Gene Sower asked:

Because every dog is unique, it's sometimes very difficult to determine what causes food-related allergies and what doesn't. Common pet food culprits include wheat, corn and soy. Various proteins also create their share of problems in certain dogs. I was shocked to learn that some dogs are allergic to chicken, while I know from first-hand experience that my Jack Russell Terrier Lucy used to be allergic to beef. Here's an approach worth trying if your dog is exessively itching and scratching.

If excessive itching and scratching are the problems, that may simply be the lack of Omega 3,6 and 9 fatty acids in your dog's diet that's making their skin and coat dry. Winter indoor heating may also be exacerbating the condition. Adding simple food additives to your dog's food may be the key without switching diets. Supplements like Mrs. Allen's Shed Stop, Flaxseed Oil, Pet Botanics Skin & Coat supplement, Royal Coat from Ark Naturals or Health & Shine from Dr. Harvey's are all viable solutions for supplementing your dog's diet with the needed Omegas that dog's and cats need to lubricate their skin and coats.

Excessive and compulsive foot licking, or chewing and biting other parts of the body, are generally a sign that allergies are to blame.

Assuming it's food allergies and not environmental, many vets and pet nutritionists recommend substituting a protein source that your dog doesn't normally eat. Lamb is often used for this purpose, because it's not as common a dog food ingredient. Lamb, in and of itself, is not "non-allergic", but it's less common than chicken and beef so it enables you to introduce something new into your dog's diet, in effect, starting with a clean slate.

Some vets sell expensive "allergy free formulas" but there are ways to figure this out on your own and a lot less expensively. Increasingly, pet owners who have dogs with food allergies are feeding various pet food mixes like Dr. Harvey's, Solid Gold Holistique Blendz or The Honest Kitchen's FORCE formula, which is grain free, or Sojourner Farms' new grain free Europa formula.

Mixes, while a bit more work, allow you to more closely control what your dog is eating by beginning with a good "base" that contains the proper nutrients and vitamins especially formulated for dogs. Then, you can experiment by introducing your own protein sources (whether raw or cooked) and seeing how your dog reacts over the next few days.

Because The Honest Kitchen FORCE Formula is grain free but chicken-based, I would stick to the Dr. Harveys or the Europa which have no protein or grain sources. The Solid Gold Holistique Blendz formula is also a good choice but that already contains fish protein. Because fish-based protein is an unlikely protein source for your dog to begin with, it's unlikely that it will cause allergy problems now -- same theory with the lamb or any other uncommon protein like venison or buffalo or rabbit. If later you find that chicken is ok, I would give The Honest Kitchen FORCE Formula a second look, too.

Beginning with one of these neutral, grain-free formulas, try adding chicken for a week. If that goes well, than your dog is probably ok with chicken. Then try beef. Then lamb. Try, fish, too. If that goes well, than it was probably one or more of the grains.

Now a picture is starting to form. Your dog's allergies have improved with a grain free diet that includes certain proteins.

As we mentioned before, the point of introducing a different protein source to test your dog's tolerance is because if your dog is suffering some type of food-related reaction, common sense tells you it's something she's already eating. Can't be having reactions to something she never had yet, right?

Please note that when switching a dog's food, do it gradually over 5 to 6 days. Begin a 4 to 1 ration, old to new food, than 3 to 2 on day 2, than half and half on day 3, than 2 to 3 on day 4 and 1 to 4 on day 5. Day six, you're switched over completely. Than the real allergy testing can begin in earnest by sticking with the new protein source for a week and than introducing a new one every week taking note of your dog's reaction or, hopefully, lack of one.

As you've probably figured out by now, there's no one answer or "Silver Bullet" that will miraculously solve all your dog's allergy problems overnight. You have to break the cycle by moving your dog to a neutral, grain-free food and begin experimenting with different proteins. Once you find a protein or combination of proteins that work, try slowly introducing grain formulas back into the diet to see if there's a reaction or not. Using this gradual, common sense method combined with a good quality dog food should have your dog on the road to a happy, itch-free life.

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Dog Care Tips asked:

The life expectancy of any dog is commonly expressed in terms of dog years by us and it depends entirely on the dog's breed, size as well as the dog's surroundings. Various other factors affect the life expectancy of a dog. A dog's life span changes according to the diet provided to him and also by the number of medical problems the dog tends to face over the years.

The average life span of the small dog like Chihuahua is about 15 to 16 years, while medium sized the dogs like Border Collies have a life span of 10 to 13 years. It can be noticed big dogs like Great Dean live up to only 7 to 8 years. The calculation of the life expectancy of particular dog can be accurately done with the help of "size or the specific breed calculator", which is said to be one of the most accurate age measurement schemes available. The size or specific breed calculator gives approximate results about the dog's predictable lifespan based on the size as well as the breed of the dog.

It is generally assumed that, on an average, "one human year equals to seven dog years". This statement may not be appropriate, since the first two years are jointly represented by 18-25 years in such schemes and because the entire ratio cannot be generalized for all the dogs though, they belong to different sizes and breeds. An exact ratio of dog years vs. human year cannot be formulated. However, some obvious features remain similar between both aging humans and dogs.

It is generally assumed that the human equivalent of a one-year dog is supposedly fully grown by both mental and physical aspects. Dogs like humans tend to develop advance muscular features as they grow along with a similar mental development. Through a major dog study, it has been estimated for dogs of all breeds and sizes that, nearly "64 percent of dogs" were euthanized because they were affected with some kind of diseases. Only 8 percent of the total dogs live beyond 15 years and nearly 16 percent of them die yearly due heart diseases and cancer. Human lives are not terminated even if they suffer from rare and incurable diseases; and this is the main reason why the lifespan of an average human being is reasonably long.

The effects of aging in dogs is said to be dormant for several years. But like humans, dogs to undergo physical changes as well. The first sign of aging in dogs is said to be the decrease in its activity levels. The sleeping period in these dogs also becomes longer. The canines experience a drastic change in their skin condition, limb usage, appetite and they experience tooth loss as well. Their sense of hearing and vision also diminishes gradually. Older dogs tend to experience stiffness in their body. All these obvious signs of aging can even be found in humans. The human years are extended only because of advance modern medicine and various other drugs that are designed to deal with symptoms of old age.

Dogs and humans may not have the same physiology, yet some obvious similarities can be noticed when both species age. Dog years and Human years may not be directly related by some advance equation, but to the ***** eye the equivalence of corresponding features of Dog years and Human years are quite visible.

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Back a few decades ago, pet owners did not pay much attention to their dog’s dietary needs and fed them whatever kind of dog food was the most affordable. Human grade dog food was almost unheard of, unless it referred to feeding dogs what was left over as table scraps at mealtime. Nobody would consider eating the kinds of ingredients found in commercially made dog food. But today there are many sources of excellent dog food that are made with ingredients we all recognize as suitable for humans, such as red potatoes, carrots, and even apples.

Dog food in the 1950s and 1960s, for example, was typically manufactured using the by-products or waste left over from processing animals for human consumption. When cattle or pigs were processed, for example, whatever parts of the animal were not suited for humans might end up in dog food. But one of the main sources of meat in dog foods in those days was horses. Horsemeat was often derived from sick animals, because healthy horses would usually be worth more alive and therefore they escaped the slaughterhouse. So when old horses with poor health or younger diseased horses had to be killed, many of them wound up in dog food processing plants.

Today, fortunately, the standards for dog food have risen significantly. It is possible, for instance, to buy both dry and canned dog foods that are made from many superior ingredients including nutritious foods like brown rice, trout, bison, and chicken. Not only do dogs enjoy these kinds of food better because of the taste, but pet owners also enjoy the fact they generally have a much better odor than cheaper kinds of dog food made from low class ingredients. Treat your dog to a better grade of food – with ingredients fit for people – and your canine will have a better chance to live a much happier, healthier, and longer life.

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