Join DoggedHealth Today and Learn What to Feed Your Dog for Best Health

Giving your dog a nutritious and wholesome diet is one of the most important ways to ensure your pet grows healthy and stays well. But how do you know what a good diet is for your cherished pet? Although you should discuss diet with your dog’s veterinarian, you can learn the basics of food and nutrition for dogs from DoggedHealth.com, your online dog health authority.

Broadly speaking, the first choice you need to make is whether to feed your dog a homemade diet or a commercially prepared diet. Then within commercially prepared diets, there generally are three categories: kibble (dry food), semi-moist food and wet food.

With homemade diets, you have more complete control over each ingredient you feed your dog than if you were feeding your pooch commercially prepared food. In addition, the ingredients in the homemade diet will likely be fresher and have undergone less processing. But creating a healthful and balanced homemade diet is not simple. You need to educate yourself and consult with a veterinarian or nutritionist to make sure your dog gets all of the essential nutrients in the proper amounts that it needs.

If you choose prepared commercial dog food, many veterinarians will recommend kibble, because crunching the kibble helps keep your dog’s teeth clean and healthy. But for dogs that have oral pain because of disease, semi-moist or canned food may be the best option. In addition, many picky eaters prefer semi-moist or canned food. Whether kibble, semi-moist or canned, commercially prepared diets are federally regulated by the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine which requires that dog food manufacturers post certain information on their labels, and also by state laws which impose additional regulations.

When you join DoggedHealth.com, you get expert answers to your questions about your dog’s health, and you will be first in line for our weekly giveaways of our featured pet products. Whether your dog is suffering from itching, coughing, vomiting, seizures, constipation, incontinence, hair loss or other health problems, DoggedHealth has the information you need from doctors of veterinary medicine (DVMs).

Does your dog have housebreaking issues, separation anxiety, or other behavioral problems? DoggedHealth’s certified professional dog trainer (CPDT) can help. Our vets and trainers understand the health and behavior problems of mixed-breed dog and the specific issues different breeds experience and how to address them.

“Although nutrition and diet are incredibly important in having a healthy dog, dog owners don’t really know what they’re feeding their dog or what might be better for them,” said Dr. Daniel Lauridia, DVM, who is Chief Veterinarian for DoggedHealth. “Whether you prepare your dog’s food yourself, feed commercial dog food, or feed your dog a raw diet, you should know what to look for. For example, on commercial foods, you should carefully read the list of ingredients. Manufacturers must list ingredients by weight. But watch out for two little tricks. First, the weight of each ingredient includes its moisture content. Second, manufacturers can break up each less ‘desirable’ ingredient, like breaking up rice into rice, ground rice, etc.. That way, each of the components is positioned lower on the ingredient list, even though the total ingredient – rice – should by overall weight, be at the top.

“Our goal,” Lauridia said, “is to arm people with the knowledge they need to make educated decisions about the health of their dogs. It doesn’t matter if you have a Yorkshire Terrier, a Shih Tzu mix, a Golden Retriever mix or a Maltese, you will find the answers you need.”

In addition to nutrition, the topics our experts handle include dog diseases and symptoms, first aid, vet info, nutrition and exercise, bathing and hygiene, training and safety, puppy & senior care and choosing a dog. Also, DoggedHealth's Community is the place for sharing, learning and all sorts of dog discussions and blogs.

When you become a member at DoggedHealth, you get more than information on dog health & wellness: you also become eligible to participate in weekly free dog product giveaways. Some of the products we give away include dog brushes, gift cards, dog treats, and biodegradable flushable poop bags.

“Becoming a DoggedHealth member is free and easy,” said DoggedHealth CEO Elizabeth Ross. Just visit DoggedHealth.com and sign up. “But because supplies are limited and we give these products away on a first-come-first-served basis each week, visitors who are already DoggedHealth members have a jump on getting these giveaways before everyone else.”

“We have health & wellness information for dogs of all sizes from Great Danes to Chihuahua mixes, and we have great product giveaways, too,” Ross said. “We have free information from dog doctors and trainers, and free products from leading pet brands. What’s not to love?”

To visit DoggedHealth online today and become a member, click here.

About DoggedHealth

DoggedHealth is the most comprehensive and authoritative canine health and wellness site on the Internet. We are both an information resource as well as community empowering users to make educated healthcare decisions for their dogs. Each and every piece of content is provided by a vet or, when appropriate, a certified trainer. Find us online at www.DoggedHealth.com or feel free to contact us at info@doggedhealth.com. We welcome your feedback.