Traveling with Fido: Eight Tips for Taking Your Dog on a Road Trip

This article comes from guest blogger, CeliaSue Hecht, a published freelance writer/editor and dog travel blogger at Have Dog Blog Will Travel (celiasue.wordpress.com).  Her work has been published in 40+ publications. She has more than 25 years of experience with a particular focus in writing about books, pets, health and travel and assisting authors and entrepreneurs in getting published in books, newspapers and magazines.

1. Feed your dog a few hours before you leave and wait a couple of hours after you arrive at your destination to ensure that your dog's tummy will enjoy the trip. Food should be easily digestible and healthy, like Nature's Logic. 

2. Dogs like to have familiar things around them so be sure to bring them their comfort foods, treats and toys to remind them of home. Pack a separate bag with your dog's goodies, food, treats, portable bowls, toys, bones, pillows, blankets, pet waste bags, and other paraphernalia.

What is “Meal” and When is it a Good Ingredient in Pet Foods?

Pet guardians are increasingly conscious of the quality of ingredients that go into what they are feeding their dog or cat. But as they read the labels and search the internet, the topic of “meat meal” is still very confusing to many people. This appears on dry pet food labels as “chicken meal,” “beef meal,” “lamb meal,” or whatever the protein source used to create it. There is a great deal of misinformation out there about “meat meal” and it can be very difficult for pet food shoppers to sort through.

How to Know if Your Pet’s Food is Truly Natural or Just Exploiting Pet Food Trends

As people seek healthier foods for their pets, it is not surprising that more and more pet foods are being introduced and marketed as “natural.” A recent internet-based survey, conducted by Pet Business magazine, looked at current sales trends for pet foods and other nutritional products. The publication found, “Over 85 percent of retailers surveyed said that they sell natural foods in their stores, and over 50 percent indicated that products labeled as being ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ products make up over half of their food selection.”¹

The study targeted independent pet retailers, not the large pet chains, grocery stores, or other mass retailers where pet food and supplies may also be purchased. Independent retailers are those pet supply stores that serve only your local area, typically with anywhere from one to 15 physical locations. In the pet food business, these smaller retailers tend to carry the highest-quality foods and have a more educated staff to help answer questions about nutrition, ingredients, and other pet health topics.

What is “Natural?”

Marketers of all kinds of products use the word “natural” in an attempt to appeal to consumers who are healthy, environmentally-conscious, or otherwise inclined to buy products with that word somewhere on the label. But when it comes to pet food, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)

How Much Should I Feed my Pet? Why You Feed Dogs and Cats Less of a Premium Food

How much to feed your pet can be incredibly confusing! Pets can easily trend toward obesity, even when their well-meaning owners are feeding the amounts directed on pet food labels. These suggested feeding guidelines can vary greatly between different brands of pet foods.

Susan Thixon, of TruthAboutPetFood.com, recently compared multiple pet foods and their recommended feeding levels in her article, “Variety in Feeding Amounts of Pet Food.” Susan’s research found that

Two Reasons to Check the Moisture Content of Your Pet’s Food

When selecting a pet food, shoppers are getting smarter and smarter about reading labels. We’re scanning ingredients, looking for foods with quality protein sources, and without the common pet allergens. We consult the Guaranteed Analysis section to see how much protein and fat are in a given food. But what about water? When evaluating different pet food choices, comparing moisture content is also a good idea.