When a Celebrity Housewife Manufactures a Pet Feed

Last week, we shared a story with you of how people truly don’t “get the difference” between “feed” and “food,” and how Healthy Dogma is joining the fight for our beloved pets. Well, The Truth About Pet Food found a celebrity housewife that’s simply leveraging her name to feed our dogs garbage!

“Sparkle Dog” pet food is the idea of “Real Housewives of Dallas” celebrity Kameron Westcott. The SparkleDogFood.com websites states “Kameron Allen Westcott, known for her appearance on The Real Housewives of Dallas, has combined her love for canines and her passion for pink by creating SparkleDog Premium Dog Food. Kameron noticed that the dog food industry has overlooked the purchasing power of women. She has made it her mission to create packaging that would appeal to women using bold pink colors, a unique shape and easy to carry bag. Her pièces de résistance was adding pink heart shaped kibbles.” Image from the SparkleDogFood.com website…

Truth About Pet Food Review:

What a shame – another celebrity pitching feed. I assume this celebrity believes the product is food, I assume she has no clue that ‘real chicken’ in pet food is very different than chicken in human food. Why don’t they take the time to learn the significant difference between feed and food? Maybe one has. Celebrity Ellen DeGeneres was once significantly linked to Halo Pet Food.

Goes to show you, underneath the brand of some of these dog foods lies a company that feeds our pets garbage… please be aware!

Link to our healthy dog food… the only alternative to big corporate profit machines feeding our beloved pets garbage.

Original Source: http://truthaboutpetfood.com/when-a-celebrity-housewife-manufactures-a-pet-feed/

Healthy Dogma Supports TruthAboutDog.Com Efforts to Healthy Dog Food

Healthy Dogma is proud to support the efforts of http://truthaboutpetfood.com/michigan-pet-food-stores/ to bring awareness of providing our pets healthy food.

Independent Pet Foods Stores are owned by pet lovers just like you.  Often times, these business owners learned the hard way about the quality of some pet foods; their frustration and/or heartache led them to opening their own business to sell high quality pet foods and provide necessary education to pet owners.

 

Many of these business owners know more about pet food ingredients and pet food quality than most veterinarians.  If you have a question about any product they sell – they have the answer (or they will go directly to the pet food company for your answer).

 

They are NOT paid representatives of pet food – they are Independent, Educated, and They Care!

 

By purchasing your pet food from these businesses, you are supporting a local business in your hometown; NOT a huge corporation more concerned with profits than your pet.

 

Independent Pet Food Stores have a personal relationship with every customer.  If the worst would happen and your pets’ food was recalled, the Independent Store Owner would be one of the first notified by the pet food company; You would be second.  These businesses provide Customer Care large retail outlets can’t come close to!

 

And…each of the stores that are listed here are showing their support for this website and the advocacy work that we do!

Here’s the link to Michigan’s http://truthaboutpetfood.com/michigan-pet-food-stores/

Link to our healthy dog food – alternatives to big corporations profit machines.

Original Source: http://truthaboutpetfood.com/find-healthy-pet-foods/

Five Steps to Fighting Dog Obesity

You’ve seen the headlines – as a human population, we are getting fatter. As much as 40% of adults are considered obese. Well, to further extend the bad news, the same epidemic is effecting our dogs, and maybe even more so. An estimated 52.7% of dogs are overweight or obese.

How we handle human obesity is for another day. This story focuses on how obesity is affecting our pets. Most experts blame the rising pet obesity on the shift in pet diets toward highly processed, grain and carb heavy foods, and less on exercise. Most of you are aware of this epidemic, but here are some key takeaways to help your dog live a healthier, and happier life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Some of the things you can do are: Look and feel – You should not need to work at finding those ribs. Then look at your dog from above. You should see a waist behind the rib cage of a dog in the healthy weight range.
• Talk to your vet – a trip to the vet will obviously give you a very clear picture of your pet’s ideal weight
• Tackle the nutrition issue – A highly processed, grain-based diet of carbohydrates fed to animals designed to thrive on a meat-based, fresh food diet is very likely to produce overweight pets.
• Meal timing and portions – The next step is to look at how often and how much your pet eats. It’s a myth that pets can always self-regulate their diets, so no more free feeding.
• Get moving – Taking your pet out for a short walk to do his or her “business” is not enough. Exercise needs vary based on a dog’s age, breed and size, but in general, dogs should be active between 30 minutes to 2 hours every day.

“Finally, be patient. If you go through these steps you should see results. But remember that healthy weight loss takes time. As long as your dog is continually losing weight – even very small amounts per week – you are on the right track.”

Healthy Dogma Dog Food is designed specifically around making your dog healthier!

Click image to enlarge

Original Source: https://blog.onlynaturalpet.com/2017/08/31/five-steps-to-fighting-pet-obesity/

Why Does My Pet… Make a Mess When She Eats?

Dogs and cats are typically neat eaters. Unlike many other small mammals and some birds, for example, our dogs and cats pets tend toward the tidy. Unfortunately, messy eating is not always a benign case and, in some cases may actually lead to medical issues.

Dogs and cats with breed-specific issues related to facial conformation are especially predisposed to physical problems that prevent them from getting food in their mouths and keeping it in there long enough to chew it properly.

• Due to other underlying medication conditions, cats and dogs may be unable to swallow normally without coughing, gagging or regurgitating food and/or water.
• Overtly painful eating might even be identified when pets begin to develop a love-hate relationship with their bowls.
• Medical reasons for messy eating can mean Brachycephalic syndrome (the short-headed conformation seen in Bulldog-type breeds), Periodontal disease, oral or facial trauma, Megaesophagus, oral ulceration, and oral cancers.

“When they eat or drink, food may drop out of their mouths. Drool-laced water may slobber up the floor. In these cases, the area around their food and water bowls might just seem like a wild animal made its way into your home.”

See our extensive list of healthy dog food.

Original Source: http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-pet-make-a-mess-when-she-eats/

Dog Treats: Are We “Treating” Our Pets to Death?

Dog treats are popular. There could be as many as 1,000 food treats and chews for dogs, and more than 100 for cats for sale during a recent search of a few popular pet product websites. There are many dog food manufacturers that produce treats because they are profitable, and owners like them because they attract the attention of their pets. Unfortunately, the association between bad treat feeding and obesity and its attendant problems in pets raises the possibility that we may be killing our loved ones with kindness.

Healthy Dogma however views dog treats in an entirely different philosophy. We produce treats that are both good for your dog, and still attract the attention of your dog… even more so than treats that cause obesity!

• Treats for our pets are big business. According to Newhope360.com, a consumer and trade website for the natural products industry, “U.S. retail sales of pet supplements and nutraceutical treats totaled $1.3 billion in 2012,”
• Marketers have cleverly used the term “treat” rather than “snack,” presumably to enhance the emotional appeal of their products to buyers.
• Healthy Dogma produces treats that are both “good for your dog” and attracts the attention of your dog, and in many cases, even more so than the commercialized versions of dog treats.

“There are many ways to treat our pets well without overdoing it on treats or inadvertently teaching them to beg for snacks. Our animals thrive on interaction with us, as we do with them. We will enjoy each other longer and better when our interactions are fun, contribute to a healthy weight for our pets and promote activity.”

Browse our array of healthy treats for your dog here.

Original Source: http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/are-we-treating-our-pets-to-death

Weak Immune System Due to Hereditary Disorder in Dogs

Your dog’s immune system is a collection of biological processes. They work to protect against disease by identifying and killing the invading pathogens, as well as tumor cells. It works 24/7, to help protect your pet against invading organisms and infections, detecting a wide variety of invading agents including bacteria, viruses, and parasitic worms. One key feature of the immune system function is that it is able to distinguish the invading organisms from the body’s own cells and tissues.

Symptoms and Types

• Prone to recurrent infections and failed response to conventional antibiotic therapies
• Lethargy
• Lack of appetite
• Various skin infections
• Poor growth (hallmark)
• Post vaccination diseases
• Other symptoms related to infections

Healthy Dogma has developed an immunity supplement designed specifically for dogs that helps with their immunity, it’s called: K9 Critical Care Immune Supplement for Dogs

Original Source: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/genetic/c_dg_primary_immunodeficiency_disorders

Is It Safe to Give My Dog a Rawhide?

We all know that our 4-legged friends chew— it’s what dogs do. And it just so happens that the rawhides you give your dog may be harmful if not monitored. When they don’t have their dog food readily available, dogs will naturally will turn to anything to chew on and rawhides are historically a great substitution for dog food.

Made from the inner layer of cowhides that are cleaned, cut, shaped, sometimes flavored and then dried, rawhides can give dogs hours of chewing pleasure. Or they can be gulped down practically whole by dogs who are more eager for the eating experience than the chewing experience.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• There’s a small but real risk of a blockage if a dog swallows a piece of rawhide, says Dr. Johnson, an emergency and critical-care specialist in Indianapolis.
• Some dogs break teeth when chewing rawhides. There’s a higher risk of that with pressed rawhides because they are more dense, Dr. Wismer says.
• Rawhides made in other countries may be produced under less stringent practices.
• The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the manufacture of rawhides in this country.

“Stomach acid will break down small pieces of rawhide,” says Dr. Wismer, a veterinary toxicologist and medical director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. “That’s not a problem. The issue is if they ingest a piece that’s big enough to leave the stomach whole, and then it gets stuck in the intestinal tract.”

Original Source: http://www.vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker/is-it-safe-to-give-my-dog-a-rawhide

Pet Food Labels Hard to Decipher

It sounds helpful when you look on the ingredients of your dog or cat food and it’s described as “natural” or “organic,” but what does that really mean? It’s easy to imagine happy cows and chickens being raised sustainable on Farmer Jan’s property. But the real definitions of those terms don’t have anything to do with how farm animals are raised or the quality of the food. In other words, a label is just a label and has nothing to do with the essential value of the thing it names.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• In the eyes of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the term “natural” does not have an official definition.
• Foods described as natural may not contain anything artificial, except in amounts that might occur unavoidably during manufacture.
• The AAFCO says the term “natural” should be used only to describe products when all of the ingredients — not counting chemically synthesized vitamins, minerals and other trace nutrients — meet this definition.

“If you really want to know exactly what is in your pet’s food, the best strategy is to reach out to the manufacturer — contact information is required to be on the label — and ask exactly what is meant by the terms “natural” or “organic.”

Original Source: http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/pet-food-labels-hard-to-decipher

Forbidden Foods for Dogs

Labor Day weekend is fast approaching. For many families, it’s a time to come together before the busy days of school resume. Whether the time together is with many or few, away or at home, it often involves grilling.

Whenever food is in the making, dogs are often found underfoot. There’s the hope something will drop and no matter what it is, that tongue is quickly trying to lap it up.  Before the savory aromas fill the air or a morsel of food is dropped, dogs are always ready and waiting. Be wary. Not everything we eat should be eaten by our pet. Many of our edibles shouldn’t even come into contact with them. Period!

Veggies on the grill can be delicious and are such a taste of summer. Some of these can be dangerous for our dogs. Some can even be deadly! For many of us, onions and garlic enrich the flavor of our foods, whether they’re cut up or spices.

For canines, however, they don’t have the enzyme to digest these.

And because of this fact, it destroys their red blood cells circulating. They can just weaken and fall apart. It can seriously mess with their kidneys as well. Symptoms may not even appear until well after the fact. It could take four to five days before any signs appear that there’s a problem. Stomach issues may occur as well as very dark urine.

Any cabbage type food and their cousins, so to speak are not meant for our dogs. This includes cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, turnip greens, brussel sprouts, and spring greens. The dangerous effects from these are all very similar to those that onions have on our pet.

Who doesn’t enjoy corn on the cob? It’s amazing right on the grill! It seems like a harmless item for our dog to enjoy and nibble on, much like a bone. The corn portion, not a problem if it’s not too much. The cob however, a big problem. That thing will not be efficiently chewed up and will block the small intestine. This will require surgical removal otherwise it becomes fatal.

As you enjoy the fading days of summer, be mindful of your pet nearby. Healthy Dogma’s PetMix Homemade Dog Food is the healthiest and easiest way to cook for your dog. Healthy Dogma believes that pets thrive when they are fed natural, whole foods. Our products are made from the highest quality ingredients to make sure your pet is nutritionally satisfied. Visit us online or at our store located in Lake Orion, MI for a great selection of dog food, treats, and supplements. Your dog deserves a healthy, vibrant and long life and it begins with what they are eating. Enjoy browsing and learning about our products and Healthy Dogma and enjoy these last summer days together with your pet!

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K9 Immunotherapy Pack

Our dog immunotherapy pack combines our two most powerful immunotherapy supplements to deliver the highest level of support to critically ill dogs.

How immunotherapy can work for your dog

Canine immune systems compared to human immune systems

The immune systems of both you and your dog have two levels of immunity; innate and acquired immunity. Innate immunity describes the immunity all mammals inherit from their genetics while acquired immunity is the knowledge an immune system gathers over time and exposure to bacteria, viruses and diseases.

As you may notice, dogs do not have the same hygienic standards as their human companions. This leads them to further exposure to elements that damage the immune system. Dogs have no second thoughts about eating food off the floor or out of the trash. This greatly increases a dog’s acquired immunity and arguably shows that the canine immune system is stronger than the human immune system.

But even healthy immune systems develop mutations. This is an unavoidable consequence of being alive. And while most mutations are destroyed by your dog’s immune system, some slip by and can grow into damaging results. Or the cells are recognized but the immune response is not strong enough.

It is often best to allow a dog’s immune system to handle the current problem they are facing. And when they need extra help, immunotherapy is a very good choice for your dog.

How to get started with dog immunotherapy

Our dog immunotherapy pack combines our two most powerful immunotherapy supplements to deliver the highest level of support to critically ill dogs. The pack includes K9 Critical Care and K9 TransFactor Plus.

K9 Critical Care is the premier immunotherapy supplement for dogs, helping regulate your dog’s immune functions.

K9 TransFactor is a mother’s first milk supplement designed to boost your dog’s innate immune system function.

If your dog is in need of these supplements, please visit the Healthy Dogma website to order yours today.

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