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How To Improve Your Dog’s Quality Of Nutrition

Thursday, December 2nd, 2021

All pet and working dog owners should be concerned about their animal’s health. One of the easiest way to support good health, both in the present and future is by offering your dog a healthy and nutritious diet. With a proliferation of low-quality but well-marketed pet feeds, it can be hard to understand how to improve your dog’s nutrition, but this blog will offer some simple tips to help you achieve this:

  1. Good dog foods should have a significant component proportion of lean protein. Protein is the most important kind of nutrient for dogs, so it is vital that a good portion of their diet comes from sources such as lean muscle meat, fish, or organs. This can also be supplemented with small amounts of egg and dairy. Carbohydrates are often used to fill out cheaper feeds while reducing the amount of more expensive lean protein required in them. Your vet will be able to advise on what a healthy protein content should look like
  1. Try introducing raw foods into your dog’s diet. While many owners only provide their dogs with a diet based on raw meats and vegetables, this is not entirely necessary if you prefer kibble-based feeds. These can be supplemented with small amounts of organ meat, raw vegetables, and other items such as fish oils. This kind of diet offers a number of benefits including reduced unhealthy additives in your dog’s diet, and more access to nutrients which can be destroyed during any preparation processes
  1. Use supplements. While not a replacement for a healthy diet in and of themselves, nutritional supplementation can offer a range of health and wellbeing benefits. My Dog Nutrition’s Rejuvenate is a leading joint and coat supplement. Only using natural ingredients, it can help dogs of all ages live healthier and more fulfilled lives by providing them with nutrients that seldom occur in regular feeds.

How To Get The Most Benefit From Feeding Your Dog

Thursday, December 2nd, 2021

Feeding your dog is an activity many of you will be familiar with. It is a daily ritual, but can give a number of benefits beyond simply providing nutrition. This blog will offer a brief overview of some of the benefits that can be gained from feeding your dog, as well as how you can access them:

1. Feeding allows owners to build stronger bonds with their dogs. The need for food is primal, and as dogs learn associatively, a connection is often formed with the person who they view as their main source of food. This is particularly useful as the main feeder becomes a positive association for the dog in and of their own right.

2. Feeding can be a good time to observe your dog’s overall health and wellbeing. Appetite is a general indicator of health, so if your dog is struggling to eat or appears apathetic around food then there is good chance that it is unwell. In such instances, a visit to your vet is highly recommended.

3. Feeding is a regular opportunity to train your dog. For training to be successful, a dogs need to build an association between performing desired behaviors and specific commands. Ideally, this will be through some kind of positive incentive. Because of how high-value food is to a dog, they will usually work for it. To this end, as your dog will most likely be keen to eat, it is often worth integrating small training sessions into regular feeds. This can be as simple as requiring your dog to sit or enter a short down stay before being allowed to eat, but consistency always pays off.

Should I Give My Puppy Dog Nutrition Supplements?

Thursday, December 2nd, 2021

Traditionally, there has been a certain amount of resistance to giving puppies nutritional supplements. While supplements have always been unfairly stigmatized, this is particularly the case with puppies and younger dogs. We believe this is unfounded, and that there are many good reasons to give your puppy dog nutrition supplements.

1. Puppies are going through critical developmental life stages. As they are physically growing and maturing, they need all the help they can get to set them up for success and health as adults. Poor health in adolescence can carry forward to later life, so your puppy’s health is of paramount importance

2. Joint health can be one of the greatest determiners of a dog’s quality of life as it ages. Joint supplements can help your puppy’s joints and musculoskeletal system develop in a normal and healthy manner, setting it up for success as it ages


3. Puppies can have different nutritional needs to adult and older dogs. For example, their physical development demands high levels of calcium for bone growth. A normal diet may not provide these additional nutrients, hence why supplements are necessary

Is It Safe To Give My Dog Supplements?

Thursday, December 2nd, 2021

Supplements as a whole – both for humans and animals – often have a dangerous reputation. While it is certainly true that some supplements may have adverse effects if not properly administered, we do not believe this to be true of the kind of nutritional supplements we have designed, sell, and ultimately give to our own dogs.

In their truest form, supplements are only used as additions to an already healthy lifestyle and nutritional plan. Nutritional supplements support overall health and wellbeing, and may offer specific benefits such as improved joint support. Supplements are perhaps the best joint support for dogs, and are far easier to administer than injections. When mixed with foodstuffs that are particularly appealing to dogs such as fish oils or cheese paste, they are usually readily accepted.

Having said that, we would always recommend that you seek veterinary advice before introducing nutritional supplements into your dog’s diet, especially if they have any history of allergies or intolerances. If one supplement’s component parts may be undesirable, there are usually appropriate alternatives that can be found without significant difficulty.

Basics Of Canine Nutrition – My Dog Nutrition

Wednesday, October 27th, 2021

Dogs are widely assumed to be carnivores, and while this belief has stuck is not strictly true. Dogs, and indeed wolves are omnivores meaning they generally eat both animal and plant-based foodstuffs. This in contrast to cats who, as obligate carnivores, can only eat and derive energy from meat. For optimum health, dogs should be offered a balanced diet which we will aim to outline and explain.

Dogs need to be provided with water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Commercially available feeds such as Purina aim to combine as many of these nutrients as possible, but another alternative is raw feeding with added supplements.

Ideally, diets should be balanced to provide dogs with their nutritional requirements and not so calorie-dense that they cause obesity. A good guide is to buy the highest quality feeds you can afford. With so many companies manufacturing dog food, it pays to shop around. Small companies are often happy to engage with potential buyers, and you may be surprised at how much information they will provide. If you require any advice on canine nutrition or suggestions for how your dog can benefit from nutritional supplements, feel free to email [email protected]. Our team will be happy to

Preventing Obesity in Dogs – My Dog Nutrition

Wednesday, October 27th, 2021

Nutrition is of paramount importance to dogs and in fact all animals (including humans). A good diet is required for adequate energy production and supports normative healthy life and bodily functions. Many health problems can stem from poor nutrition, especially obesity and associated conditions. However, with a little education, this can be easy for owners to control.

Not dissimilarly to humans, calories can either provide dogs with energy or if not used be stored and lead to weight gain. Put simply, a surplus causes weight gain while a deficit is usually required for weight loss. Calories are absolutely necessary for your dog’s health, and one should not assume they are inherently negative. Rather, consideration must be given to the best way to manage calorific intake.

A combination of good nutrition and regular exercise are usually the best way to help maintain a healthy weight in your dog. Your vet will be able to advise on which feeds are most appropriate, but those with higher protein contents are usually good choices. Large amounts of sugars and carbohydrates are commonly found in dried feeds as they can be used for cheap “filling”.

Rejuvenate, our flagship supplement, can support joint health and exercise tolerance in dogs of all ages, especially those who have been suffering issues such as inflammation and osteoarthritis. To order, please [email protected] or DM us on any of our social media accounts.

How To Support Your Dog as It Ages

Monday, October 25th, 2021

Ageing is a process none of us can avoid. While inevitable, it can often be distressing, especially for dog owners who observe behavioural changes and perceived reduction in their quality of life. However, this does not need to be the case. Here are just a few suggestions of how you can support your dog as it ages, and help improve its quality of life:

  1. Provide quality of nutrition. Nutrition is enormously important to overall health and wellbeing, and a poor diet can reduce a dog’s quality of life however old it is. Appropriate nutrition will support all of your dog’s normal functions such as joint, digestive, and coat health. Supplements such as Rejuvenate can be useful for dogs of all age, and may help protect joints as an animal ages
  2. Ensure that your dog has adequate amounts of exercise. Dogs are inherently active animals who need to walk and run on a regular basis if they are to remain mobile and healthy. Adequate exercise is a natural safeguard against weight loss which can cause significant health complications as a dog ages. Exercise tolerance may also be a useful barometer of overall wellbeing. So, if your dog is suddenly unwilling to move or exercise normally, it is usually worth a trip to the vet to investigate
  3. Observe your dog’s behaviour and establish a baseline of normality. Behavioural changes are often the first indications of health problems that owners notice. By being aware of your own dog’s baseline, even small changes can be noticed and properly responded to in good time.

Our supplements, especially Rejuvenate, can help support all of these outcomes. To order or for more information, please email [email protected] or DM us on any of our social media accounts.

5 Vitamins Your Dog Needs for a Healthy Life

Thursday, June 17th, 2021

Trying to choose a supplement for your pet or working dog can be an overwhelming experience. There are any number of companies selling and producing nutritional supplements, with Google literally offering millions of suggestions. Instead of taking a generalist approach to finding your ideal canine nutritional supplement, we believe it may be easier and better to first identify why you want a supplement. This will then help you narrow your search down as it may be determined by specific vitamins based on their particular benefits. The following are just five of the many vitamins your dog needs for a healthy life:

  1. Vitamin A is something that should be offered to all dogs to help them have a normal and healthy life. It is required for the nervous system, muscular, skin, and coat function. Common symptoms of a Vitamin A deficiency are weakness and deterioration of coat quality. Supplements containing fish liver oil are a good source of Vitamin A
  2. Vitamin B is important for dogs but often destroyed by the high heats used when manufacturing conventional feeds such as kibble. Deficiencies are surprisingly common but relatively easy to resolve with supplementation. Vitamin B’s key function is regulating and managing energy and carbohydrate metabolism, so essential for normative digestive function. Weakness and a lack of energy are two common symptoms of a Vitamin B deficiency. Dark green vegetables, fish, and organ meats are good sources of Vitamin B
  3. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which also supports dogs’ immune systems. While dogs can naturally synthesise it (unlike humans), it is easily depleted by stress or illness. Colourful vegetables are a good and readily accessible source of Vitamin C for dogs which are often used when manufacturing supplements
  4. Vitamin D is required to maintain healthy calcium levels and support bone function. More so than humans, dogs derive their Vitamin D from what they eat rather than direct synthesisation in the sun. Organ meat, fish, eggs, beef, and dairy are all potential dietary sources of Vitamin D
  5. Vitamin E is another antioxidant which also supports dogs’ immune systems, muscles, heart health, liver, skin and coat, and nerve cell membranes. Similarly to Vitamin B, it is often destroyed by the dog food manufacturing process leading to surprisingly common deficiency levels. Eggs and oily fish are popular and readily accessible sources of Vitamin E

The Truth About Dog Food And Supplements

Thursday, June 17th, 2021

As working dog and pet owners, it is reasonable to assume that you have your animal’s best interests at heart. You will want your dog to live its healthiest and most fulfilling life, and likely be doing everything you can to facilitate this. You will take your dog for walks every day – sometimes more than once – and play with it as often as possible. You will enjoy spending time together and value each other’s company. You will also have found a trusted veterinarian to provide your four-legged friend with all-important medical care and providing it with nutritious food. Or so you think.

While most working and pet dog owners mean well, they actually have a poor understanding of canine nutrition. This is all too often exploited by the pet food industry. In the UK, the most common type of dog food is dried biscuit-like kibble. It is certainly convenient and affordable, but is often nutritionally suboptimal or even dangerous. Loaded with carbohydrates, additives, and empty calories, it provides far too little protein which is what dogs actually require to be healthy. Poor portioning and high calorie content commonly lead to obesity and a wide range of further health complications.

As there is very little in the way of regulation for pet and animal feeds, this gives producers a wide margin to dilute nutritionally valuable ingredients with cheap “fillers” that may actually be unhealthy. Even when advertised as being healthier because they are “grain free”, these feeds may well be dangerous with linkages to the potentially fatal condition of dilated cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, most mainstream dog food producers are large corporations rather than actual animal owners meaning that they are more motivated by profits than genuine wellbeing.

In a similar vein, dog supplements are also unregulated and seldom quality controlled or assured for the discerning owner. Dog nutrition is a complex subject, and perhaps best not left to large corporations which do not specialise in it. We would suggest that it is better to source your dog food and supplements from small companies run by dog owners and handlers. They understand dogs’ nutritional needs better than anyone else, including at high levels when they have experience working dogs. Rather than profit, they will have their dog’s best interests as a primary motivator.

MyDog Nutrition is one such company. Founded by a collection of working dog trainers and handlers, your dog’s health is our mission. Years of nutritional experience and expertise have gone into our products, all of which have been rigorously tested on our own pets and working dogs. Our specially formulated organic dog supplements are available on our website, and we welcome any questions you may have about them.

The Best Dog Skin And Coat Supplements

Monday, May 17th, 2021

As mammals, one of dogs’ characterising features are their coats of fur. While some breeds are almost completely furless (including the American Hairless Terrier, Xoloitzcuintli, and Argentine Pila Dog), they are an exception rather than the norm. The vast majority of dogs are coated, and much like their skin, their fur can suffer from a range of health conditions. Common skin and fur conditions include dryness, eczema, rashes, and mange. They often crossover with each other, so should not be viewed in isolation and are ideally treated together.

By providing nutritional supplements, dog owners can support their pet or working animal’s overall skin and coat health. There are lots of options to choose from, though, and deciding which supplement to use can take time and consideration. Based on our extensive experience of pet and working dog husbandry, these are some of the things we consider when select the best supplement for our dogs’ coats and skin.

Ingredients are very important in determining whether or not a supplement will benefit your dog’s skin and coat. Ideally, these should be natural and known to promote health and wellbeing. Synthetic and artificially manufactured ingredients are harder for dogs to process than natural ones and are more likely to have adverse long-term effects as they build up in a dog’s body. In our experience, the best dog skin and coat supplements usually contain substantial amounts of collagen. Collagen holds the dermal layer and fur follicles together, which in turn keeps your dog’s fur strong and healthy. It also plays a key role in strengthening skin and supporting hydration and elasticity. 

We would also suggest that you investigate what kind of company makes and sells your supplement. Pet feeds and nutritional supplements are often sold by corporations with very highly marked-up prices as their primary concern is generating profit over animal wellbeing. Small companies owned and managed by working-dog handlers are far more likely to be genuinely focused on product quality and effectiveness, and may well offer better supplements.

To this end, we believe that MyDog Nutrition currently makes the UK’s best dog skin and coat supplements. Our high-quality ingredients and first-hand knowledge of the dogs we love and work with set our products apart from all others. Our products were made with our own dogs’ wellbeing in mind, and we are excited to share them with other pet and working dog owners.

If you have any other questions about products, please email us on [email protected]. Our team will be happy to help.

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