Pet Food

Although this is a rather generic title, anyone who has or has ever had a pet knows that finding the right food for him is important on so many levels. Remember when our grandmas would give their dogs leftovers from the table? Today that is a complete no-no. And now, vets even recommend healthy food formulas to counteract certain maladies our pets suffer.

Knowing what's right for your furry or feathered friend is paramount for you to have a BFF who sticks around for a long while and feels good day in and day out. So, let's talk about what we should be feeding our most beloved pets to assure they're healthy and blissfully happy.

Dogs

Several factors play into which type of food we feed out canine friends. Let's discuss what an average, healthy 20-pound dog of about four-years-old should be eating daily.

Usually, veterinarians recommend dry food for canines. It helps keep their teeth relatively clean, and they like the chewing. As with humans, it is a bad thing to feed your dogs overly processed foods. But getting food that is "clean" at a price you can afford may be a challenge. Here are three dog foods that are good for your side-kick and won't break the bank.

· Barking at the Moon (Solid Gold) - It's AAFCO-friendly with fish (ocean fish "meal") as its main ingredient which causes it to have 300% more protein than just plain fish. It's a little expensive but worth every penny. And you can get it on Amazon.

· Taste of the Wild has a five-star rating on DogFoodAdvisor, which you should check out, by the way. It's grain-free, suitable for all ages, and has roasted bison and roasted venison in it. It's less expensive than Barking at the Moon. You can buy it online at PetFoodDirect.

· Wellness Core's price comes right between the first two we discussed, but it has increased protein, almost average fat, and below-average carbs compared to typical dry food for doggies.

To be sure, ask your vet.

Never feed dogs chocolate, garlic, onions, gum ( more importantly the ingredient xylitol found in sweets, baked goods, and peanut butter), grapes or raisins.

Cats

Cats, on the other hand, should never be given dry food because it has too many carbs. The average cat should consume roughly 200 calories a day, but ask your vet about your feline friend.

The top three healthy cat foods that contain what is best for your cat include, according to reviews.com:

· ACANA Grasslands Regional Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat and Kitten Food & ACANA's Pacifica and Wild Prairie - An exception to the dry food rule because the first five ingredients in each of these ACANA foods are variations of this formula: boneless lamb, lamb meal, boneless duck, Pollock meal, and duck fat. It is not too expensive.

· Addiction Grain-Free Black Forest Rabbit and Blueberries Entree Canned Cat Food (and all Addiction's other formulas) which contains rabbit, water, sweet potatoes, liver, and blueberries is expensive.

· Adirondack Kitten Protein-Rich contains chicken meal, brown rice, ground grain, sorghum, chicken, fat. It is not expensive at all.

Never feed your kitties raw meat or a vegetarian diet. Check with your vet about other things that might hurt your kitty.

Hamsters

Hamsters need to eat once a day whether it's morning or evening. Your little buddy only needs a tablespoon of food a day. It's great to feed your hamster his treats, like raw fruit, raw vegetables, even a few pieces of hard-boiled egg for some extra protein. But follow these rules when feeding your pet:

· No seed or pits of vegetables or fruit as they could be poisonous.

· Feed some treats to your hamster by hand so he can feel comfortable with you and know you're there to take care of him

· Remove spoiled food from his cage and remove fresh food not eaten in a few hours from the time given to your hamster.

Make sure the seed food you give your pet has ingredients along with sunflower seeds. 

Your hamster loves sunflower seeds, but a diet solely of this seed will not give your pet all the nutrients your hamster needs.

Your little friend would also like to chew on hard treats you can get at the pet store. They keep his teeth healthy and can provide additional nutrients and activity.

Never feed hamsters: kidney beans, citrus fruits, onion, potato, rhubarb, or tomato leaves. Ask your vet if there are other dangers.

Take good care of your pets, and you will have years to love and play with them. Here's to our furry friends!