extra for pet food, use some common sense.
Price is a good guideline. If you see a 40-pound bag of dog food that is on sale for $12.95, it is likely not on the most desirable food list (a least, not from my standpoint.) If you study the label, it likely will tell you that this is correct.
Premium and All-Natural
When you move up in price, you are likely looking at "premium" and "all-natural" offerings. The premium brands are going to be on most store shelves and usually they are sold by veterinarians as well. Even this food group does not necessarily have the finest ingredients. Unfortunately, price alone does not always tell the story here.
The "all-natural" pet foods, generally speaking, are the best of the bunch. These use natural preservatives and you are not going to find artificial flavoring or coloring. Of course, the price corresponds to the quality and for some of you it is not feasible from a budget standpoint.
I have recommended using raw vegetables as part of your pet's diet. It is far less expensive and once they get used to it (and, if you do not overdo it) it is a healthy and less expensive approach.
Pets with arthritis need solid and healthy nutrition. If your budget allows you the luxury of giving them the best, then opt for the all-natural group.
Remember, high-quality liquid glucosamine is only part of the picture. To get an arthritic pet healthier overall, it requires attention to both diet and exercise as well.
About the Author
JR Rogers is the owner of Synflex America Inc. makers of Syn-flex, a premium glucosamine arthritis formula for humans and household pets.
The author's statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not provided to diagnose or to suggest that liquid glucosamine and chondroitin will treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Lead in car batteries poisons African town - Manila Bulleting Online
THIAROYE SUR MER, Senegal (AP) — First, it took the animals. Goats fell silent and refused to stand up. Chickens died in handfuls, then en masse. Street dogs disappeared. Then it took the children. Toddlers stopped talking and their legs gave out ...
Animals may shrink in size because of global warming - New Kerala
London, Jan 5: Ecologists have suggested that as a result of global warming, species will shrink in size, as bigger creatures will have more problems losing heat. Though the effects of the climate change are likely not to be seen for many more years ...
Animals & Money: Pets may be recession proof, but pet luxuries? - Walletpop.com
If there is one upside to the economic downturn, it is the downfall of what was once assumed to be the resilient market for luxury pet goods. Dog and cat lovers are used to having ridiculous, often useless products foisted upon us. But in the last ...
Buckeye no match for mighty wolverine - Dayton Daily News
Ohio State is fortunate the choice of nicknames has no bearing on the outcome of sporting events. Consider a game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines. It would be no contest if the team with the toughest name won. The most ...
Chinese alternative medicine works for pets - Pittsburgh Tribune Review
A Parade magazine article a few Sundays ago contained an article about alternative medical procedures that worked. One entity mentioned was acupuncture. Acupuncture is one aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, and Traditional Chinese ...
Construction contributing to rodent sightings - Longview News-Journal
Construction projects and weather variations might be contributing to increased rodent sightings in downtown Longview, a city official said. Environmental Health Manager Geoff Heinicke, however, believes the city's rodent population has not grown in ...
Brasch Words - American Reporter
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Defibrillator usage increased last week after John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate and only a heartbeat from control of the nation's nuclear arsenal. But, shortly after most Republicans were ...
Viagra can prevent heart from high blood pressure damage - Thaindian.com
Washington, January 6 (ANI): Experiments on animals conducted by Johns Hopkins and other researchers have confirmed that the erectile dysfunction drug called Viagra amplifies the effects of a heart-protective protein. Reporting their findings in the ...
Diamonds suggest comets caused killer cold spell - Times of India
WASHINGTON: Tiny diamonds sprinkled across North America suggest a "swarm" of comets hit the Earth around 13,000 years ago, kicking up enough disruption to send the planet into a cold spell and drive mammoths and other creatures into extinction ...
Chinese alternative medicine works for pets, too - Pittsburgh Tribune Review
A few Sundays ago, I saw a magazine article about alternative medical procedures that worked. One mentioned was acupuncture. Acupuncture is one aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which was developed more than 3,000 years ago through observation ...
|
