How Many Times a Day Should I Feed My Dog?
“How many times a day should I feed my dog?”
Active adult dogs will benefit from being fed twice a day. Feeding times should typically be 6-8 hours apart and should be at the same times every day to help establish a consistent potty schedule. Extremely active, hardworking, inactive or dogs with medical issues may require different feeding schedules. We recommend you seek the advice of your veterinarian for these special situations and/or contact us for guidance.
From Fromm Family Foods
Springtime Pet Safety Tips (from ASPCA)
Springtime Safety Tips
Spring has sprung, and with the change of season, our thoughts turn to Easter celebrations, spring cleaning and much-needed home improvement projects. Before you embark on seasonal chores or outdoor revelry, take inventory of potential springtime hazards for your furry friends.
*If you suspect your pet may have come in contact with or ingested a potentially poisonous substance, contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center immediately at (888) 426-4435.
Easter Treats and Decorations
Keep lilies and candy in check—chocolate goodies are toxic to cats and dogs, and all true lilies can be fatal if ingested by cats. And be mindful, kitties love to nibble on colorful plastic grass, which can lead to an obstructed digestive tract, severe vomiting and dehydration. Moreover, while live bunnies, chicks and other festive animals are adorable, resist the urge to buy them—these cute babies grow up fast and often require specialized care!
Screen Yourself
Many pet parents welcome the breezy days of spring by opening their windows. Unfortunately, they also unknowingly put their pets at risk—especially cats, who are apt to jump or fall through unscreened windows. Be sure to install snug and sturdy screens in all of your windows.
Buckle Up!
While most dogs love to feel the wind on their furry faces, allowing them to ride in the beds of pick-up trucks or stick their heads out of moving-car windows is dangerous. Flying debris and insects can cause inner ear or eye injuries and lung infections, and abrupt stops or turns can cause major injury, or worse! Pets riding in cars should always be secured in a crate or wearing a seatbelt harness designed especially for them.
Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is a time-honored tradition in many households, but be sure to keep all cleaners and chemicals out of your pets’ way! Almost all cleaning products, even all natural ones, contain chemicals that may be harmful to pets. The key to using them safely is to read and follow label directions for proper use and storage. Please visit our Poisonous Household Products page for more information.
Home Improvement 101
Products such as paints, mineral spirits and solvents can be toxic to your pets and cause severe irritation or chemical burns. Carefully read all labels to see if the product is safe to use around your furry friends. Also, be cautious of physical hazards, including nails, staples, insulation, blades and power tools. It may be wise to confine your dog or cat to a designated pet-friendly room during home improvement projects.
Let Your Garden Grow—With Care
Pet parents, take care—fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides keep our plants and lawns healthy and green, but their ingredients may be dangerous if your pet ingests them. Always store these products in out-of-the-way places and follow label instructions carefully. Many popular springtime plants—including rhododendron and azaleas—are also highly toxic to pets and can prove fatal if eaten. Check out our full list—of toxic and non-toxic plants for your home and garden.
Ah-Ah-Achoo!
Like us, pets can be allergic to foods, dust, plants and pollens. Allergic reactions in dogs and cats can cause itching, minor sniffling and sneezing, or life-threatening anaphylactic shock to insect bites and stings. If you suspect your pet has a springtime allergy, please visit your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Pesky Little Critters
April showers bring May flowers—and an onslaught of bugs! Make sure your pet is on year-round heartworm preventive medication, as well as a flea and tick control program. Ask your doctor to recommend a plan designed specifically for your pet. Please visit our Fleas and Ticks page for more information.
Out and About
Warmer weather means more trips to the park, longer walks and more chances for your pet to wander off! Make sure your dog or cat has a microchip for identification and wears a tag imprinted with your home address, cell phone and any other relevant contact information.
Pets Are Children’s Best Friends
Children get more satisfaction from relationships with their pets than with their brothers or sisters, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. Children also appear to get on even better with their animal companions than with siblings.
The research adds to increasing evidence that household pets may have a major influence on child development, and could have a positive impact on children’s social skills and emotional well-being.
Pets are almost as common as siblings in western households, although there are relatively few studies on the importance of child-pet relationships.
”Anyone who has loved a childhood pet knows that we turn to them for companionship and disclosure, just like relationships between people,” says Matt Cassells, a Gates Cambridge Scholar at the Department of Psychiatry, who led the study. “We wanted to know how strong these relationships are with pets relative to other close family ties. Ultimately this may enable us to understand how animals contribute to healthy child development”
This study, published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, was conducted in collaboration with the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, part of Mars Petcare and co-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of a larger study, led by Prof Claire Hughes at the University of Cambridge Centre for Family Research. Researchers surveyed 12 year old children from 77 families with one or more pets of any type and more than one child at home. Children reported strong relationships with their pets relative to their siblings, with lower levels of conflict and greater satisfaction in owners of dogs than other kinds of pets.
”Even though pets may not fully understand or respond verbally, the level of disclosure to pets was no less than to siblings,” says Cassels. “The fact that pets cannot understand or talk back may even be a benefit as it means they are completely non-judgmental.
“While previous research has often found that boys report stronger relationships with their pets than girls do, we actually found the opposite. While boys and girls were equally satisfied with their pets, girls reported more disclosure, companionship, and conflict with their pet than did boys, perhaps indicating that girls may interact with their pets in more nuanced ways.”
“Evidence continues to grow showing that pets have positive benefits on human health and community cohesion,” says Dr Nancy Gee, Human-Animal Interaction Research Manager at WALTHAM and a co-author of the study. “The social support that adolescents receive from pets may well support psychological well-being later in life but there is still more to learn about the long term impact of pets on children’s development.”
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Cambridge. The original story is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
October News
Wholesome Pet Essentials
Newsletter
October 2016
Store Hours:
M-F 10:00 am-7:00 pm
Saturday 9:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday 11:00am- 5:00pm
Phone (515) 289-2006
What’s New:
Lots of new products are arriving on our shelves.
Outward Hound toys – multiple squeakers, bottle crunch
toys; new kitty litter boxes and mats; food dishes and
more!
New treats are coming in weekly: Charlie Bear,
Fruitables for cats, Give Pet dog treats.
Spot Farms Pork Bacon is made from IOWA Pigs!
Come in and check out what’s new!
Mid Iowa Pet Expo – October 22-23, 2016
We will be attending the Mid Iowa Pet Expo, held at the
Varied Industries Building on the State Fair grounds in
DSM. All pets are welcome: dogs, cats, rabbits, pigs…
Bring the fur kids… We would love to see them
Come See The Wholesome Pet Essentials Crew!
We’ll have great deals and grooming demonstrations.
http://www.greatiowapetexpo.com
$1 off coupon available on the website
Saturday, October 22 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, October 23 10:00am-4:00pm
Like and Follow Us On Facebook and Instagram
Pet of the Month
NOVEMBER: to be announced
To enter your pet: email a
picture and a short bio to
tracy@wholesomepetessentia
ls.com
Upcoming Dates:
October: 22-23rd -Mid Iowa
Pet Expo
October 30th- DMV, Abby’s
Clinic
November 23rd- OPEN
regular hours
November 24th –
Thanksgiving: Store Closed
Testimonial:
We are in search of
customers who have a story
to tell about how a product(s)
or service that has changed
there pets experience and
their health . Please email
tracy at
tracy@wholesomepetessentia
ls.com
Grooming :
What makes our grooming different than others? Here at
WPE, our groomers deliver personalized services with a
gentle touch, one-on-one attention and we give you the
opportunity to speak directly to your pets groomer. We
only use the highest quality, all-natural options in our
grooming salon.
We care for you pet(s) as much as you do!
Rebook Discount! If you rebook your pet for their next
full groom when you checkout from the current
grooming session, we’ll apply a 10% grooming discount
on that next booking.
Don’t Forget to Schedule Your Holiday Grooms!
We are filling up fast for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Call and Schedule Today: (515) 289-2006
We have appointments available 7 days a week!
Allergies?:
Does your pet suffer from
allergies; food or
environmental?
We have options for your
pet(s) for both environmental
and/or food allergies!
Stop in today with any
questions and we can help
you find a solution.
Self Serve:
Here at WPE, we offer a
self-serve pet wash station.
No appointment needed, stop
in any time with you
shedding or dirty dog. We
supply towels, a basic
shampoo, and a dryer for you
use. All for just $15.
Like and Follow Us On Facebook and Instagram
New Single Protein Source Cat Foods!
**NEW** cat food…we’ve got Pure Vita single source proteins-great for cats with allergies and sensitive tummies!
Plus, Koha canned food is low in fat and comes in Venison and Kangaroo (great for allergy prone cats).
New Grooming Discount
If you rebook your pet for their next full groom when you checkout from the current grooming session we’ll apply a 10% grooming discount on that next booking. Includes only the regular grooming charge and does not include a discount for any “add on” services. The discount will not be taken if the appointment is rescheduled within 7 days of the originally scheduled date.
Gluten….from dogfoodadvisor.com
Gluten — Beware This Inferior Dog Food Protein Impostor
Yet you may have already come face-to-face with this unexpectedtrickster and not even known it.
You see, in the world of dog food, protein truly is the Holy Grail.
Dogs crave it for survival. And companies market it for profit.
All things considered, the higher the protein content of a dog food, the greater its perceived value.
It’s Not Just the Amount
of Protein That Counts
But the amount of protein only tells half the story. It’s a protein’s digestibility and its biological value that matter more.
And that’s the problem.
You see, protein can come from just about anywhere — even from non-nutritious sources like leather, hair, feathers, chicken beaks.
Or that mysterious meat substitute — gluten.
Basically, gluten is what’s left over from certain grains — like wheat, barley, rye and other wheat-type cereal grains — that’s had all its starchy carbohydrate (the good stuff) washed out of it.
The rubbery protein residue that’s left is the gluten.
Think of gluten as a sort of plant-based protein concentrate and meat substitute.
Now, although corn gluten meal is the most common form of this AAFCO recognized phrase found on a dog food ingredients list, this item isn’t technically a true gluten.
Yet because it’s more commonly known by its colloquial name, corn gluten meal is still considered (on this website) to be similar enough in its protein-boosting capacity to true glutens to be red-flagged as such on every dog food ingredients list we publish.
The Two Most Common Problems
with Gluten Ingredients
In any case, here are the two most important things to know about gluten ingredients…
1. Glutens are less nutritionally complete than meat based proteins. They’re low in some of the ten essential amino acids dogs need to sustain life
2. Glutens can raise the protein reported on a food label. So, manufacturers frequently add them to a recipe to make a product look better than it really is
The Bottom Line
Whenever you discover gluten on a dog food ingredients list, you should always question the true meat content of the product.