A bit of chocolate for us humans is an indulgence and a delicious treat. However, even a small amount of chocolate to some cats and dogs can be quite devastating to their health. As well as a high fat content, chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine. This is the most toxic component in chocolate that have a negative effect on our pets’ health. Humans can easily metabolise theobromine, but dogs and cats process it much more slowly, allowing it to build up to toxic levels in their system. A small amount of chocolate will probably only give your dog or cat a ..read more

Treat your cat by preparing them some nutritious food. An increasing number of vets offer nutritional consultations to help owners assess their cats’ specific needs in their diet. As with humans, keeping to the same eating routine week in and week out can get boring. Some home made food can go a long way to complement your cat’s regular diet and keep things interesting. Here are some recipes for some well balanced healthy food and some guidelines to go along with it. You can also serve dry food with the following recipes. Ingredients to avoid before making any meal for your cat. The follo ..read more

As carnivores, cats used to get their main source of vitamin A from the liver within their prey. A small bird or a mouse could have a little liver which the cat could have eaten. The odd bit of liver that we give our cats can give them a vital vitamin A boost as well as iron which is good for the blood. Vitamin A is an essential vitamin for cats, which means it must be part of their diet in order for your cat to maintain optimal health. However please be careful not to over feed liver to your cat. Too much liver in your cat’s diet can result in a vitamin A toxicity. If your cat ..read more

As  they say, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but is this saying true for our doggy companions? As long as the core and seeds are removed it turns out that apples are very healthy snacks for dogs. As with any food for dogs, fruit should always be given in moderation. They are an affordable, healthy, and low calorie treat, with a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin A and C. Dogs can crunch on pieces of raw apple, and this can contribute to the cleaning of residue off your dog’s teeth and freshen breath. Apples have antioxidants and vitamins that can help curb ..read more

A dog having an eating disorder is not one of the things a dog owner expects to encounter. You expect your dog to eat regularly and enjoy their food, but an eating problem or a disorder can plague a high number of dogs. There are a number of speculations on why eating disorders occur. Most veterinary experts come to the conclusion that it could be the result of a medical condition or a psycological one. Regardless of what causes eating disorders, it is a serious problem for you and your dog. It can have harmful and even deadly effects in the long term. Overeating This is when the do ..read more

Food allergies account for 10% of all the allergies seen in dogs. Food allergies are the 3rd most common cause of allergens after flea bite allergies and atopy (inhalant allergies). While we watch out for our own children and adult related allergies, our pets suffer just as much from allergies. What is the difference between food allergies and intolerances? Food Allergies: Similar to the response of a human’s body, if a dog swallows an allergen in food, the immune system mistakenly believes the specific food is harmful. The dog’s immune system responds w ..read more

This is a very real and a complex problem that some dog owners face. There are a number of eating disorders affecting dogs, including overeating, under-eating, Pica, Scoffing or blotting and Coprophagia or faeces eating. If you have a dog that has any of these eating disorders the hardest part is figuring out where it came from in the first place. What happens when your pet stops eating or struggles to keep food down? However unusual it may seem, it is actually normal for your dog to skip meals once in a while, but it is bad news when your dog stops eating entirely. We ..read more

Our dogs are given their meals daily without question, compensation or challenge. Scavenging animals like dogs spend a large part of their day looking and sniffing out things of interest… they can also possibly eat. For most dogs, getting hold of something to eat can be the most interesting and satisfying thing they do. It is an activity that occupies their brains and their noses. Once accomplishing the feat of finding or eating the food, it leaves your dog happy, satisfied and relaxed. Meal time for dogs lasts on average 2 minutes or less each day, and then it is over ..read more

As the weather gets hot…. and sweaty, what we really want is something icy to cool us down. As the season starts to heat up, we all look forward to some icy treats, like ice cream or popsicles! Our dogs get hot too, why not let them join in on some of the excitement of digging into these summer treats? Here are 3 great “Pupsicle” dog treats that you can make right at home and are bound to get your pooch’s tail wagging! These treats are not only super-easy to make, but hold nutritional value as well. Chicken Broth Dog Pupsicles Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Unsalted Chicken Broth 1/2 cup o ..read more

Treat your dog by preparing them some nutritious food. As with humans, keeping to the same eating routine week in and week out can get boring for your dogs. Some home made food can go a long way to complement their regular diet and keep things interesting. Here is a recipe for healthy chicken dog food that is easy to prepare and is best served with your dog’s regular dry food. The portions listed can feed two middle size retrievers for one week. This paired with a variety of great dry dog foods can turn any meal into a feast. You will need a large stock pot for this meal, especially ..read more