Category Archives: Diet

Four canine ‘superfoods’ for 2012

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Posted on February 9, 2012 by Petplan
Puppy feeding

We’ve asked vet and nutrition columnist Alison Logan for her top “superfood” recommendations to help get your dog fit in 2012. The best news of all? A lot of them cost nothing… Read more >

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Diet: are you feeding your rabbits the right way? Read this to be absolutely sure

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Posted on January 26, 2012 by Petplan
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With digestive system disorders so common in rabbits, it’s important to feed them the right diet. Here are vet Alison Logan’s essential recommendations

Grass – but make him work for it
Letting your rabbit graze on your lawn not only provides him with nutrition, but also mental stimulation and exercise. No rabbit should spend all his time in a hutch. Do not, however, be tempted to feed grass mowings, which may have started to ferment. Read more >

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Can’t eat, won’t eat? Why your pet may be off its food

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Posted on January 12, 2012 by Petplan
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Julie Hunt reports on what steps to take when your beloved pet starts refusing its food. From the Petpeople magazine archive You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink, goes the old saying. But how … Read more >

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How to make a tasty Christmas dinner for your dog

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Posted on December 22, 2011 by Petplan
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We’ve invited writer Elaine Everest, author of hit book Canine Cuisine (£8.99, How To Books) to give us this extra-special recipe for a festive meal for your dog. Hope your dog likes it… Ingredients One mug of brown rice One … Read more >

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Debate: should dogs only eat raw meat? Part 2

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Posted on November 7, 2011 by Petplan
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Last week, Dr Ian Billinghurst told us about his view that dogs should only eat a Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet. Now here’s the other side of the argument, from vet Brian Faulkner

“The BARF diet is based on the assumption that dogs are the same as their ancestors: wolves. But they are a domesticated species with different DNA to wolves; a distinction going back many thousands of years.

Furthermore, all dogs are not the same. A Great Dane or a St Bernard may grow more in one week than a Yorkshire Terrier will grow in its whole life. The nutritional requirement of these dogs is significantly different. Read more >

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Debate: should dogs only eat raw meat? Part 1

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Posted on November 4, 2011 by Petplan
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The use of Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) – a simple diet of raw meat and bones – is dividing vets worldwide: some swear by it, while others advocate caution. In this first of two posts, BARF-devotee Dr Ian Billinghurst tells us why it works for him.

“I believe that the healthiest diet for dogs and cats is a natural one. Raw meat, bones, vegetables and organ meats – anything that mimics the diet of a wild or feral animal is ideal. I call this the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet and it’s what our cats and dogs have evolved to eat.

My views come from almost 35 years as a practice vet, witnessing the harm that commercially produced food can do to pets. It also comes from seeing at first han Read more >

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