Most dogs love avocados. They taste good and they are an excellent source of fat. Fat is responsible for providing dogs with an extra amount of energy and gives them healthy skin as well as an extra glow in their coat.

Strangely enough, it was the dogs themselves who led us to the idea of using the avocado as a supplement to the canine diet. It seems that avocado growers’ pet dogs were competing with the growers for any fallen fruit. The growers became curious and decided to compare the nutrients that this amazing fruit contained with those needed by canines.

According to a Veterinary professor at Iowa State University, this fruit enhances hair quality as well as skin tone. Avocado growers have reported this improvement in their dogs is most likely due to the amount of linoleic acid of the fruit when added to the dog’s diet.

Of course, this fruit alone could not be recommended as the only nutrient source for dogs. An avocado, in small quantities as a supplement, might be helpful if adequate amounts of fat were not available from other sources.

A dog’s requirement of fat depends mostly on the amount of activity he engages in. For instance, an active working dog needs up to twenty percent fat in his diet, while the average household dog that walks a few blocks everyday, needs only five to eight percent of fat in his diet. The very thin dog should get a diet rich in fat until his weight and health improve. The pregnant and nursing female dog also needs greater amounts of fat in her diet.

The majority of canine canned foods contain adequate fat to satisfy the need of an average household dog. However, if the dog is fed a diet strictly of dry meal, it might be moistened with additional sources of fat.

Avocados are an excellent source of fat for this purpose. For canines that get most of their fat from canned foods, this tasty fruit also serves as an occasional treat. Avocados might be alternated with other occasional food supplements to add variety to the dog’s regular diet. Simply put, dogs love avocados and they are good for them!

Word Of Warning: Documented evidence suggests that some dogs, as well as other domestic animals like cats and cattle, can be severely harmed and prove fatal when they eat the avocado pit, skin, leaves and bark of the avocado tree. Therefore, when supplementing your dog’s diet with avocados, make sure to only give him the meat of the fruit.

If you feed your dog a diet consisting of only lean meat, chances are it could have severe nutritional problems. While a dog is a carnivore, it cannot live on protein alone. Just like its owner, a dog needs a balanced diet including fats, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Few of us could afford a predominantly steak diet for our dogs, but even if we could, they would be a lot healthier with a cheaper cut of meat. Less expensive meats are better for dogs because they have a higher fat content.

Fats provide dogs with energy and heat and help keep their skin healthy. Not enough fat in a dog’s diet can cause scaly, dry skin. its coat may become coarse and lifeless. A diet low in fat may also cause a dog to become highly nervous and more susceptible to many types of illness.

There are three fatty acids that a dog needs. These are: linolenic, linoleic and arachidonic. Linoleic acid can be found in meat products, suet, butter and corn oil. It can also be found in avocados.

The Avocado

Avocados are one of the few fruits that most dogs love. One reason for this is that these fruits add palatability and texture to food, especially dry meal. It is also a nutritious supplement of fats to the canine diet. This pear-shaped fruit contains sixteen percent of rare oil seldom found in fruits, as well as an unusual amount of protein.

One medium avocado contains about 35 grams of fat, mostly monounsaturated. This fruit also has more potassium than bananas. Avocados are also rich in vitamin E, vitamin K and the B vitamins.

When the nutritional requirements of adult dogs were compared with the composition of avocados, particularly Californian avocados, this fruit proved to be a good source of vitamins and minerals. One half of a medium avocado provides a mature dog with all his daily requirements for magnesium, potassium and niacin. About half of his requirements for thiamin, manganese and vitamin A, are also provided with this awesome fruit.

Compare what the avocado offers a dog nutritionally, to some of the other foods often added to a dog’s diet to improve his skin tone and coat. Half an avocado supplies thirteen grams of fat. There is one gram of linoleic acid in half of the fruit.

An egg has half the amount of fat grams and only a trace of linoleic acid. One half cup of cottage cheese only offers five grams of fat and a trace of linoleic acid, while one tablespoon of corn oil has fourteen grams of fat and seven grams of linoleic acid, but none of the vitamins and minerals that the avocado offers.

There are quite a few options that you have when it comes to pet storage bins, just make sure that you choose airtight pet food storage bins so you know that your pets food is going to be kept fresh and safe. The Rubbermaid name is one that you can definitely trust in, but before you head out to get your own Rubbermaid pet food storage bins, there are a few things that you are going to want to be aware of.

The Selection

The first issue that you are going to have to deal with is learning about the selection of Rubbermaid pet food storage bins that are out there. There are actually quite a few, but the best seller to date is the Rubbermaid Pets Scoop n’ Store pet food storage bin, which is very unique and different from all other pet food storage bins out there today.

This Rubbermaid pet food storage bin seals in freshness while locking out pests and pets. Now you never have to worry that your pet is sneaking in to get more food after you have gone to sleep, which may seem cute at first but which can actually lead to problems because not only are you going to be running out of food more often but as well your pet may end up unhealthy and overweight.

This Rubbermaid pet food storage bin is incredibly handy and looks nice too so you don’t have to worry about hiding it out in the garage. The slim design on this food storage bin is ideal for storing against any room in the home and it will not be large and sticking out.

The Rubbermaid pet food storage bin features a handy pet food scoop that stores in the lid, and it is even available in a variety of sizes, so depending on how many pets you have and how large they are, you can find the appropriately sized food storage bin.

You will quickly see the benefits offered to you and your pet by using an airtight food storage bin, and your pet is definitely going to appreciate it. They are going to notice that their food tastes better and fresher, and remember that this is not the only pet food storage bin by Rubbermaid, so make sure that you check out the others as well to figure out which is going to work best for you.

Commercial pet food is a multi-billion-dollar industry that seems to grow in sales each year. What is happening here, are more animals being adopted, or are more pet owners being sold on the idea that dogs absolutely must eat dog food in order to be healthy?

Surprisingly, the answer is the latter of the two possibilities. Dog owners seem to think that their dogs will be healthier and have more energy by consuming processed commercial dog food.

There was an article written in the New York Times by a woman named Laura Cunningham. The year was 1981 and back then Laura reported that $4 billion dollars was spent yearly on pet food. Recently, when the pet food recall took place, the media reported in March of 2007 that people are now spending over $16 billion annually on pet food.

To further add an interesting statistic to the conversation, back in 1988 the American Pet Products Association ran their very first pet ownership research study and came back with their poll report which claimed that approximately 56% of every household in America had a pet, either a cat or a dog. The most current poll conducted states that approximately 63% of today’s US households maintains a pet in the family.

Not all statistics are accurate, but this only shows a 7% increase in household pets. Surely this 7% increase cannot be consuming the extra $12 billion per year in pet food that was eaten in 1981. In other words, less people bought pet food for their dogs and cats than they do today. With so many people buying commercial dog food and other pet foods, why then were they so surprised about the alarming pet food recall?

There are many dog and cat owners who can see through the advertising and myths of feeding a cat “cat food” and a dog “dog food”. However, most people seem to just fly through their lives, being busier than ever and due to convenience, believe everything that corporations are telling them – or should we say “selling” them. However, the recent pet food recall has started to wake up many dog owners and other pet owners, to the fact that these products may not be as healthy as the commercials claim.

Although many dog and pet owners neglect thorough research on nutrition and continue to believe that processed pet food is the best thing to feed their animals, it doesn’t mean that they do not care. We all want our pets to be healthy and have the best possible food that is good for them. Unfortunately, many of these pet owners truly believed they were doing the right thing by their pets. With tainted food causing many pets to get ill, more and more people are starting to ask questions and find out the truth behind proper nutrition for their pets.

There are 3 types of commercially prepared dog foods that are available in the market today: Canned foods, Semi-moist foods and Dry foods.

Canned Foods

This type of food comes in several varieties, which ranges in quality as well as price. They consist of about 75% water and are mixed with assorted meat, fish and cereal products. They are easy to prepare and dogs love them! However, canned foods produce low-energy nutrients, which means that you would need to give your dog a big serving in order to provide it with the required energy it needs.

If you have a large dog, you would have to double the amount of servings, which makes canned food unpractical and on the pricey side. To solve this problem, consider mixing canned food with dried food. The mixture will provide more energy for your dog and will also add volume to the food, thereby saving you money.

There is another kind of canned food that only contains meat, hence called “all meat canned foods”. Similar to regular canned food, all meat canned food does not provide your dog with the proper amount of energy that its body needs. In order to get enough energy, you would need to give it large quantities of the food, although this will only produce an unbalanced diet. Therefore, all meat canned foods should be mixed with dried foods or even semi-moist food.

Semi-Moist Foods

This type of food has high concentration and only contains 15 to 30% water content, which provides more energy for your dog in less amount of volume than canned foods. Their ingredients consist of meat, cereals, vegetables, sugar and fats. They are easy for your dog to digest and it will surely love the taste. They come in a wide variety, do not need to be refrigerate, and many owners find them to be the most convenient way to feed their dogs.

Semi-moist foods are expensive and are loaded with sugar and corn syrup and should not be given to dogs with diabetes. In addition, these foods are also loaded with colorings and artificial flavors. It is best to give your dog this type of food only on an occasional basis, rather than its main source of diet.

Dry Foods

Dry foods contain about 10% water, providing high energy value to your dog. They are the least expensive of all the dog foods, they can be stored in bulk quantities and they do not need to be refrigerated. This is why most pet owners prefer this food for their dog and consider it to be the most economical way to feed their pets.

On the other hand, the majority of commercially prepared dried foods contain mostly cereal and is very limited in the amount of protein that the dog requires. Consider mixing dry food with canned food to give your dog a well-balanced diet. Another alternative is to choose a brand that contain meat as its main ingredient.

In earlier years dogs used to be fed any type of table scraps and sometimes had their meals prepared ahead of time. We ate all types of food and so did our animals, except for one major difference of today’s house pets, they didn’t eat a bite of commercial dog food.

Interestingly enough, dogs lived long lives. Considering the leap in information and nutritional research that we have today, commercial dog food has improved, but it is a little ironic that standard human food did so well just a few years back.

Pet Food Advertising Has Brainwashed Us

A lot has changed over the past 20 to 30 years. Most dog owners feel that feeding their pets commercial dog food makes the most sense. They believe that high quality dog food sold in stores is not only the most convenient way to feed their animals, but is thought to give their dogs and puppies the best nutritional value offered, even better than human food.

You hear this sort of thing over and over again whenever a discussion takes place about dog food.

Processed Food is still Processed Food

Try convincing people that dogs and humans need the same nutritional food, it’s not that easy. However, the point to acknowledge about processed food, is no matter how you look at it, or what you believe a dog should eat as opposed to humans, processed food is still processed food! This stuff is manufactured, which means it goes through various steps of processing, preservatives and other additives before it hits the can and is packaged. Every step that is taken to get this food to the store shelves reduces its quality and nullifies most of its nutritional value.

Due to the recent pet food recall, millions of pet owners are left feeling bewildered as to why this incident happened. So many dogs and cats were left sick and many more died. Since most pet owners depend on commercial pet food to feed their dogs, they are now skeptical about which brand of food to buy and what type of food is safe for their dogs.

Who Can You Count On?

Commercial pet foods have been contaminated with harmful chemicals, including mycotoxins (toxins produced by fungi). The FDA and food manufacturers have authorized several recalls after a defective food is found. The FDA and the food company join together to find out the main cause of the problem and prevent it from happening again.

Knowledge Is Power

When it comes to getting the best dog food possible, you need to know what to look for and what to avoid. Below are some ways to monitor the food you are giving your dog to ensure its safety:

1. Check the expiration date on all foods and treats before feeding them to your dog. Doing so will help you avoid any items that are scheduled to go bad. While this is a wise consumer action on your part, ironically enough the food could still be poisonous to your animals because of preservatives and other chemicals that are added for taste, longevity and texture. Try shopping organic if possible.

2. If the food or treat is not yet expired, but appears to be stale, or has a foul odor, do not feed it to your dog and contact the company/manufacturer. There probably isn’t much you can do in terms of getting your money back, but by contacting the producer, you may be a small part of a larger action to have a recall initiated. Remember, if nobody complains, nothing gets done.

3. Consult your vet if your dog shows any symptoms of abnormal or unusual behavior. Early treatment will result in a better chance of full recovery. It’s safe to say that some of the dogs and cats that were killed by tainted pet food, may have survived, had the owners’ brought them to the veterinarian at the first signs of illness. Take the situation seriously if you sense that your dog is having a reaction. Remember, the threat is real and many pets have died.

4. To ensure the safety of the food that your pet is eating, keep informed of the latest news on pet food recalls. The best way to do this is to go online and type in “pet food recall”. Read through as many articles as possible.

Try to avoid information that is put out by pet food manufacturers themselves. It’s not that the information is not reliable, but these companies are going to sugarcoat the dangers of pet food. It is their livelihood after all. They are in the business of selling pet food!

Just a few years ago, feeding your dog was simple compared to today’s nutritional advice. My parent’s dog ate what we ate, including dessert! In addition to table scraps, he also ate commercial dog food. That dog had a happy life and lived well into his mid-teens without contracting any serious illness or disease.

Picking a commercial dog food was easy. There were only a handful of brands to choose from and these pet foods all had practically the same ingredients, only varying in color and flavor.

Nowadays, there are so many varieties to choose from. Below is a list of some of the popular commercial foods available for your dog:

Organic Dog Food

Most dog food products found in the market today contain pesticides and other chemicals. If you want to give your dog food that is free of these chemicals, consider organic dog food. However, the term “organic” can be misleading, so read the ingredients carefully before making your purchase.

No Preservative or Natural Preservative Dog Food

Most dog foods contain preservatives in the form of artificial chemicals such as ethoxyquin, BHT and BHA. These are added for two reasons: To prevent the food from spoiling and keep the taste lasting longer. Some dog foods, however, have natural preservatives like vitamin C (often listed as ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (often listed as tocopherols).

Before you buy a dog food with natural preservatives, be sure to read the ingredients first to make sure that the preservatives are actually derived from nature instead of it being artificially synthesized.

You may also buy dog foods that are free of any kind of preservatives. These products must be properly sealed in a cool, dry, bug-free place and used promptly to assure freshness.

Vegetarian Dog Food

Vegetarian dog foods allow vegetarian dog owners to exercise their dietary beliefs with their dogs. These foods contain all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients that your pet needs, so long as they are properly made. A vegetarian diet is also beneficial for dogs that are allergic to meat.

Raw Dog Food

Many dog owners believe that a diet of raw food is the healthiest way to feed their pet because this is the way wolves and other wild dog species ate. This belief has no scientific facts to value its accuracy. However, a diet of raw food can expose both you and your pet to dangerous bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli.

Therapeutic Dog Food

Therapeutic dog foods, along with necessary medical care, have been the growing trend in dog food products today. It is only available through a veterinarian and is usually prescribed for cases of preventive treatment, as an after-surgery diet, or for certain health problems like food allergies.