Is your dog’s diet healthy?

In recent years we have become very aware of what goes into our food and we are ever increasingly aware of what effects having an unbalanced diet can have. But do we look closely enough at the food we are providing for our pets? Dogs in particular have a varied diet with some owners lavishing them with a cooked roast every night and other owners providing what they feel is a good value food. But how much do we really know about our dog’s food and the level of health it provides?

Many owners look for premium foods that offer the best health benefits for their dogs, but with most foods boasting their health benefits it can be hard to know what is needed and indeed what to choose. The best thing to do is to provide what your dog needs at his or her particular stage of life. A growing puppy that needs extra protein requires a different diet to an older dog that needs to keep weight off and possibly have some supplement to support his joints. If you are concerned about what will benefit your dog and what is just wasted in a food you could ask your vet for advice or speak to the breeder where you purchased the dog. Independent pet shops are another good source for nutritional information.

Beyond the health benefits we should be looking into what the food is made from? Many health and even behavioural problems can arise from feeding foods that don’t agree with your dog, many of which can be found in dog foods, both value and premium. Itchy, flaky or red skin, dry or cracked paws and poor coat condition are some of the obvious signs of a food disagreeing. Inconsistent bowel movements and difficulty or frequent need to go to the toilet are also fairly obvious, but sometimes overlooked, signs. Further more your dog may experience ear or eye problems as well as joint or growth problems if fed the wrong things consistently. The problems may not stop there either; these small health problems can lead to bigger issues as well. Any sign of these problems and you should always consult a vet, but be aware that food and diet plays a huge part in any health issue. Behavioural issues may also arise in some dogs, symptoms such as being irrationally reactive to noise or movement as well as being nervous or aggressive may be down to food not agreeing.

So what foods should you avoid? The first and usually most widely used product is wheat. Some dogs can tolerate an amount of wheat others will suffer when they eat it. Unfortunately it is a cheaper ingredient and therefore used widely in many treats and foods. In their natural states dogs would eat mainly meat and of course a small amount of vegetation and other foods that their prey has eaten. So while they aren’t totally opposed to eating it, continual large amounts may cause your dog to react badly. Always check the back of the food or treat bag; you will be surprised how many foods have it as a first ingredient! The first ingredient listed is the highest percentage one. A second culprit is maize and other cereals. Maize is often used as a replacement for wheat as more dogs can tolerate it than wheat, but it can still cause problems. Beware labels of ‘cereals’ as they tend to be any cereal crop, which doesn’t have to be stated which one on the bag. A small amount of these is okay in most cases but it is usually better to opt for items with these ingredients further down the list, not at the top.

Other foods that dogs may be sensitive to include, soya, dairy, beef, chicken, fish, pork and potato. Not all dogs are sensitive to these things, but if you notice a pattern occurring when you feed a certain type of food (for example beef treats and afterward a red tummy or itchy patches) you may want to avoid them.

So how can you feed your dog a healthier diet? There are several premium dog foods that don’t contain any of these known offenders. Burns and James Wellbeloved are two popular brands & there are many others that tend to use rice as the filler/bulking content. You can also look out for wheat free meat meals or raw meat and mix that with a wheat free mixer. The best way to be sure however is to simply read the back of the packets, many own brands are now coming round to the realisation that a lot of dogs don’t go well with certain foods and as a result the kibble market is changing for the better.

Lastly, why are manufacturers allowed to use ingredients that aren’t healthy? Simply put, not all dogs will be sensitive. You should also keep in mind that the kibble market is relatively new. Twenty odd years back the majority of foods were a mixer and meat set up, but kibble foods slowly became standard because of their convenience. The wheat and cereal in them meant that they were cheaper and that they would keep longer, there wasn’t much to suggest that they would have adverse affects on some dogs. However, as the market evolves and expands, people are finding out about the different ingredients in the foods and if dogs can tolerate them or not. This also means that the varieties are expanding and you as a consumer, by buying what you believe to be best, will have an influence on what is available in the future.

Inviting Wildlife to your Garden

Whether you have a large backgarden or a balcony as your garden space, there are lots of things you can do to invite a healthy array of local wildlife into your outside area. Both children and adults alike will enjoy the many creatures that can be both fun to watch and beneficial for your environment.

The first thing people think of when they talk about backyard wildlife are wild birds. With common species such as Pidgeon, sparrow, starling and thrush to the less common woodpecker, wren and finch, all of them are fun to watch and feed. The best way to attract them is to provide lots of tasty morsels. Bird feeders placed strategically around what available space you have is a sure fire way to find some feathered friends. If you have a large space, bird tables with suet and other bird foods are a good place to start, with hangers and feeders dotted around other areas, such as patios and trees. If your space is limited, there are various window hangers and feeders that will fix neatly on most windows and allow for a close up view of the birds' feeding habits.

However, often an overlooked aspect of feeding birds is what some species naturally eat, bugs of course! Insects help to keep any garden healthy, with bees pollinating and predatory bugs such as ladybirds keeping pesky aphids and the like away, maintaining a careful balance will make any garden thrive. A vast array of bugs will also invite more birds to your garden and help out many of our rarer breeds. If you have a large space, planting fragranced flowers in medium patches will attract bees and butterflies, with some useful plants being buddleja, geranium, hyacinth, lavender, dandelion, clover and nettles. You may even want to keep a 'wild patch' an area where you can allow plants seen as weeds to grow, while mainting it and keeping it tidy. This will allow a huge number of catapillars and later butterflies to frequent there and bring a spot of colour to the garden. If you have a smaller space you can try pot plants or window boxes filled with some butterfly attracting plants or even place a 'bug box' or two. A bug box is a small wooden box, much like a nesting box, but its usually filled with hollowed wooden canes. This makes a perfect place for non aggressive pollinating bees, such as the solitary mining bee, which are becoming rarer and rarer in the UK.

Boxes in general are a good idea to place in the garden. Smaller areas will benefit from a few nesting boxes. You might even want to introduce bat boxes in higher areas, as bats are superb insect catchers and will help keep annoying midges and mosquitoes away. In larger areas, leaving hedgehog boxes in secluded areas will be a nice way to keep some spikey critters around, which will help to keep slugs and snails down too! Of course, you don't have to invest in boxes, a pile of dry twigs and leaves in a secluded area will allow for hedgehogs and maybe even lizards to take refuge. Generally keeping a maintined 'wild' space full of wildflowers and large stones and branches will allow for some interesting animals to make their homes in your back garden.

However, if you intend to attract wildlife, you should also be aware of what you need to do in order to keep away unwanted visitors. If you feed your birds its generally not a good idea to leave food on the floor as this can attract rats. While you are bound to get some rodents in your garden, you want to minimise that so don't leave too many built up areas and those that you do have, make sure to maintain and check occasionaly. Also be careful where you place any nesting boxes, bats in the roof may not be so pleasant! Leaving food out for hedgehogs, badgers or foxes is also not advised. While they are a joy to watch most of the food available (such as cat food which is commonly given to hedgehogs) isnt nutritionally correct. Some wild life specific foods are available from pet shops and garden centres. You will also find that some larger animals, such as foxes will become dependent on you and your food source, bad if you can no longer provide for them and also bad if they start raiding dustbins!

All in all, if you are careful with how you do it, inviting a vast array of local wildlife will be great for you, your garden and the wildlife population in your area. A fantastic win win situation for all!