Dog Health Guide – Pet Food Quality Matters

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Buying the best pet food for your dog can be tricky with the many choices available in the market. Dog food falls under the following types: homemade, premium dog food, natural commercial diets, generic or economic, and veterinary prescription food.

Choosing the best type of pet food will depend on your dog’s age, size, breed, health, and other features. This article will discuss important guidelines in choosing the best pet food.

Before buying a particular product, you should always read the label. Dog nutrition is regulated by the AFFCO or the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AFFCO). Narrow down your choices to pet food that fully comply to AFFCO’s rules and contain human-grade ingredients.

Once you know all the healthiest options, experiment with your dog’s diet. Start by feeding the different samples to your dog. Take note of how your dog reacts to the brands. During the experiment, you must get the dog used to the new food first. It takes about three to four weeks before seeing any significant changes. Go for the brand that improves their appearance and movement.

A good pet food to check out is Flint River Ranch dog food. It offers Original Puppy and Adult dog food formulas. A healthy diet is assured with its natural, oven-baked mix. The food line does not contain any additives, meat by-products, or artificial components. Instead the Flint foods combine an appropriate amount of necessary vitamins and minerals, grains, herbs, proteins, and fruits. The protein comes from quality lamb and chicken meal. Whole wheat and rice make up the grain ingredients.

Expect that Flint River dog food does not contain ethoxyquin, BHT, BHA, artificial flavouring, and other dangerous chemicals. It is always wise to stay away from pet food products that contain the said ingredients. It’s also wise to talk to your vet about the best food options.

Through the right research, careful planning, and common sense, your dog will enjoy a long life that avoids disease. Only a lack of sufficient information holds you back from the best pet food brand. After knowing the right ingredients and what to look for, you can now be confident about your purchase.

Tampa Florida A Great Place For Animal Lovers

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Animals are part of our existence. They contribute to the beauty around us. Some animals are just so adorable to look at. Don’t you know that regular exposure to animals can be beneficial? Studies show that animals can help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels. Aside from its health benefits, animals can ease our stress and enhance relaxation. They also help combat feelings of loneliness. Some examples of these animals include dogs, cats, birds, aquarium fishes, reptiles and many others. Other animals cannot be considered as pet in the house for they are untamed and unsafe to people. Examples of these dangerous animals are tigers, snakes, bears and many others. They should only be kept in zoo parks for they can be of great danger to human beings.On the contrary, some animals are just calm and gentle.They love human contact or affection. Examples are dogs, cats and many others and they can be kept as pets in our homes.

Almost every household in United States has their own choice of animals or pets in their homes which they consider as home companions. Animals can be a man’s best buddy as well. Dogs, for example, can accompany us in our exercise like walking and jogging.

Animals play beneficial contribution to our physical, social, and psychological health. They serve essential roles in our human existence. With this, they should be treated well and animal brutality should be abhorred.

Visiting to zoo parks are also exciting. You get the chance to see different species of animals and you’ll be able to appreciate their uniqueness.One of the best zoo parks in Tampa Florida is Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo which your family can enjoy of.

Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo has approximately 50 acres of land which has a number of 2,000 animals being taken cared of. It’s a wonderful zoo and was credited in the child magazine as the country’s top family friendly zoo tourist destinations in United States. Families will really enjoy visiting this place.You will be amazed and enthralled of their distinctiveness.

Tampa Florida is just perfect for people who want to discover different species of animals. Animal lovers will truly like this place and they can visit the zoo park anytime they want. If you want to reside in this place, Tampa real estate can guide you in your search.You can also choose properties from Tampa homes for sale.

Joseph Millerski is a writer who writes about real estate articles and various topics. For more details about Tampa homes for sale and Tampa real estate visit our website.Check Tampa mls for more homes available online.

ANIMAL ACTIVIST LAURA GUTTRIDGE PROMOTES A VEGETARIAN LIFESTYLE

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Laura Guttridge is a popular celebrity, a former swimsuit model-turned animal activist and author. She holds regular protests for preventing the killing of animals and raise awareness about their ethical treatment. She has organized numerous protests and campaigns to prevent any cruelty against animals and has been arrested twice for her attempts. Presently, she is promoting a vegetarian lifestyle through PETA’S vegetarian starter kit. This kit has everything you need to be a vegetarian. It is a complete pack of all the recipes and tips on making the tough switch.

Guttridge, a vegetarian herself, advocates that meat is destructive for the body and vegan diet helps you to stay healthy and fit. It also reduces the health-risks and diseases that are found in many meats and animal products. She encourages the people to go on a vegetarian diet because every year meat industry terrifically kills billions of animals.

She also promoted a vegan diet at the 20th Gala for The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida by dressing up as lettuce lady. The event was attended by many famous celebrities including Pamela Anderson and was hosted by Bob Barker. Other significant achievements of Guttridge include a ballot initiative in 2002 where Guttridge was the top signature collector and it helped in banning the confinement of pigs on factory farms in Florida. Based on her a real life experience, she Laura Guttridge has written a book titled -Gypsy the Christmas Cat-. Her husband, Bobby Guttridge inspired her to write this book. It teaches the kids to be kind to love and respect animals. It’s easily available at different online book stores and you can buy it for your kids. She has also co-hosted an online program called Dr. Josefina’s Way, which can be viewed at www.healthypowertv.com.

Is There A Better Alternative To Pet Insurance

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If your home is like 72.9 million others in the U.S., it is home to at least one pet. According to the 2011-2012 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 62 percent of households in the U.S. have at least one pet. It’s not hard to imagine why. Pets, whether furred, hoofed or winged, bring so much to our lives. But, along with unconditional love and unquestioning devotion, they can also bring significant vet bills. In fact, the APPA (American Pet Products Association) estimates that U.S. pet owners will spend $14.1 billion on veterinary care in 2011.

Some pet owners opt for pet insurance as a method of reducing the costs of routine and emergency vet visits. However, Consumer Reports recently published a review of several pet insurance plans. The review was not favorable. Their basic conclusion: “Pet insurance is rarely worth the price… Only in uncommon cases, when a pet required very expensive care, would the coverage have more than paid for itself.”

Here are a couple of reasons why a pet insurance plan may not be your best option to save on your pet’s healthcare costs.

1. Lack of Coverage
Most pet insurance companies promise to cover 70 to 90 percent of your pet’s veterinary costs. However, these companies have adopted much of the fine print that the large human health insurers use: cumbersome claims processing, deductibles, per-visit reimbursement limits and per-incident limits. They may also deny coverage for many common conditions, including those deemed “inherent to the breed” and “pre-existing” conditions. As a result, their insurance rarely covers more than 50 percent of a pet’s annual medical costs. And since they charge $400-$1100 for a policy, the insurance typically costs the average pet owner far more than it saves.

2. Poor Return on Investment
In the aforementioned Consumer Reports review, they analyzed the lifetime vet bills of Roxy, a 10-year-old beagle in Dobbs Ferry, NY. Costs were totaled for nine different pet insurance policies, calculating how much would be paid out in reimbursements. Over Roxy’s 10 years, none of the policies Consumer Reports evaluated would have paid out more than the cost of the plan. Even when treatments for several hypothetical serious ailments were added in, the average policy would only have saved Roxy’s family $65 over her lifetime.

Consumer Reports concludes: “We believe most pet owners will be better off passing up pet insurance.”

So what should pet owners do to help cover rising vet costs? Here are a few alternatives to help:

1. Financial Assistance
There are a number of financial assistance programs financed by grants and private donations. While each one has different guidelines and requirements, your local shelter is a good place to start. Many shelters have updated listings and information on financing opportunities.

2. Veterinary Discount Plans
Veterinary discount plans provide discounts on services at participating veterinarians, immediately reducing the amount you have to spend on routine and emergency care. In Consumer Reports hypothetical case of Roxy, the largest veterinary discount plan showed Roxy’s family saving almost $2,500.

3. Start a Pet Savings Plan
Open a savings account with a high interest yield that you can use an emergency fund. If you put away just $25 a month for 4-5 years, the compounded sum will cover almost any procedure.

Be creative! Mix a Pet Savings Plan with a Veterinary Discount Plan and Financial Assistance plan. Now that’s something to crow (meow, bark or chirp) about!

A Guide To Getting a New Dog – Finding the Right Animal Hospital A More

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Dogs are a wonderful addition to any family. They are loyal, adorable, and loving. When it comes to getting a new dog, there are a number of responsibilities that you must consider beforehand. As rewarding as owning a dog can be, there is quite a bit of responsibility that comes along with caring for it. From food, shelter, to proper health care from the right animal hospital, you must take into account all of these things before you commit to getting a new dog. Before you take a dog into your life, you need to consider the commitment that is involved. If you are already a dog owner, you should make sure that you are completing all of the responsibilities involved in pet ownership.

Once you have recognized the commitment involved in owning a pet, you should evaluate your lifestyle to ensure that you are equipped and prepared to care for one. It is essential that your schedule will allow you to be around to care for your pal. You should also consider what kind of breed will likely have the ideal characteristics to fit in with your lifestyle. You should also consider whether you will save an dog from a shelter or buy one from a breeder.

When bringing a dog into your home, there is a checklist of things to have. You will need a crate that is proportional to the size of your buddy. They need a safe place to sleep, and a crate will be necessary at first for proper training. You will also need a collar, walking harness, and an ID tag. You will also want to pick the right veterinarian at a local animal hospital to care for your dog. Getting your pup the right vaccinations is an important aspect of being a responsible dog owner. You can also take this opportunity to sit down with the veterinarian at the animal hospital and ensure he or she is right for you and your pup.

Make sure the rules that you set to train your pup are consistent. Disciplining a dog early on is essential to keeping its behavior in check. You should bring your puppy to socialize with other dogs, interact with other people, and let him or her interact with other things so they won’t be sheltered and scared. Keep the training positive. Be patient, and enjoy spending some quality time with your brand new friend.

Livonia animal hospital will keep your pet healthy, for more information follow the link: .