Dogs are our great companions and friends. We love them for their friendly, lovable nature and loyalty. Dogs guard our homes, they protect us, help us in work and share joyful moments with us. Every dog is like a family member to its owner. Dogs are sensitive and compassionate animals and they are a lot more than just pets. It is important to make them feel safe and loved in your home, in order to provide them with long, fulfilled and happy life. Those amazing creatures require and deserve special care, just as your loved human ones.
A happy dog is a healthy one, as well. Therefore, it is important to provide your pet with all the basic things it needs. You have to be ready to devote your time, patience and love to your furry friend.
Since all dogs are different, your dog might require some special living conditions, grooming and diet plan. All dogs need to have regular physical activity and proper medical care. Everything else depends on your dog’s individual characteristics.
Good food for your dog
Well-balanced nutrition plan is a must, when it comes to taking care of a dog. Your pet needs a proper diet plan, in order to grow, develop and stay healthy. The diet scheme should be based on its individual needs, depending on its breed, gender, age, size, health condition and so on.
Most of veterinarians would suggest feed your dog commercial dog food products. The reason is simple. Those products contain all of the essential ingredients your pet requires on a daily basis. There are many high quality products from different manufacturers. You should choose those suitable for your pet. It would most certainly love it.
Canned, vacuumed and dry dog food products should be the base of your pet’s diet. You could prepare some food at home, as well. For example, you could make some meat for your dog or serve it some cereals, rice, vegetables and fruits. Get well informed, because there are plants that are dangerous for dogs. Fruits are fine to be used as an occasional treat, rather than human snacks and such.
The major secret about dogs’ nutrition is a balance and moderation. It is important to feed your dog appropriate amounts of all needed nutrients. The best option is to talk to your vet and make sure what would be the best plan for your pet.
Spices and spicy food
Dogs would eat almost anything in front of their noses, but that doesn’t mean it is good for them. They are not as picky as cats, so there is more chance they get poisoned or get sick after eating harmful food. This is why you must know what your dog is allowed to eat, in the first place. There are people who are very irresponsible when it comes to feeding their pets. They think something is good for their dogs just because they love the taste. You know some products are bad for you, but you like them, right? Well, dogs are not so aware of the fact some things are very dangerous to their bellies and health in general.
Spices and spicy food, such as garlic and onion and other stuff, are bad for dogs. Simply, their digestive system is not adapted to process those types of food. They need nothing from such spices. People are more tolerable of things like salt, sugar, hot spices and others and we use those to improve the taste of our meals. Dogs don’t need them at all. Spicy food could lead to diarrhea, vomiting, severe stomach ache and even serious conditions, such as poisoning, anemia, organ failure and even death.
You should avoid giving your dog salty and greasy snacks as well, just as sweets and sugary products. All of those are harmful. Such types of food don’t get well processed in dogs’ bellies and cause them serious problems.
Avoid all of processed and spiced human food products. Don’t fall for your friend’s charms, especially when you know it is not hungry at all. There are different adapted forms of pet snacks, if you want to treat your pet. If you prepare a homemade meal for your pet, make sure it is free of salt, sugar and other spices.
Toxic and dangerous garlic
Garlic is not on dog-friendly food list. It is too sharp and too spicy for them. Moreover, it is poisonous to our pets. It is proven garlic is dangerous to both cats and dogs, so you should never offer it to your pet. Both garlic and onion are bad for animals. These are Allium species. Those species are toxic for animals. They affect animals’ red blood cells in very dangerous way, causing them great damage.
After eating Allium plants, our pets’ red blood cells get unable to normally transport oxygen. In severe cases of poisoning caused by Allium plants, blood cells get so damaged that their low count causes anemia. If anemia gets serious, it leads to organ damage and causes severe internal problems, organ deterioration, failure and even a fatal result.
If you think your pet has eaten some garlic by accident, there are symptoms that could imply your pet suffers from garlic poisoning. The symptoms include lack of muscle coordination, weakness in general, hyper salivation and pale gums, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea. In general, cats are more susceptible to this unfortunate outcome from eating garlic, since they are exclusive carnivores. However, dogs are susceptible, as well. They should never eat garlic and onions, at all.
The way to treat garlic poisoning depends on the stadium of the condition. You should take your pet to a vet, on first signs that may imply it got poisoned. A veterinarian may want to induce vomiting and give your dog activated charcoal, in order to decontaminate its organism. The main forms of treatment include hydration, oxygen therapy and, in more serious cases, blood transfusion.
So, garlic is a great no for dogs. It is best to avoid the risk of poisoning completely and make sure your garlic is out of reach of your pet. You may enjoy your spiced up meals, but never share it with your dog. Toxic property is present in raw, cooked and dried form of garlic. It may lose some power during cooking, for example, but it is still toxic to dogs and cats. In larger amounts, it can even kill your dear pet.
While cats are unlikely to eat garlic if they come up to it, dogs are known to be voracious. Keep garlic away from your pet and react in time, if there are any signs of possible poisoning. If you want healthy, you can pick asparagus for your dog instead.
For a comfortable outdoor adventure, you can get your dog one of these adorable dog hammocks for trucks that we reviewed. Read next!
