Common Myths (taken from various holistic articles)
• Dogs eat grass when they are sick.
Dog descended from wild wolves and foxes that ate all parts of their "kill." This included the stomach contents of many animals that ate berries and grass. Many scientists believe grass was once part of their normal diet and eating small amounts is normal.
• Dogs Eat Grass to Make Themselves Vomit
Why do dogs eat grass? Probably because they simply like it. Some dogs like to graze while others chomp. Enough grass in the stomach can create minor irritation and cause the dog to vomit. Some experts believe that a dog's taste for grass goes back to the days when a wild canid would eat the stomach contents of its prey - usually grass, leaves, etc. Regardless of the reason, it's relatively harmless as long as the grass is not chemically treated. That being said, if grass-eating has led to chronic vomiting in your dog, you should probably keep him away from the grass and visit your vet just in case
• Cats purr when they are happy.
Often they do. But think of the cat’s purr as a feline smile — do you smile only when happy? Purring soothes kitty emotions (and humans as well), and the vibration relieves pain and speeds healing, so purring can happen when a cat is happy, injured or just needs to comfort himself.
•The best foods are those the veterinarian sells such as Royal Canin, Purina Veterinary and Science Diet.
While many pet guardians have been under the impression that these brands and others sold by their veterinarian are premium, top of the line foods, one look at the ingredients by an educated eye will reveal the truth. Most of the formulas from these large, heavily marketed manufacturers derive far more protein from grain or grain by-product sources such as corn gluten meal and brewer’s rice than from meat sources. These so-called “premium” foods contain ingredients such as chicken by-product meal, which consists of the leftovers in meat processing that are unfit for human consumption including head, necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines – basically everything BUT clean meat. It is a cheap, low quality source of protein – and far less digestible protein than clean chicken meal. These ingredients indicate poor quality food, and are the same ingredients you'll find in the discount brands at your grocery store! Meat, and specifically a named meat meal (i.e., chicken meal, lamb meal, etc.) should be listed before any grains in a pet food. Dogs and cats are designed by nature to eat protein from meat sources, not grain. The high grain content of many pet foods is one of the main contributors to the growing obesity problem and increase in allergies in dogs and cats, as most pets do not do well on such high-carbohydrate foods.
* These statements were found atwww.onlynaturalpet.com and were posted by DVM Jean Hofve
• Dogs eat grass when they are sick.
Dog descended from wild wolves and foxes that ate all parts of their "kill." This included the stomach contents of many animals that ate berries and grass. Many scientists believe grass was once part of their normal diet and eating small amounts is normal.
• Dogs Eat Grass to Make Themselves Vomit
Why do dogs eat grass? Probably because they simply like it. Some dogs like to graze while others chomp. Enough grass in the stomach can create minor irritation and cause the dog to vomit. Some experts believe that a dog's taste for grass goes back to the days when a wild canid would eat the stomach contents of its prey - usually grass, leaves, etc. Regardless of the reason, it's relatively harmless as long as the grass is not chemically treated. That being said, if grass-eating has led to chronic vomiting in your dog, you should probably keep him away from the grass and visit your vet just in case
• Cats purr when they are happy.
Often they do. But think of the cat’s purr as a feline smile — do you smile only when happy? Purring soothes kitty emotions (and humans as well), and the vibration relieves pain and speeds healing, so purring can happen when a cat is happy, injured or just needs to comfort himself.
•The best foods are those the veterinarian sells such as Royal Canin, Purina Veterinary and Science Diet.
While many pet guardians have been under the impression that these brands and others sold by their veterinarian are premium, top of the line foods, one look at the ingredients by an educated eye will reveal the truth. Most of the formulas from these large, heavily marketed manufacturers derive far more protein from grain or grain by-product sources such as corn gluten meal and brewer’s rice than from meat sources. These so-called “premium” foods contain ingredients such as chicken by-product meal, which consists of the leftovers in meat processing that are unfit for human consumption including head, necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines – basically everything BUT clean meat. It is a cheap, low quality source of protein – and far less digestible protein than clean chicken meal. These ingredients indicate poor quality food, and are the same ingredients you'll find in the discount brands at your grocery store! Meat, and specifically a named meat meal (i.e., chicken meal, lamb meal, etc.) should be listed before any grains in a pet food. Dogs and cats are designed by nature to eat protein from meat sources, not grain. The high grain content of many pet foods is one of the main contributors to the growing obesity problem and increase in allergies in dogs and cats, as most pets do not do well on such high-carbohydrate foods.
* These statements were found atwww.onlynaturalpet.com and were posted by DVM Jean Hofve