Why Do Dogs Get Tear Stains
Dogs get tear stains in several ways, including being in dusty environments, from allergies, from being stressed, or from spending too much time wiping their eyes.
Science has shown that the collagen fibers in a dogs skin are not as strong as those found in humans.
So when they cry out tears, they cannot be contained and consequently spread up the sides of their face where it mixes with dirt collects.
Science also shows that dogs have Lachrima glands just above the inner corner of each eye. These glands secrete a fluid during periods of excessive stress or excitement, which runs down into the eyes and dries to leave dark marks just below each eye.
Finally, some breeds like bulldogs may inherit thin skin around their eyes which is easily torn during any type of scratching.
According to Healthy Dogs, the most typical medical reasons for tear staining in dogs consist of however are not restricted to:
- Ingrown Eyelashes
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Puppy Blend
Ingredients:;Raw Boost is a premium blend with high-protein kibble and real, raw, freeze-dried meat ingredients to lock in nutrients and keep your puppy growing healthily. Youll find all of the nutrients you need, with a raw taste puppies love.;;;
Price/Where;To;Buy:;You can purchase a bag of Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Puppy Blend for $39.99 on Chewy.com. You can buy either a 4-lb. or 10-lb. bag.;;;
The Difference:;Natures Variety blends premium ingredients with a commitment to pet health and making a difference in the pet food industry. Its safe to say we can all get behind a cause like that!;;;
American Journey Active Life Chicken And Brown Rice Puppy Recipe
Ingredients:;Puppies lead pretty active lives and need;lots;of energy to keep up. With this premium blend from American Journey, your puppy will have all the energy it needs to run, jump, and be adorable. Loaded with premium ingredients like deboned chicken, fish oil, and brown rice, its great for all breeds.;;;
Price/Where;To;Buy:;This product is available from Chewy.com. A 28-lb. bag costs $39.99. This item is currently out of stock on Chewy, but you can find it on other pet outlet sites.;;;
The Difference:;American Journey is American-made, premium dog food crafted from only the highest-quality ingredients for dogs of all ages.;;
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Wellness Core Natural Grain Free
About:Wellness Core Natural Grain-Free food comes from the Wellness brand a quality dog food manufacturer that produces protein-focused foods, with several;lean meat options like chicken, turkey, and salmon.
This is a sponsored placement, in which an advertiser pays a fee to be featured in this article. Learn more
Our Top Picks At Glance
Here is a fast glance at our choices for the best dog food to prevent tear stains.
You can to jump to our reviews; however, we motivate you to keep reading to make a more educated choice about these options.
Many people have wondered what causes a dogs face to be stained with tear stains? The black, dirty liquid that leaks from their eyes is not just a cosmetic issue but can have severe ramifications.
The most common causes of tear stains in pets are allergies and facial folds that create moisture on the pets face. Besides causing your furry friend discomfort, tear stains can lead to eye infections or eye disease.
Dogs with the issue are also more likely to develop eye infections because their noses are constantly wet, creating perfect conditions for bacteria to thrive.
Allergies, of course, cause inflammation of the nasal passages, which then results in mucous production of tears.The first thing you can do about it is talking to your vet.
Your vet will be able to diagnose the problem and prescribe a treatment for your dog. If the issue is solely related to allergies, your dog may need allergy shots or daily medication.
You can also avoid feeding any foods that contain peanuts or chicken. Consider switching to a hypoallergenic brand of food if you want to try an alternative method of prevention.
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Buying Dog Food Online In India
It is easy to find the best dog food brands online. The best brands such as Arden Grange, Acana, Eukanuba, and Himalaya among others are easily available online. With online stores, you will also be able to buy the different variants of these brands. So the choices are endless. Another advantage of buying online is that you can easily compare the ingredients of different brands to choose the best dog food.;
When it comes to online shopping, how can we forget the discounts? With online shopping, you also get attractive discounts on the best dog food brands. You can get the best food for your pet without burning a hole in your pocket.;
Best Dehydrated Food: The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Beef
This dehydrated food from The Honest Kitchen looks good enough to eat! Thats because its minimally processed, made with human-grade ingredients, and created with the help of veterinary nutritionists, Dr. Robinson explains. They cold-press, slow-roast, and then dehydrate their food, she says. Plus, its easy to make: Just mix it with warm water and wait three minutesthen dinner is served! Aside from beef, you have a whole host of gourmet options to choose from, including chicken, turkey, salmon, duck, and various combinations of those ingredients.
Highlights:
via stellaandchewys.com
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Macadamia Nuts: Cant Eat
Dogs should never eat macadamia nuts.
Macadamia nuts contain an unknown toxin that may lead to vomiting, muscle weakness, tremors, hyperthermia and depression when dogs consume them, even in small amounts .
Additionally, macadamia nuts have a high fat content, which may elevate your dogs triglyceride levels and potentially lead to pancreatitis.
Is Purina Dog Food Safe For Dogs
Most of us go to the grocery store to purchase the food we eat. We can find food for our dogs there, too: Pedigree, Purina, Iams, and the like are found in nearly every store in the country. Its estimated that around 86 million US American families own dogs, so the market is strong for dog food, and foods like the brands listed above sell like hotcakes.;
But are they healthy for our dogs? Weve established that foods like Pedigree generally are not. Filled with corn, meat by-product, and corn and wheat gluten, cheap dog food might do more harm than good. But is that always the case?;
Theres a Purina factory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and Ive driven by it countless times on visits to my parents. I always plug my nose when I go by; when I was younger, I commented that the factory smelled like ground-up horses mixed with cereal. Its not far from the truth. In the past, some Purina foods were found to have horse meat in them usually under the category meat by-products. The foods were mainly those sold in Italy and Spain, where it might not be so unusual to eat horse.;
Its no big deal to eat horse in France, she said.;
So it would follow that its no big deal for it to be in dog foods, either, but the problem was that it wasnt listed as such in the Purina food.;
In fact, Purina, like Pedigree, uses blanket terms for many of its ingredients: meat by-products, for example, instead of the more specific chicken by-products.;
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Raw Dog Food Diet: Concerns Overblown
Supporters of raw dog food diets are quick to point out that commercially processed pet foods can contain harmful bacteria, as can raw meat offered for human consumption.
The whole concern about bad bacteria is overblown, Knueven says. When people are feeding a raw diet they know its not sterile, and theyre more careful about washing their hands. Feeding a raw meat diet is no different than cooking chicken for the family … you have to clean up the counter and your knife.
Continued
The FDA guidance document also suggested that manufacturers address typical nutrition problems in a raw-meat diet, including making sure it contained enough calcium and phosphorous, important for bone health. Raw-meat diets high in liver also may supply too much vitamin A, which can lead to vitamin A toxicity if fed for an extended period.
Even veterinarians like Knueven who support raw dog food diets say that theyre not appropriate for all dogs. Because the diets are typically high in protein, they arent appropriate for dogs with late-stage kidney or severe liver failure.
He recommends that dogs with pancreatitis or other digestive issues start with a cooked, homemade diet and clear up problems before switching to raw. Dogs with cancer, on chemotherapy, or dogs with other immunosuppressive diseases also should not eat raw food. And puppies arent good candidates, either.
Vegetarian And Vegan Dog Diet
Like the human practice of veganism, vegan dog foods are those formulated with the exclusion of ingredients that contain or were processed with any part of an animal, or any animal byproduct. The omnivorousdomestic canine has evolved to metabolize carbohydrates and thrive on a diet lower in protein, and therefore, a vegan diet may be substantial if properly formulated and balanced.
Popularity of this diet has grown with a corresponding increase in people practicing vegetarianism and veganism, and there are now various commercial vegetarian and vegan diets available on the market.Vegetarian dog foods are produced to either assuage a pet owner’s ethical concerns or for animals with extreme allergies.
Due to the exclusion of animal products and by-products, which are primary ingredients of conventional dog food, many nutrients that would otherwise be provided by animal products need to be provided by replacement, plant-based ingredients. While both animal and plant products offer a wide range of macro and micronutrients, strategic formulation of plant ingredients should be considered to meet nutritional requirements, as different nutrients are more abundant in different plant sources. Despite the large differences in ingredient sourcing, studies have demonstrated that a plant-based diet can be just as edible and palatable as animal-based diets for dogs.
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Foods That Are Poisonous To Dogs
As mans best friend, dogs do everything with us: walk around town, ride in the car, play in the yard, and snuggle on the couch.;Its natural, thengiven how much time we spend with our four-legged companionsto assume they can eat with us, too. However, human food can be dangerous for dogs, even types of food that are completely safe for us.
Part of the reason we can eat foods that they cant is that dogs are so much smaller than us. They also weigh far less, which means their bodies cant absorb things as quickly. Foods that are perfectly suitable for human consumption, as well as other animals, may be toxic and even poisonous to your dog, posing a serious threat to their health and well-being, writes Canine Journal co-founder;Michelle Schenker. Why? Because all animals have very different rates of metabolism.
Another problem is that dogs have voracious appetites and dont always know when to stop. Although some foods are not toxic in small doses, larger quantities can be fatal. Signs of food poisoning in dogs can vary widely, but key symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, dilated pupils, loss of appetite, restlessness, staggering, and disorientation. If you suspect your dog has eaten something toxic, VetsNow recommends;never to induce vomiting unless a poison control expert has instructed you to do so. Certain substances can actually cause more damage coming back up and are best left in a dog’s stomach.
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Homemade Dog Food Supplemented With Royal Canin
Our preferred choice of dog food for an average Indian dog is homemade food supplemented with Royal Canin. The recommended portion for adult dogs is 50% Royal Canin and 50% homemade food. For puppies, we recommend 75% Royal Canin to 25% homemade food. This is not only healthy but also very cost-effective. Our classic recipe for homemade dog food is.
- 1 cup of rice
- Carrots/green beans/other veggies 100gms
- 1 whole egg alternate days
All of these are cooked together in a pressure cooker. Before feeding our dogs, we mix this with 250ml of curd/plain yogurt and a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil. We feed our dogs eggs with shells for calcium. We alternate their meals with Royal Canin and other top kibble.
PROS
- Helps your non-native dog adapt better to the Indian climate and food
- Helps them in their digestion
- No need for any additional supplements
CONS
- Need to innovate the portion size based on close observation
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The Worst Dry Dog Foods
While most owners don’t realize it, bad dry dog food can make dogs sick and unhealthy over time. Cheap ingredients are used to make dog food more affordable.
Unfortunately, the inclusion of many unhealthy ingredients can lead to obesity, cancer, and much more.
Some ingredients are used as filler to replace natural proteins. They add empty calories without much nutritional content.;
Other ingredients come from questionable sources and contain harmful additives or chemicals.
Canine Creek Dog Food
Canine Creek;dog food is a new entrant into the dog food scene in India. They offer a grain-free range of products for starters , puppies, and adult dogs.;
Canine Creek is an India based company manufacturing high-quality dog food locally. We got a 4 kg Adult bag from Amazon for our dogs to check.
Our Analysis;
The packaging was neat, beautiful sealed zip lock bag with a message to save the environment. The kibble was very similar to Grain Zero, in color, size, and texture. Our dogs enjoyed it.
We were impressed with the ingredients list on two counts.
Pros
Cons
- Unproven company in the market.
- While the price is ok, it is not competitive. At the same price, grain zero offers buy one and get one free option.
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Veggies Your Dog Can Eat
Even if youre not keen on eating your vegetables, your dogs will be. This healthy human food dogs can eat provide nutrients with minimal calories. Howeveras with humansdogs can have adverse reactions to certain foods, even if they are supposedly good for them. Its important to know that dogs can have food intolerances just like people, causing gastrointestinal upset or even an allergic reaction, Dr.;Ryan says.;Be sure to monitor your dog and check with your vet if youre questioning whether to introduce a food into their diet.
Best Overall Dog Food
According to our experts, owners of large and giant-breed dogs should avoid foods that contain legumes as a protein source. Nicole Goudey-Rigger, the owner and CEO of doggy daycare service Pets a Go Go, told us she took her two purebred Akitas and two medium-size mixed breeds off their low-grain diet after the connection between DCM and grain-free food was raised. Instead, she now feeds her four big dogs Purina Pro Plan Salmon Sensitive Stomach, which contains brewers rice and barley . She and two other experts we spoke with like Purina Pro Plan foods because, as Gstrein points out, the recipes meet AAFCO standards and are formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. Goudey-Rigger adds that Purinas Purina Pro Plan line features a wide variety of proteins, including chicken, beef, salmon, duck, lamb, pork, and even quail. Looking for a variety of proteins in a brands line is important, she says, because not all proteins agree with all dogs. Ochoas dog also likes Purina Pro Plan and gets a small portion of its shredded chicken food as a complement to Hills Science Diet.
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How To Pick The Perfect Food
Of course, all pet products sound great when you read their marketing claimsbut which ones really are? We went straight to the source: veterinarians, who know exactly which foods deliver, in terms of health benefits and doggy obsession. Whether youre looking for;grain-free dog food,;food for large breeds or;small breeds, or what vets feed their own dogs, youll find it on this list. These picks will have your pooches looking and feeling great in no timeand licking their bowls clean.
via justfoodfordogs.com
Muenster Natural Adult Dog Food
This dog food formula is natural, but that doesn’t mean that its necessarily good. The main protein source is chicken meal rather than wholesome chicken.
There’s also ground corn, wheat, corn gluten meal, brown rice, and grain sorghum. It also contains sugary beet pulp and citric acid. In all, the formula can cause weight gain, digestive issues, and more.
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Purina Pro Plan Focus Dog Food
Rating:
Pro Plan Large Breed Adult is one of 18 kibbles featured in our review of the Purina Pro Plan Focus product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Chicken, brewers rice, whole grain wheat, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn
- Type: Grain-inclusive
- Other recipes: Puppy, small breed, sensitive skin and stomach, senior, weight management and more
- Price: $
Focus Large Breed Adult derives the majority of its animal protein from fresh chicken. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 30% protein, 14% fat and 49% estimated carbs creating a fat-to-protein ratio of about 46%.
Pro Plan is one of the dog food brands most frequently mentioned by breeders and veterinary professionals.
Each recipe has been expertly formulated by a team of board certified veterinary nutritionists.
In addition, the entire Pro Plan product line is designed and manufactured according to rigorous guidelines recommended by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association.
Purina Pro Plan is one of the very best brands youll find on this or any list. And its easy on the budget, too. Highly recommended.
Actual buyer reviewMy black lab loves this food. Her coat is beautiful, her energy is high, and she digests it easily. My vet recommended this food and I couldnt be happier. I saw a noticeable difference within days of feeding this to her. My dog eats the dry food with a little bit of the PPP wet focus for large breeds. Do not hesitate to feed this to your pups.. its a game-changer!