Cornerstone to Your Dog’s Health

I just love a good, informative article about dogs. So, today, although we've been really busy in the household, I'd love to share this with everyone.

Spending on pets continues to exceed almost all other retail sales in the U.S., with an increase of 4.2 percent last year.  Total up owner’s expenses for pet food, veterinary care, services and supplies like over-the-counter medications, beds, bowls, collars and toys, and they top $58 billion – an all-time high, according to the latest industry report.

Owners spent the most money on food – 22 billion, thanks to extending their interest in the quality and source of food to their pets, says the American Pet Products Association, which issues the annual economic review. Veterinary visits were second in expenditures at $15.7 billion.  Noteworthy is the fact that as owners spend more on food; vet visits continue to rise for their dog’s diet related health issues. Experts in canine nutrition surmise that while today’s pet food provides the necessary nutrients for physical well being, dogs struggle to digest essential elements from the food.

The manufacturing of dog food removes native enzymes and various microbes that assist digestion.  This is problematic because dogs lack any digestive enzymes in their saliva leaving them to rely on probiotic components in their food for a healthy digestive process.   To remedy dog food’s limitations health conscious owners are adding probiotic supplements to their dog’s food.  Dog supplements formulated to strengthen the canine digestive process combined with a nutrient dense dog food creates the conditions for superior health.  The veterinarian profession is slow to direct dog owners to adopt supplements, however feeding regimens that include added probiotics are reducing diet related veterinarian visits. 

Selecting a healthy dog food requires a basic idea on the percentages of protein, fat, and fiber required in a dog’s diet and a source for comparing various brands (Visit DogFoodAdvisors.com or see the Dog Infographic on Dog Food below).

Selecting a healthy dog supplement requires choosing a formulation containing specific types of enzymes.  Dogs have very short and acidic GI tracts, the acids neutralize enzymes found in simple pet store supplements, for this reason certain types of enzymes are required in canine formulations (Visit VitaHound.com).

Chronic conditions related to diet develop very slowly over years, selecting the right dog food and dog supplement early in dog ownership prevents the conditions in a dog’s body that produce disease.   A nutritious diet and a vital digestive system is the cornerstone of any dog’s health and typically permits them to age gracefully in their senior years with limited veterinarian care.

Author: Brent Harte

We are dog lovers, in the business of developing superior canine health care products.  Google Author Brent Harte

Want to learn more about the Dog Food Industry? Check this infographic out.

More Dog Infographics at our Pinterest Board.