The food you feed your dog is very critical for your pet’s health. It is an easy thing to skimp on because most people believe all dog foods are the same, but it is essential for your dog’s health that you select the best dog food for him.

Most people go to the local grocery market and pick up the cheapest bag of dog food on the shelf not even bothering to read the ingredients, because if they read the ingredients of some of the low-cost dog foods they would see that they are loaded with tons of cancer-causing preservatives as well as fillers that when digested by dogs, will expand at least 3 times its size and is the major cause of deadly bloat & torsion in dogs.

If you have ever seen a dog get bloat (stomach swells up) and have their stomach torsion (twist) you would never feed your dog-cheap dog food ever again.

Healthy Dog Food Is Not Really More Expensive

When I bred and showed German Shepherds, I experimented with different dog foods to see which was the best dog food for them. You would be amazed the difference a quality dog food can mean to a dog's health. It was great when dog show fans would come over and ask how I got my dog's coat so shiny and how fantastic my dogs looked.

Another thing I have learned is you don’t necessarily save money feeding your dogs cheap store brand dog food. When you feed your pet hight-quality dog food, you don’t have to feed them as much because they digest or utilize more of what they eat.

With cheap dog foods, you will notice your dog's stools are quite large which tells you that they didn’t utilize much of what they ate. But, with high quality, healthy dog foods, their stools a quite small and compact meaning uses more of what they eat plus the food is much healthier for them.

So you see, you are not really saving that much feeding your dog cheap dog food and if you consider the money you will save on vet bills by feeding your pet healthy dog food you will come out ahead in the long run.

Dog Health – What Precautions Can You Take?

If you are concerned about your dog’s health and want to know the best way to keep your dog healthy, your best bet would be to consider a preventive medicine program for him.

A good preventive medicine program allows you to prevent any future disease’s or illnesses from harming your dog and it can also help to cut down on the high cost of veterinary expenses.

The plan is to give your dog a health exam once a week at home and schedule an annual visit with your veterinarian so your dog can get a thorough exam. An annual dog health exam at your vet’s office is worth every penny.

Regular Exams Help to Prevent Serious Problems

A thorough dog health exam at your veterinarian’s office will consist of more than just giving your dog his vaccinations. Your vet should check to see if the internal organs of your dog feel healthy by performing a series of palpitations on your furry friend. This will also give your vet an opportunity to check for lumps that may or may not be cancerous.

Your dog’s annual visit will also allow your vet to check to see if your dog’s eyes and ears are in pristine condition as well as listen to his heart, as some breeds are genetically predisposed to heart conditions.

A yearly dog health exam is especially important as your dog advances in age. As with people, finding a health problem early in your dog can prevent it from becoming a more serious problem.

Dog Vaccinations

Annual canine vaccinations and booster shots are essential for preventing illnesses and disease’s from seriously affecting your dog.

Annual vaccinations and booster shots can help to prevent your dog from acquiring dangerous diseases like distemper, rabies, leptospirosis, parvovirus, parainfluenza as well as coronavirus, kennel cough, and viral hepatitis.

Another vaccine, you should ask your veterinarian about giving to your dog is one of the debilitating and sometimes lethal Lyme diseases. Lyme disease is on the rise and more times than not is misdiagnosed. A vaccination would be very beneficial for your dog.

Dog Health Exams at Home

Here is an easy dog health exam you can perform at home with your dog:

1) Examine your dog's skin to see if it has a healthy gray-white appearance. If you find that his skin is either pink or red, it could mean he has an inflammation problem.

2) Check your dog’s fur for dandruff. A large amount of dandruff in his fur is a sign of an unhealthy condition for your dog.

3) Brush your dog's hair with your fingers and then check the smell on your fingers. If your fingers smell rancid or have a fishy smell to them this is an indication that your dog has a health problem.

4) During your dog’s health exam, examine the inside of his eyelids and watch for signs of any irritation or redness.

5) Look inside of his ears to check for irritation, redness and/or wax deposits. Smell the inside your dog's ears, checking for foul odors. A telltale sign of an advanced ear infection is if your dog shakes his head frequently.

6) During the dog health exam, look into your dog's mouth and check to see if there is a red line along the roots of his teeth. Also, examine all of his teeth and see if any of them have turned brown and also smell his breath to see if it has a very foul odor to it which can be an indication of a health problem.

7) You have probably heard this next dog health tip a thousand times, but it is very important. Do not allow your dog to overeat and become overweight because obesity is the major cause dog health problems and it can also shorten his lifespan significantly.

Please remember to give your dog a weekly dog health exam at home and an annual exam at the veterinarian's office in order to keep your dog in pristine health and at the top of his game. Dog food and dog treats are the #1 cause of poor dog health. If your dog begins to act lethargic and ill, check for dog food recalls and call your vet.