APRIL DOG OF THE MONTH

Miss Maya is a 2 and a half year old lab who has been with us here at Ruffhouse since we opened! She is the sweetest, most laid back lab you will ever meet!! Maya usually just likes to lie around and watch the goings on around her and maybe get some scruffs and cuddles from us!! When she does feel like playing though she can go!!!! No other dog could defeat her in a game of tug-rope!! Of course like most labs, she loves her ball, especially when there's water involved (as you can see in the featured pic!)!! Maya has an ongoing love affair with our resident English Mastiff, Angus. She has to stop for some kisses with Angus each morning on her way in and then frequently throughout the day as well! Love ya Maya!!

Dog Nutrition

How many of you, when buying dog food actually take the time to read the ingredients list? If you do read the ingredients, do you have a full understanding? Do you think that because a certain food is a little more expensive, it must be healthier??


_By law, ingredients are listed from the largest amount to the least amount contained in the bag.
_85% of the ingredients in a bag of food are the first four ingredients
_The difference between 'meat' and 'meat meal' is that the 'meat meal' is the quantity of meat actually used in the food after it is skinned and deboned. 'Meat' is the amount measured before deboning and skinning.
_'Beet pulp' is added to food for proper stool formation
_Chicken fat is the most absorbable form of fat for dog's digestion
_The highest protein sources, in order, are fish, chicken, pork, lamb and beef
_If a dog has a sensitive stomach, Lamb & Rice formulas are the least upsetting
_Dogs are not generally allergic to a protein source until it has been introduced to them
_Grain free foods are often very high in proteins, which causes them to be extremely rich and hard for most dogs to digest properly
_Raw food diets are best for dogs
_Approximately 75% of canned dog food's content is water
_Cooked bones are a danger to dogs as they will splinter. Raw are best (boil briefly to kill bacteria)
_Chocolate is poisonous to all dogs - carob is a safe alternative
_Do not feed your dog onions, raisins, grapes or macadamia nuts. They can all cause illness or fatality
_A lot of dogs are lactose intolerant, however plain unsweetened yogurt is safe and beneficial to their immune systems
_Salmon or flax seed oils added to dog's food can help skin and coats from drying out