Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6 - Health Alert for you and your Pets!!!!

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has recently stated that many artificial food dyes should be banned due to their possible cancer risks.  They state that "these synthetic chemicals do absolutely nothing to improve the nutritional quality or safety of foods, but trigger behaviour problems...".  Not only does this effect you through the things you ingest on a daily basis like cereal, ice cream, cookies and candy but also the foods your dog eats.  Many of the average commercial dog foods contain the possible cancer causing dyes such as Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6.  A number of the manufacturers worldwide use almost seven million kilograms of artificial colours in foods each year.

Please remember that your dog deserves the very best.  Please be conscious of what you AND your dog are ingesting.  Your health depends on it.

Looking to get the real Scoop on dog food?

There are many views out there on what we should or should not be feeding our dogs.  Is it raw, is it cooked, is it kibble is it more veggies, more protein?  It can be very confusing for many. 

For those of you that feel that canned or kibble is the best choice for your dog, there are definitely quality choices that you can make.

I would like to recommend the website: http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/

This website is different from others in that they do their research!

"Dog Food Scoop also aims to increase awareness of some little known dog food facts, and inside scoop on the commercial dog food industry. We report important articles on the dark side of this industry, as well as up-to-date dog food industry news, including current dog food recalls."

Another good site from a resource perspective is http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

"Dogfoodanalysis has been online since 2005 and continues to be updated periodically. On this site, you will find information about the contents of +1500 dry dog foods, along with ratings and reviews. For more information about the site, visit our frequently asked questions page. We make some suggestions for wider information and resources on the info page."

So, take a peek and gain some knowledge about what you're feeding your dog.

Is Your Dog Dehydrated?

Your dog is made up of about 75 percent water.  If your dog was out in the wild, eating prey such as a bird or a mouse or even a rabbit, they would be feeding on other animals whose bodies are also about 75 percent water.  Well, since the average house dog doesn't feed in the wild and is often restricted to kibble, it might surprise you to know that those dogs are only getting about 10 percent moisture into their systems.  Dry foods couldn't be any more Un-natural! 

In order for your dog to compensate for the lack of water it isn't getting from it's kibble diet, your dog would have to drink an exceeding amount of water just to flush out the toxins, hydrate their organs and aid in their normal elimination.

Considering a more holistic diet for your dog is something to think about. 

I will be posting a separate section on holistic cooked foods for your dog including tips and delicious recipes. 

Allergy or Intolerance?

Food allergies are very often confused with food intolerances. The difference is immunilogic. Food allergies are a reaction by the immune system to a specific food, like a protein such as beef. Food intolerance is a chemical sensitivity to something in their diet, whether it be a specific ingredient, preservative or additive.