Saturday 20 September 2014

Feed Your Dog Well With High Quality Dog Food Purchased Online

One of my favourite ways to spoil my dog is buying him Dog Food Online. Rather than purchasing cheap commercial food from the supermarket, there is an impressive selection online that my pup really enjoys. By purchasing online it allows me to further research the ingredients in the dog food and check out reviews from other pet owners. 

When I really want to spoil my dog, I have a baking day. I find baking treats for dogs ensure they get a good source of nutrition, as you know exactly what is going in the recipe. You can also tweak the recipe so it includes ingredients that will specifically enhance an area of your dog’s health. One of my favourite recipes at the moment that I cook a lot if peanut butter cookies.   

This treat sounds like a delicious dessert humans would enjoy, but it’s actually for your dog. Peanut butter cookies are almost a magic treat, as not only do dogs love the taste, but also they are very good for them. A simple splash of fish oil, enhances the health benefits, enhancing your dog’s coat making it softer, shinier and healthier.  

When it comes to selecting peanut butter for the cookies, go for an organic option or even try making your own. By simply blending up raw peanuts and peanut oil, you can very quickly and simply make some health peanut butter. When it comes to supermarkets, steer clear of the commercial peanut butters as they contain nasties that are not good for your dog. These include additives and unhealthy hydrogenated oils.

   To get started on the peanut butter cookies, all you need is 2 cups of white or wheat flour, 1 cup of rolled oats, 1/3 cup of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of honey, ½ tablespoon fish oil and 1 ½ cups of water. From here the process is simple and pretty much like making normal human cookies.

 In a large mixing bowel, combine the flour and oats together with a cup of water. Mix until you produce a nice smooth mixture. Next it’s time to add in the remaining ingredients being the peanut butter, honey and fish oil. Make sure you mix these ingredients in well until you are left with a nice smooth mixture. Add the remainder of the water to ensure the dough has a thick and soft consistency. 

Just like you would when you were making human cookies, floor some clean bench space and role out the dough. Using a rolling pin, mold it into a ¼ inch thick sheet. This is when the fun part comes, cutting the cookies out. While you’re dog’s not going to know the difference it can be fun to play around with different shaped cookie cutters. My favourite shapes to work with are animal like dog bones and dog shapes. Once you have cut all of the shapes out, carefully transfer them onto baking trays with baking paper. Let the cookies bake for around 40 minutes, until they are golden. Before you feed them to your dog, let them cool down.   

Why not try making these special healthy cookies for your pampered pooch. I find these a much healthier and cheaper alternative to dog treat. They are also quick and easy, not to mention fun to make. If you would like to find out more delicious food and treats to feed your dog, jump online to My Favoured Online Dog Food Company Pookinuk.

Tuesday 16 September 2014

Supplement Your Cat’s Diet With Cat Food Online

Your pampered pussy may be a little sook when it comes to cuddle time, but in the wild they are true carnivores. While our cats are spoilt with cat food choices from online assortments and shop varieties, in the wild they eat carcasses. In order to survive, they must have a diet based on animal protein, with a small amount of vegetable matter also consumed.  If you think you know what to feed your cat, the facts below may surprise you. There are items that you can add to your cats diet that you never knew.  

Bones 
Adding raw meaty bones to your cat’s diet can provide them with various health benefits including healthy teeth and gums. When incorporating raw bones into your cat’s diet, it is important to use them as a treat, rather than staple food. Unfortunately too many meaty raw bones, can cause your cat to become constipated. A guide is to give your cat one or two bones a week, leaving the space of a few days between each bone.

The best meaty raw bones to serve your cats are lamb shanks, chicken drumsticks, chicken necks and chicken wings. Steer clear of large varieties like bone marrow, knuckle bones and bones that have been sewn lengthways. These bones can crack your cat’s teeth and cause discomfort. You should also avoid bones that are too small and have the potential to be swallowed. A good idea is to watch your cat when they chew on raw bones, just to be safe. 

When it comes to cooked bones, these should be avoided at all costs. Even when your beautiful feline friend pokes its head up whilst you’re eating dinner and gives you sad eyes, don’t give them a bone from your plate. While you would have the good intentions, a cooked bone can cause internal damage and intestinal obstructions.   

As much as your cat might feel like your best friend, or even your child, it is important to understand that it is not human. Therefore, foods that we may love are not necessarily good for it. There is an extensive list of food that you should not feed your cat which includes: avocado, garlic, chocolate, onions, caffeine products, coffee, sultanas, grapes, raisins, nuts, corncobs, mushrooms, tomatoes, fatty trimmings and too much fish.  

Water 
 Just like you, your cat gets thirsty throughout the day. While you may have special feeding times for your cat, fresh water should always be on hand. Ensure your cat’s water dish is always topped up with fresh water throughout the day. In summer, it’s a great idea to pop some ice cubes in the water to cool it up. 

When To Feed Your Cat 
cat  It is important to set in place a feeding schedule for your cat. If you just feed them whenever they demand food, then you will end up with a fat cat. My cat is a little sweetheart, but is very demanding. She will cry for food countless times during the day for a meal. Rather than listening to your cat, stick to a feeding schedule. For an adult cat you should stick to several smaller meals, several times throughout the day and night. This promotes a healthy urinary tract. The ideal amount of times to feed your cat is probably three or four.  

Green Food 
While a cat’s diet is mainly meat, is should also eat a small amount of vegetable matter. Many people don’t realise but cats actually like to eat grass. If you have an outdoor cat, you may notice it nibbling on the grass from time to time. However, if you have an indoor cat, bring it in some grass from outside to have a try. Ensure you choose a patch of grass that is not chemically treated. Also make sure you don’t feed the cat too much grass as in some instances it can cause hypervitaminosis D.   If you are looking for some high quality cat food online, head to Pookinuk are order food online at http://pookinuk.com.au/.

Friday 11 July 2014

The Deep, Dark Secrets Of Cheap Dog Food That Will Shock You

Dogs are known as mans’ best friend, but when it comes to cheap dog food, it seems like they are treated more like an enemy. While many dog owners assume that dog food is dog food, and choose the inexpensive option, they are unaware of the revolting ingredients lurking inside the cheap alternative. While there are many reputable pet food companies out there that offer new and improved foods, there are still those manufacturers that are letting the rest down, producing poor quality dog food. 

This type of poor quality dog food can cause digestive issues for your pooch including diarrhea. If you are concerned about your dog, it’s easy to look in deeper to what is going into the dog food.  Animal Byproducts Are Not Meat  While the dog food can may say it contains ‘meat’, you will find many actually don’t. Instead they contain ‘meat by products’, which is made up of all the non-meat parts of the animal. It’s actually a really gross procedure where the skin, organs, hooves and bones of the animal are grinded up together.   

Meat Meal  If you think meat byproducts are bad, wait to you hear the next horrifying ingredient, meal meal. While the name doesn’t sound too bad, think about it as a mixture of the most disgusting ingredients you could think of mashed together, that you wouldn’t even serve your worst enemy. The mixture of ingredients includes dead zoo animals, diseased livestock and road kill. Most horrifying is the fact that this mixture can include dead dogs and cats. The worst part is, it’s all legal.   

Misleading Labels  There are many rules when it comes to pet food labeling, however many ways they can bend the truth. You can generally trust a pet food label is the first word of the name is the name of a meat, for example ‘Beef for your Dog’. To meet legal requirements, 95 per cent of this product must be beef. In this case, you probably presume that ‘Beef dinner for your Dog’ would be a safe alternative. However, you’ve assumed wrong. If a name of pet food contains the word ‘dinner’, it can then contain as little as 25 per cent of beef in total. 

That remaining 75% will probably be meat by products and meat meal…yum. In the case when the name of a food product comes last and is then prefaced with the word ‘with’, for example ‘Dog Food with Beef’, then definitely do not buy this product. This type of dog food should not be consumed by anyone as it contains as little at 3 per cent of beef.   No Nutritional Value  Dog foods contain large amounts of rice and corn, which are of course high in carbohydrates. While carbohydrates give humans a lot of energy, they don’t have the same effect on animals. 

Dogs instead thrive on meat protein, and will find it difficult to burn off the huge amount of excess energy that foods high in carbohydrates create. Instead, this excess energy is stored as fat.   Gourmet Doesn’t Equal Healthy  While fancy dog tins and the promise of spoiling your much-loved pooch may entice you to buy the gourmet dog food, unfortunately it’s not a healthy option. While these gourmet style dog foods generally taste better, they are usually not very high in nutrition. Rather than focusing on flavor, it’s better for your dog if you focus on nutrition.   

Vets Know The Truth About Dog Food  If you are confused about the best dog food to feed your precious puppy, your veterinarian can help. They will be aware of the quality companies out there, which will give you the confidence to feed your dog. One reliable company that is Now Selling Online Dog Food online is called Pookinuk. You can check out their range at http://pookinuk.com.au/.

Caffeine, Chocolate And Alcohol – Treats For Us Bad Lethal For Our Feline Friends

I would feel like an irresponsible crazy cat lady if I didn’t pass on this valuable information to other cat lovers out there. To me, my cats George and Lulu are like my children, and their well being is of prime importance. When it comes to their diets, I always ensure they have high quality cat food. Recently, I even began ordering their Cat Food Online, so I could have easy access to all their favorites. Plus, I found a cool website that sold this special brand of Cat Food Called Purina Pro Plan that is developed by vets and nutritionists with extra vitamins and minerals to help your cat live a long and healthy life.

While I try and make sure I don’t let them eat too much human food, sometimes I allow them to have a little treat and lick my bowl, or give them a bit of food from my plate. However, I was shocked to find out that this can be extremely bad for them. Unknown to me, there are dangers lurking in my own fridge and pantry that are putting my cats at great risk. With this valuable knowledge, I will definitely be sticking to their trusty cat food and there are some foods I will never let them near. Below I have outlined the foods you should never give your cat.

Tuna

While cats love this tasty fish, it should never be a main part of your cat’s diet. While a little bit of tuna on occasions won’t do any damage, too much tuna can lead to mercury poisoning. It can also cause malnutrition in your cat, as it does not contain the nutrients they need to be fit and healthy.

Onions, garlic, chives
While as cooks we put onion in everything, for your feline friend consumption of it can cause anemia. No matter what form the onion comes in, cooked, dehydrated, powdered or raw, onion has the ability to break down your cat’s red blood cells. Don’t stress if your cat sneaks a little taste of onion, however if they are eating small amounts on regular occasions or a large quantity all at once, it can cause onion poisoning. As well as onions, it’s also important for your cats to avoid chives and garlic, as these foods can cause gastrointestinal upset.

Diary products


Did you know that most cats are lactose intolerant? That’s right, offering them a saucer of mile or a slice of cheese may seem like a good idea, however their digestive systems cannot process diary foods. The result is often digestive upset and diarrhea.

Alcohol

A cat’s liver and brain is affected by alcohol, just like ours. However, owing to their size it takes far less time to do the damage. Scarily, a 5-pound cat can fall into a coma after drinking just two teaspoons of whiskey, and can die after consuming one more teaspoon.

Grapes and Raisins

Despite being used as a treat for pets, grapes and raisins are a big ‘no no’ for cats as they can cause kidney failure. It only takes a small amount of the food to make a cat ill, with hyperactivity and repeated vomiting early signs. It’s a good idea to keep grapes and raisins out of your cats reach.

Caffeine

For most people, caffeine is their drug of choice in the mornings, however for cats it can be fatal. Whether it’s coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, cola or Red Bull, your cat definitely shouldn’t be consuming it. If your cat experiences caffeine poisoning, unfortunately there is no antidote. Cats who experience caffeine poisoning will display symptoms including restlessness, rapid breathing, heart palpitations, muscle tremors and fits.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains a toxic agent called the bromine and is lethal for cats. It can cause abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and death. Normally, most cats won’t eat it on their own accord, however some owners may persuade them to eat it, thinking they are giving their cat a treat. Dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate are the most dangerous sorts of chocolate, however all kinds of chocolate, even white, are bad.

Lollies and Gum

A sweetener called xyilitol is known to increase your cat’s insulin levels, leading to drops in blood sugar. It can be the cause of liver fail and symptoms include vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Foods that contain xylitol include baked goods, gum, lollies, toothpaste and some diet foods. If a cat consumes xylitol, it may have a seizure following ingestion and them can experience liver fail just days later.

Next time you consider giving your feline friend a little treat from your bowl, stop and think. While you might feel like you’re doing the right thing, you must remember you’re actually risking your cat’s health. I myself still like to give my cats a treat, which is why I stocked up on some special cat treats and food from Pookinuk’s online site at http://pookinuk.com.au/.

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Diet Pet Food – Is Your Dog Ready For a Special Diet Or Just Needs More Exercise?

I hate to say it but I think it’s time to put my beloved pooch on a low calorie food diet. My poor little (well big…) pug, Leonie, is starting to put on the pounds. While pugs are podgy in nature, she looks like she’s beginning to look like she’s had too many dog biscuits. While I love her chubby appearance and the way her tummy wobbles slightly when she trots next to me, I think it’s time I took her diet more seriously. However, when I began to consider what to do about Leonie’s diet, I realized I didn’t know anything about dogs’ calorie expenditure. 

Like most young women I have a strong understand of the amount of calories in the foods I eat. And when I don’t know, I’m known to flip the packet around and do some quick calculation of how many calories I’m about to consume. The great thing is, my mathematical skills have vastly improved over the years from this trick! As well as counting calories, I also have a good understanding of the number of calories I can burn from doing certain exercise. With calculators on the gym equipment it is so simple to find out how many calories my painstaking treadmill session has burnt (Most of the time not enough!).

Yet, when it comes to my pug Leonie, I have no idea how many calories she burns when she exercises. I do take her for a half an hour walk every night after work, however I wouldn’t have a clue if that were enough exercise for her. Unfortunately there isn’t a huge amount of veterinary exercise physiology research into dogs.

After completing my own research I found one study that suggests a dog that walks at a pace of 4 miles an hour, will burn 0.8 calories per pound per mile. This means that a one hour walk for a 20 pound dog only burns around 64 calories. I was pretty startled by this information as Leonie’s walks are pretty easy going for half and hour, meaning she would be lucky to burn 30 calories a day! Plus, I normally give her a treat after the work, which would totally cancel out the calories burnt on the walk. 

Further research revealed that veterinarians commonly believe in the 70/30 Percent Rule for pets. This means that 70 per cent of weight loss experienced by pets in a weight loss program was a result of calorie restriction and the remaining 30 per cent due to calorie loss during exercise. While this sounds like a good theory, there isn’t a lot of research that backs this theory, but it got me thinking about the portion sizes I was feeding my pug Leonie. 

Overall, while my research into a dogs diet was quite holed it pointed out diet as a big part of the problem. While I will continue to take Leonie on long walks for healthy exercise, I won’t rely on it to help her drop the pounds. Exercise is not at all a completely wasted effort and allows me a chance to have one on one time with my pampered pooch. However, I have decided to be a better owner when it comes to how much food I provide to Leonie.

By cutting back on her portion sizes and changing her diet to a low calorie dog good, I hope to help her get down to a healthier weight. With the help of Pookinuk I have found some online pet food that will help with her diet. If your dog is having their own battle with weight, check out the diet Food For Dog Online at http://pookinuk.com.au/.

Dog Food – An Evolution Not To Bark At

One of the favourite parts of my day is coming home from work and being greeted by my adorable dog, George. Seeing his little furry face light up and his tail wag makes the long commute home from work seem worth it. It also lets me quickly slip into relaxation mode and gets me set for a good night.

With my dog being more like my baby than a pet, my first job is to get his dinner ready, before starting on my own. George is well aware of the Pecking Order. Before I’ve even got through the door with my bags of shopping, he gallops over and jumps at my leg for cuddles before dinner. I, of course, always oblige and throw my bags down in the middle of the corridor and get my well-deserved cuddle for the day. 

Once all the baby talk and dog cuddling is done, he knows the drill. So with him following me excitedly, I head to the kitchen and grab his bowl. Despite mealtime being as regular as clock work, each time George acts as if it is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to him. With ease, I pour his food into his bowl and feel like the best Mum (ok, dog owner) in the world. 

However for pet lovers like me, feeding dogs hasn’t always been so easy. While these days there are an extensive variety of pet food available, it hasn’t always been this way. The history of the good old dog biscuit amazingly dates back to 1860. Funnily enough, it was an Ohio lightning rod salesman, James Pratt, who created the first dog biscuit. After travelling to London, Pratt observed sailors tossing ‘hard tack’ to the stray dogs that lived across the docks. The hard tack was a staple food for sailors venturing on long sea journeys and military campaigns and made from a mixture of flour, water and salt. Being a keen entrepreneur, Pratt took note of this interesting idea and ran with it. 

Pratt quickly got assistance from a baking firm and create the ‘dog cake’, which became the first official dog biscuit. With the dog biscuit becoming very popular with English country gentlemen, in 1895 he introduced the idea to wealthy American dog owners. It wasn’t long until other companies cottoned on to the idea, with an American competitor creating a dog biscuit shaped like a bone in 1907. Up until 1992, it was Pratt’s dog cake and the bone shaped biscuit that defined the commercial dog food market. 

In the twenties, the commercial pet food industry began to grow from just pet biscuits. Canned foods, pellets and a range of dehydrated meals became available on the market and were manufactured from meat and grain mills scraps. Controversially horsemeat was an ingredient, however was soon scrapped. During this time it was only wealthy Americans who could afford the treat for their beloved dogs. The commercial pet food industry was then greatly impacted upon by the Great Depression. People searching for an income began trying to sell bagged or canned pet food, with lack regulations in place during the time. 

Luckily these days for George and me, finding dog food is easy. These days, I’ve even started ordering his Dog Food on-Line. It allows me to book ahead and ensure George’s little tummy is never left grumbling. It also makes sure I never have to do the desperate dash to the supermarket when the packet of dry food runs out. I find it more comforting having my stock of dog food ready to go, so George never gets hungry. If you care about your dog just as much as I do, I would advice checking out the wide range of dog food that’s on offer at Pookinuk at http://pookinuk.com.au/. For future reference George loves the puppy treats they have on offer.