GELERT NATURAL CHOICE DOG FOOD

Just as humans suffer from allergies and food intolerances, so too can dogs. An allergic reaction takes place when the body's immune system (designed to protect from e.g. infections), mistakes something harmless such as a flea bite, for a potential threat and reacts against it. The substance that causes an allergic reaction is called an allergen. Common allergens that may affect dogs include, house dust, pollen and certain foods such as wheat. Allergic reactions can occur at any stage of a dog's life. Allergic reactions can manifest as e.g. itchy skin, intense itching, ear infections, diarrhoea or vomiting.

Though the symptoms of food intolerances are often similar to those caused by allergens they are not triggered by the immune system. Rather food intolerance is an exaggerated or abnormal physical reaction to a food or food additive. This may be caused by a chemical deficiency in the body.

If you suspect your dog has either an allergy or an intolerance, your first stop should be the vet. He or she can test for specific allergens. The most common food allergen is wheat but the only way to find out exactly what provokes a reaction in your dog is to use an elimination diet. You should do this with the guidance of your vet. It usually takes up to 12 weeks to reach any useful conclusions.

Many owners who have intermittent problems with any of the above symptoms opt for hypoallergenic dog food to reduce the chance of introducing common allergens such as wheat, into their dog's diet. Whilst this is no substitute for thorough investigation by your vet, a hypoallergenic dog food is particularly popular with owners of working and sporting dogs as the food tends to be generally more easily digestible which, is ideal for delivering the high levels of protein and energy, active dogs need.

Gelert Natural Choice Premium range contains no wheat or soya and is rice based - an easily digestible carbohydrate.

Gelert was formulated with superb palatability in mind. After all, for the food to be of benefit to your pet they have to eat it in the first place. With each kibble having been coated in the finest grade chicken oil we have made Gelert so appealing that rejection is extremely rare.

We work closely with a select number of suppliers and lay down stringent parameters relating to product quality, if a consignment does not meet the laid down parameters, then we simply do not accept it. In addition, our raw materials never vary. Our commitment to producing consistent quality products dictates continual investment in our manufacturing facility.

These are the basic tenets that we work to. This adherence to strictly fixed formulas is the only way we can truly guarantee that your dog eats the same high quality products every time.

Because Gelert is so highly digestible - you feed 20-25% less than some other foods, so it costs less to feed. Studies have shown that dogs were required to eat 3-4 times as much of an economy brand than a premium food to provide proper nutrition.

The following table gives a rough guide for feeding adult working & sporting dogs.

Exact food requirements vary depending on climate, breed of dog, age, emotional state and excercise/activity levels. The above is a suggested amount, based on the needs of a moderately active dog - feed an amount that allows your dog to maintain his ideal weight.

Obviously, a dog which is extremely active will need more than the above recommended amount. The exact feed should be dictated by your dogs needs and appearance, feed to maintain a lean active condition.

Introduce by mixing with your dog's usual food and increasing the amount of Gelert over several days. A sudden change in food source may be a shock to your dog's digestive system. If you notice loose stools, reduce the amount of the new food until your dog adjusts.

Opinion varies on whether to feed once or twice a day. Some dog breeders like to give a small meal in the morning followed by a main meal late afternoon. The main thing to remember with active breeds is that meals need to be scheduled to allow for a quiet period for digestion after the meal, particularly if your dogs are prone to bolting their food. Any training sessions should take place at least 45 minutes after the main meal. Most dogs with a full stomach will naturally want to sleep straight after eating and this is best for optimum digestion. The highly digestible nature of Gelerts Country Choice is particularly good for dogs such as Labradors who tend to bolt their food.

Puppies may seem to drink large quantities of water. This is essential and they cannot be deprived. A dog or cat can starve and loose almost all of it's body fat and half of it's protein mass (muscle) and still survive. However, if the same animal looses 15% of it's body weight, it will die. Of all the nutrients, water is the most important of all.

For dogs (or cats for that matter!) of any age that eat dry food, water will be needed to re-hydrate it in their stomachs for digestion. Puppies also need more water per kg of bodyweight than adult dogs because they are growing. Growth comes through very active metabolism at cellular level.

These processes produce much wastes and by-products that are excreted into the blood. It takes plenty of water to carry these waste substances to and be flushed through the kidneys. It is OK to schedule when you puppy drinks but you must allow them to consume as much as they need - bear in mind environmental factors will also have a bearing on water requirements.

The water that is provided must be clean and fresh. Infectious agents and diseases can be transmitted through contaminated and unclean water. Providing fresh water greatly reduces the risk of disease and therefore keeps your pet happy and healthy.

Young puppies should not be given table scraps because their digestive tracts are not fully developed and table scraps could cause diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems. Table scraps fill them up but do not provide the nutrients that their rapidly growing bodies need.

Feeding puppies from the table teaches them the bad habit of begging, and may make house training more difficult for you.

Often cats do not eat a full serving of their canned cat food at one sitting. Sometimes either you don't have time or forget to take up the uneaten portion. How long can you safely leave canned cat food out?

The length of time you can leave canned cat food out depends on room temperature. In the summer, lacking air conditioning, it is not recommended to leave the food out no longer than 20 minutes, maximum. Likewise, in the winter, if the heater is on, or the food is in a warm kitchen, 20 minutes would apply. The absolute maximum under optimum temperature would be around 30 minutes.

Kittens, who should be given smaller meals more frequently, probably will finish their meal well before 15 minutes. It's better to give them only a tablespoon or two every three hours than to take a chance on spoiled food.

Canned food remaining in the can should be covered and refrigerated immediately after opening, and the next serving can be warmed, as most cats don't like cold food. They can be readily warmed with running water in the sink for a few minutes. An alternative would be to put the next serving in a microwavable dish, cover with plastic wrap, and warm on a low setting for a short time. You don't want to heat the food, but warm it to room temperature.

Unfortunately there is no hard and fast answer to your question. Nutritional requirements for cats vary, even for cats of the same age. Factors that may affect nutritional requirements for cat food include:

The Cats Weight

A 4kg cat with a muscular build and large bone structure will require more calories and associated nutrients to maintain his weight than a nine pound cat with a more slender build. Likewise, a cat who needs to gain or lose weight will need differing quantities of food.

The Cats activity level

Likewise, two identical 4kg cats as described above will vary in their requirements, depending on their activity. A three year old cat who races around the house may require more than an eight year old who sleeps most of the day.

The Cats Food Content

Fish flavors in particular, should be fed in minimal amounts. Although most cats love the taste of fish, an exclusive fish diet has the potential for harm. The Cornell Feline Health Center says, "Diets containing large quantities of fish can cause yellow-fat disease (steatitis), a result of vitamin E deficiency." This is especially true with the lower quality fish protein often used in cat food. If your cat enjoys fish, try eliminating fish-flavored cat food; instead, give him a small treat of human-quality albacore tuna occasionally.

The Quality of the Cat Food

As a rule, many cats fed a high quality premium cat food will eat less than they did on poor-quality "grocery store" food. Their bodies have an innate ability to judge when they have reached the proper nutritional level, and they will stop eating when they reach that level. As a result, feeding these high quality foods has the added result of making them actually more economical.

Supplemental Dry Food

Cats that are "free-fed" with dry food in addition to their regular meals of canned food, will eat less of the canned food.

To make it easier for you, most cat food cans and packages give you a feeding guidelines printed right on the package. Alternatively, you can check the web sites of the food manufacturers.

Generally, if your cat seems healthy and active, and is not constantly begging for food, you can assume that he is getting the proper amount of food, especially if the quality of food is superior.

In the best case scenario, you would prepare a diet for your cat which resembles closely the sorts of things cats eat in the wild: fresh meat, in the form of chicken or rabbit, including organs and fat, and very small amounts of grain.

However, you may not have the time and inclination to do so, and there are some very acceptable alternatives in the form of premium brands of canned cat foods.

Be sure to provide plenty of fresh water for your cat when feeding dry foods. He will need the extra moisture he would normally get in canned food. Automatic water dispensers are excellent for this purpose.

Your cat might enjoy milk, and many cat owners give their cat a small amount of milk two or three times a week. But will this help or harm your pet?

Generally speaking, milk is not recommended for adult cats, as many of them are lactose-intolerant, and have problems digesting it.

However, If she's not throwing up or having diarrhea, she's probably okay with it. Some experts advise that cream is better than regular milk if you must give it to cats, probably because cream has less lactose than whole or skim milk. But again, a small amount of skim milk seems to be okay for your kitty, so I wouldn't worry about it.

It is strongly advised NOT to feed your cat table scraps for several reasons:

1. Some human foods are toxic to cats, even in small amounts, such as onions or chocolate.
2. Most human food is either too highly spiced, or too fat-laced to be good for cats. Even though the food may smell appealing, tummy aches or vomiting might be the end result.
3. A cat regularly fed human food will either lose his taste for his own food, or be too full to eat it. Either way, he will lose the essential nutrients, including taurine, so necessary for cats to survive and thrive.
4. Allowing cats to eat "at the table" is creating your own home-grown monster. You may find your guests appalled at having a cat at the table, and your cat will be miffed at being banished.

There is no quick and easy answer to the frequency with which a given cat or kitten should be fed, as your own home environment will play a large part in how you handle feeding, as well as the type of food a cat eats. For example, a stay-at-home caregiver will be able to feed canned food to kittens or geriatric cats several times a day. On the other hand, a single, working owner or a two-income family will rely more on dry cat food, with early-morning and late-night supplements of canned food.

Frequency to Feed Kittens

Kittens need roughly twice the nutrients of adult cats, for both growth and energy. Obviously, their tummies cannot handle large quantities of food, so much like human babies they need frequent feedings at first, tapering off as they grow. It is important during this time to weigh the kittens regularly, to ensure they are gaining regularly, but not becoming overly fat. Their hunger will usually be a pretty good guideline for determining if they are getting enough nutrition. Note: These guidelines refer to feedings of canned food; dry food will be addressed later.

• At 6 Weeks: Four or more small feedings, spaced regularly throughout the day.
• 12 Weeks: Increase the amount of each meal, and gradually space them out to three meals a day.
• Around 6 Months:You may gradually space out the meals to twice daily.

Adult Cats

Unless a kitten is showing excessive weight gain, he is considered an "adult" at the age of one year, and for the next nine years or so, may be fed adult "maintenance" food twice daily, with supplements of dry food when needed, as listed below.

Dry Food

Dry food is more for the convenience of the caregiver than for the nutritional needs of the cat. However, in the past, cats have lived long and happy lives on an exclusive diet of dry foods, and for working caregivers, adult cats may be fed a meal of canned food morning and night, with dry food left out for "grazing."

Geriatric & Special Needs Cats

Older cats and cats with conditions requiring specific dietary needs may need to be fed more often. It is best with these cats to follow your veterinarian's directions for feeding, both to schedule and type of food.

I can answer this question with an unequivocal "no." Cats have very explicit nutritional needs, including taurine, and dog food simply does not contain the sorts of ingredients needed by cats to meet those needs.

Perhaps your question was prompted by a desire for the convenience of feeding your cat and dog the same food, or as a means of saving money. If so, you've missed the mark entirely. In the long run, the veterinary bills you'll run up in treating a malnourished cat will far outnumber the small savings you might gain by feeding it dog food.

Although cats in the wild (feral cats) take their food when and where they can find it, domestic cats very much like schedules: a time for sleep, a time for play, and most definitely, a time to eat.

Ideally, then, it would be best for you to establish a regular schedule for feeding your cat. Be careful when doing so, though, that the schedule is realistic, or you will be faced with a crabby cat when dinnertime comes around and you've been delayed in getting home. Also, try to schedule the final meal of the day after you've shared some bonding time with your cat, in the form of petting, brushing, play, or just carrying him around. You don't want your cat to look on you as primarily a food source, but as a friend and companion.