Nutrition:
Nutrition is Important to everyone's over-all health and dogs are no exception! They need to have the best diet they can to remain healthy, active and feeling good giving them a longer happier life.
This is a subject I have done LOTS of research into due to my boys skin allergies.
Food is the biggest cause of Skin conditions in Bull Terriers along with many other breeds, and each dog is different along with each owners budget and time.
I mention that because there is a proper debate going on about Raw meat and Kibble for dogs.
Do Dogs need Vegetation as apart of their diets?
I personally have my OWN beliefs on this subject, just as anyone does, But this site is not about MY beliefs or my opinion, but to how to properly care for your Bull Terrier.
I am going to give a bit of information into each feeding type and let you, the owner decide which is best for you and your dog.
This is a subject I have done LOTS of research into due to my boys skin allergies.
Food is the biggest cause of Skin conditions in Bull Terriers along with many other breeds, and each dog is different along with each owners budget and time.
I mention that because there is a proper debate going on about Raw meat and Kibble for dogs.
Do Dogs need Vegetation as apart of their diets?
I personally have my OWN beliefs on this subject, just as anyone does, But this site is not about MY beliefs or my opinion, but to how to properly care for your Bull Terrier.
I am going to give a bit of information into each feeding type and let you, the owner decide which is best for you and your dog.
KIBBLE/ CANNED:
This is the most easily available option, and now days, their are plenty of healthy choices for dogs with any kind of issue or skin allergy. Some kibble brands or bases are not right for every dog and some dogs do poorly on some and very well on others and if your dog has allergies it is simply a matter of trial and error till you find the best kind.
Kibble comes in all sorts of flavors and ingredients.
I CAN tell you to steer clear of several brands (mostly the ones you can find in any grocery store or wal-mart are not good choices)
Brands such as Purina, Iams, Kibbles n bits, Gravy train, Pedigree, Hills science diet,etc.
Look for brands who's fillers are fruits and vegetables (but not corn)
Chicken is a very common Allergy for many dogs, if your dog is having skin issues while on a chicken based diet, switch to a fish or beef based.
Fish can also be a fairly common allergy so check the labels and find the right kibble for your dog.
A Kibble based diet can be a poor choice for a dog suffering from kidney problems as Kibble is dry and dogs bodies were designed to get a good bit of water from the food they eat.
Which can be helped by feeding a good quality caned or wet diet, but that can contribute significantly to tooth and gum issues so make sure you have a good tooth care regimen.
Some of the best dog food brands are
Orijen
Acana
Taste f the wild
Earth born
Holistic's
Innova
Merrick
Wysong
And plenty others, You can find some lesser known brands that are just as good, it is just a matter of reading the label's and finding the right one for you dog.
This is the most easily available option, and now days, their are plenty of healthy choices for dogs with any kind of issue or skin allergy. Some kibble brands or bases are not right for every dog and some dogs do poorly on some and very well on others and if your dog has allergies it is simply a matter of trial and error till you find the best kind.
Kibble comes in all sorts of flavors and ingredients.
I CAN tell you to steer clear of several brands (mostly the ones you can find in any grocery store or wal-mart are not good choices)
Brands such as Purina, Iams, Kibbles n bits, Gravy train, Pedigree, Hills science diet,etc.
Look for brands who's fillers are fruits and vegetables (but not corn)
Chicken is a very common Allergy for many dogs, if your dog is having skin issues while on a chicken based diet, switch to a fish or beef based.
Fish can also be a fairly common allergy so check the labels and find the right kibble for your dog.
A Kibble based diet can be a poor choice for a dog suffering from kidney problems as Kibble is dry and dogs bodies were designed to get a good bit of water from the food they eat.
Which can be helped by feeding a good quality caned or wet diet, but that can contribute significantly to tooth and gum issues so make sure you have a good tooth care regimen.
Some of the best dog food brands are
Orijen
Acana
Taste f the wild
Earth born
Holistic's
Innova
Merrick
Wysong
And plenty others, You can find some lesser known brands that are just as good, it is just a matter of reading the label's and finding the right one for you dog.
Home Cooked/ RAW:
These diets can be very good for dogs with allergies because you the owner are controlling everything that goes into your dogs body and makes it easier when finding out the direct cause of skin irritation or ear infections.
However, choosing to feed a dog a home prepared diet is a BIG undertaking and should NOT be taken lightly. While many veterinarians would try to scare many owners away from this as an option due to the amount of people who have not done the proper research thus causing malnutrition, it is understandable.
Not to mention it is very time consuming making your dogs meals on a daily basis as well as more expensive for most. But once you get used to it its really not as much trouble as many people would think.
My own dogs are fed a Prey Model raw diet and I enjoy feeding it to them, but i spent little over a year asking questions and doing my research before switching.
Many people who want to feed a home cooked diet just hop onto Google and find a quick recipe and use that ONE recipe, or they try to "wing it" which are all poor choices.
Many people believe that the best cuts of meat like steaks, chicken breasts, pork chops and fish filet's are the best of the best- which is actually not always the case.
The most healthy parts are the ones WE as humans rarely eat or end up throwing away.
Liver, Kidneys, Heart, Sex organs, Tendon, Fat,etc,etc all those parts make for tasty healthy meals, in fact if you feed a fully raw diet organ meats are a necessity , NOT an option.
If you cannot feed those things, then you should stick to a good kibble.
You need to understand the way a dogs digestive tract works before under taking the job of a homemade diet so you can understand what your feeding and why.
These diets can be very good for dogs with allergies because you the owner are controlling everything that goes into your dogs body and makes it easier when finding out the direct cause of skin irritation or ear infections.
However, choosing to feed a dog a home prepared diet is a BIG undertaking and should NOT be taken lightly. While many veterinarians would try to scare many owners away from this as an option due to the amount of people who have not done the proper research thus causing malnutrition, it is understandable.
Not to mention it is very time consuming making your dogs meals on a daily basis as well as more expensive for most. But once you get used to it its really not as much trouble as many people would think.
My own dogs are fed a Prey Model raw diet and I enjoy feeding it to them, but i spent little over a year asking questions and doing my research before switching.
Many people who want to feed a home cooked diet just hop onto Google and find a quick recipe and use that ONE recipe, or they try to "wing it" which are all poor choices.
Many people believe that the best cuts of meat like steaks, chicken breasts, pork chops and fish filet's are the best of the best- which is actually not always the case.
The most healthy parts are the ones WE as humans rarely eat or end up throwing away.
Liver, Kidneys, Heart, Sex organs, Tendon, Fat,etc,etc all those parts make for tasty healthy meals, in fact if you feed a fully raw diet organ meats are a necessity , NOT an option.
If you cannot feed those things, then you should stick to a good kibble.
You need to understand the way a dogs digestive tract works before under taking the job of a homemade diet so you can understand what your feeding and why.
Please do not try creating your own diet for your dog without lots of proper research as well as talking to your vet about any possible problems and health conditions your dog might have.
You can cause serious nutritional imbalance cause malnutrition and or even death without the proper knowledge.
You can cause serious nutritional imbalance cause malnutrition and or even death without the proper knowledge.
I decided to add some Myths and Facts on diets and feeding for both raw meat and kibble:
Myth: Raw meat will cause food poisoning in my dog.
Fact: While yes this is possible, Kibble contains the same bacteria that causes food poisoning (E-coli) However, a dogs digestive tract is much different then our own and they are less affected by this bacteria then humans (for example, most dogs and puppies eat feces and rarely do vets warn against the severe dangers of that-AKA "E-coli") a healthy digestive tract and immune system is what keeps a dog safe from getting sick.
Myth: I do not have to worry about feeding my dog because he eats Kibble.
Fact: NO DOG is safe from anything eating kibble, a dog can choke on kibble, a dog can get food poisoning from kibble, so make sure you store kibble in a clean dry area and the dog is supervised while eating.
Myth: Feeding a dog raw meat will cause them to be food aggressive/ blood thirsty.
Fact: feeding a dog raw meat will not suddenly cause them to become aggressive. If a dog is prone to aggression and resource guarding then yes they will be aggressive, if the dog is not and never was- then they will not and never will be no matter what they eat.
Myth: All Kibble is the same nutritionally since they are all based on the same standards.
Fact: No, The standard is based off of the amount of vitamins and minerals and nutritional balance, no matter what the ingredients.
That would be like saying eating 15 carrots is the same as eating a candy bar because they have the same amount of calories.
Better ingredients are just better to feed!
Myth: Raw meat will cause food poisoning in my dog.
Fact: While yes this is possible, Kibble contains the same bacteria that causes food poisoning (E-coli) However, a dogs digestive tract is much different then our own and they are less affected by this bacteria then humans (for example, most dogs and puppies eat feces and rarely do vets warn against the severe dangers of that-AKA "E-coli") a healthy digestive tract and immune system is what keeps a dog safe from getting sick.
Myth: I do not have to worry about feeding my dog because he eats Kibble.
Fact: NO DOG is safe from anything eating kibble, a dog can choke on kibble, a dog can get food poisoning from kibble, so make sure you store kibble in a clean dry area and the dog is supervised while eating.
Myth: Feeding a dog raw meat will cause them to be food aggressive/ blood thirsty.
Fact: feeding a dog raw meat will not suddenly cause them to become aggressive. If a dog is prone to aggression and resource guarding then yes they will be aggressive, if the dog is not and never was- then they will not and never will be no matter what they eat.
Myth: All Kibble is the same nutritionally since they are all based on the same standards.
Fact: No, The standard is based off of the amount of vitamins and minerals and nutritional balance, no matter what the ingredients.
That would be like saying eating 15 carrots is the same as eating a candy bar because they have the same amount of calories.
Better ingredients are just better to feed!