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You know how good homemade broth is when cooked from leftover poultry or beef bones.
But did you know that bone broth can be beneficial for your dog too? Bone broth can be a nutritious meal additive to compliment what you usually fed your pet.
There are many benefits of feeding bone broth to your furry friend.
Not only does it have the added benefits of nutrients, but it’s suitable for your pet. When your dog eats bone broth, it is an added support to your pet’s wellbeing.
The nutrition and minerals in bone broth boasts an assortment of both. Chondroitin, vitamin C, vitamin D, gelatin, glucosamine, and vitamin B-12 and B-6 are a few.
Some other nutrients and minerals are potassium, silicon, sulfur, thiamine, hyaluronic acid, magnesium, and niacin. Plus, there’s zinc, copper, trace minerals, phosphorus, and riboflavin as well.
All these minerals and nutrients help your pet’s body key functions. It improves your dog’s day to day health and longevity.
Your dog’s intestines are lined with small holes that are a passageway for nutrients to pass through his body. If your pup has an unhealthy lifestyle, the holes become wider. This condition is called leaky gut.
When the holes become wider, toxins and undigested food enter your pet’s body, causing him to have developed food allergies and sensitivities.
When your dog eats broth, which contains gelatin, the gelatin helps to protect and restore your pet’s stomach lining. It helps to improve digestion and fight against your pet developing leaky gut.
When you make bone broth for your pet, the collagen, which is in cartilage, will break down into gelatin during the cooking process.
The key ingredient in bone broth is glucosamine and combines with chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, and gelatin.
All of these are vital for your dog’s joints. Your pet uses gelatin to help rebuild collagen between the bones. The collagen will let your pup’s bones glide with less friction. Plus, gelatin helps to maintain and form healthy bones, which will take the pressure of joints as your dog ages.
The nutrients will help to improve the collagen and repair your dog’s body in his joints, tendons, ligaments, and arteries.
To boost with your pet’s digestive system, giving your dog bone broth will keep things moving along. If there is a lack of amino acid glycine in your pet’s diet, then his metabolic function can be affected. Bone broth will help to support healthy metabolism in your dog because bone broth is rich in glycine from the gelatin in it.
If your dog has a stomach ailment, bone broth can be the best thing to give him.
If you fast your pup for 24 to 48 hours to give his stomach a rest, then feed him bone broth carefully. The broth will replenish the minerals and vitamins in your dog’s body.
The gelatin from collagen is terrific for your dog’s skin and coat.
Bone broth has vitamins C and B, which is beneficial to fur and skin. Vitamin C will help produce collagen, which is the needed protein for claws, skin, and fur.
Vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, thiamine, and riboflavin are in bone broth. It’s one half the B vitamin complex needed to promote the division and growth of cells.
You can give your dog bone broth daily, but it shouldn’t be used as a meal replacement. It is used to complement as a nutritious addition to what your pet regularly eats.
How Much Should I Give Them: For every ten pounds of body weight, you serve your dog one ounce. So, if your dog weighs eighty pounds, then you give your dog eight ounces of broth. You can serve your pet up to two servings a day.
But, if your dog has never eaten bone broth, start with just one serving a day so that your dog doesn’t develop an upset stomach.
Once you see that your pup is okay with it, then you can add a second serving. If you want your dog to eat it more than twice a day, then divide his food into smaller portions and add the broth accordingly.
It isn’t tricky to make bone broth for your pet to enjoy. It’s a simple process and only has a few ingredients.
It does take a long time to cook, but once the ingredients are in it, you can just let it cook until it’s done.
Below is a simple bone broth recipe which more or less vegetables can be added depending on your pet’s likes and dislikes:
2 pounds of either beef or chicken bone
apple cider vinegar
water
Optional: you can add carrots or other vegetables and a seasoning such as a turmeric
Place the bones in a pressure cooker, a large stockpot, a crockpot or a slow cooker. Pour enough water to cover the bones.
Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar is used to pull the needed nutrients from the boiled bones.
Then fill the rest of the pot with water and bring it to a boil. When the mixture begins to boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for at least 6 hours.
After 6 hours, take out any debris that has come to the top that looks like a film.
Cook slow on low heat for 24 hours to cook poultry bones, if you’ve used beef bones, then cook for 48 hours.
While cooling, add the vegetables.
Depending on what you have used for cooking the broth in, the cooking time may vary.
Once again, discard the hard layer which formed onto the broth before you give it to your pet. The broth will be good in the fridge for five days. You can also freeze some in ice cube trays for use.
You can use beef, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, pork, or even fish bones.
The key is to be sure that the bones are from a high-quality organic animal or wild-caught where it applies. Fish should be wild-caught to reduce mercury poisoning.
Vegetable to add to the bone broth for your dog can be any healthy vegetable or herbs. Just don’t add garlic or onions because these can cause stomach issues. and sometimes poisoning depending on the amount.
Yes, vegetable broth can be good for your dog, but he may like the bone broth better.
You can purchase bone broth for your dog at a store. But, the problem with that is you don’t know exactly what’s in it.
When you make your own, you are in full control of what goes in the bone broth and what your dog does and doesn’t like.
You can make bone broth treats for your pup too. It’s pretty simple, and you’ll know that your dog is getting a treat that is both nutritious and healthy. If you’re making bone broth, skim off the filmy layer of fat because you’ll need it for this recipe:
preheat oven to 375 degrees
½ cup of bone broth
1/3 cup of fat of bone broth or vegetable shortening
½ cup of pumpkin puree, not the kind you use in pumpkin pie
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
peanut butter to spread
Combine the bone broth and bone broth fat or shortening in a bowl. Heat for 45 seconds or until it’s liquefied.
Add pumpkin and stir, then add flour and stir until it looks like dough.
Knead the dough with your hands
Roll the dough to ¼ inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut desired shapes.
Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.
Spread peanut butter on the treats while they’re still warn
Let cool before giving to your furry friend.
Bone broth powder can also be used if you don’t have the time to cook bone broth from scratch. It’s a powder that is packed with nutrients and tastes good. It can be sprinkled over your dog’s food.
Yes, you can soak old dog bones in beef broth that your dog has grown tired of to revive his interest again.
Yes, you can freeze bone broth in small containers or even in an ice cube tray. All you will have to do is heat it up and pour it on your dog’s food. Just make sure you let it cool a little first.
If you would like to try a bone broth recipe in your slow cooker, check out the link below:
https://www.google.com/search?q=bone%20broth%20for%20dogs%20recipe%20slow%20cooker
If you don’t have the time to boil bones to make broth, you can find the best broths here on this Amazon link:
Pacific foods organic chicken bone broth comes in a 32-oz carton with a warping 9 grams of protein.Other ingredients include water, onions, celery, spices, rosemary and apple cider vinegar.
They are USDA Certified as an organic product and they also contain no GMO.
Zesty paws Need No Introduction in the dog supplement market and they also have an excellent bone broth liquid.
The Broth is made from chicken bones and also contains healthy ingredients like pumpkin and Ginger to promote overall gut health so you’re free love ones
It’s made in the USA with all natural ingredients and all you have to do is put a couple of drops of this on your dog’s food to ensure optimal Health.
As you can see, bone broth has many benefits for your canine companion. Keeping your pet happy and healthy is one of your priorities.
You have the choice of making the bone broth yourself, ordering it, using it as a powder, and even refreshing chewed bones. Do your dog a favor and treat him some bone broth today.
For more information, watch the video below:
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Do Rats Make Good Pets – Ultimate Care Guide And Facts Rats often get a bad rap and many people will not like to sound of having one anywhere near their house. That can be with good reason as they can carry diseases that affect humans and any leading vet will tell you to avoid […]
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It depends on what you’re looking for when thinking about getting a pet. Chinchillas prefer to stay in their cages and aren’t really cuddlers. Apart from supplying their basic needs, a chinchilla doesn’t require much interaction.
Chinchillas are happier if there are two of them and you can keep two littermates together as long as the male is neutered, so they don’t breed.
Chinchillas are a great beginner pet, but not for children. Since chinchillas have a floating rib cage, picking one up can be a little tricky. But if you keep your chinchilla’s pen clean, food and water dish clean, and their hay rack full, he’ll be content
A chinchilla is primarily active during dawn and at dusk, which makes them somewhat nocturnal. Your chinchilla won’t want to be disturbed doing the daylight hours.
If your chinchilla is well taken care of, he can live up to 10- 20 years. So, a chinchilla is a commitment.
Yes, if you say your chinchilla’s name continually, almost like talking to a dog, he will begin to respond to his name.
If you start holding your chinchilla when he’s young, he’ll tolerate being held. A chinchilla loves to jump, run, and climb, which is why they’re not fond of being restrained. Your chinchilla will enjoy being out of his cage at least once a day. But be aware, a loose chinchilla is fast, and you need to be able to catch him again.
Yes, if you start when your chinchilla is young, you can build a strong bond. You can train your chinchilla, if you have a great deal of patience, to be held and to be potty trained. If your chinchilla bonds with you, he’ll be more receptive to being held and more social.
A chinchilla can bite, and the bite is painful and can be severe. A chinchilla will bite if it isn’t properly socialized or if it’s been left alone for a long period of time. If your chinchilla doesn’t receive attention from you, he can become aggressive and will bite anyone who tries to pick him up.
If your chinchilla does have an odor, then you’re not cleaning his cage often or adequately enough, or he’s sick. If he’s sick, he’ll need to go to a vet for a diagnosis and treatment. Chinchillas are usually odor-free and if he does develop an odor, then he’ll need to see a vet.
Your chinchilla can use his fur as a defense mechanism. If he feels threatened, your chinchilla can release a patch of fur to aide in his escape. This is known as a fur slip. This is why you should never grab your pet by the fur because if you do, soon he’ll be bald.
Chinchillas do make a variety of unusual noises. Barking is the most common sound, and it’s to warn other chinchillas that’s there’s danger, and they are scared. Your chinchilla may also bark if he hears an unusual noise or if he’s startled.
Chinchillas do make a variety of noises. Below are the noises that your chinchilla may make:
Yes, your chinchilla can throw poop at you. But, the main problem is that chinchillas move around a lot and eliminate as they do it. So, the poop is littering around their cage, and they dig a lot, which can toss poop on the floor.
However, if your chinchilla is frustrated with you because you aren’t paying attention to him or if he’s stressed, he may throw poop at you. He could also throw food and litter on the floor for the same reason.
Before you buy a chinchilla, you need to make sure that one will fit your personality and lifestyle. The secret to purchasing a chinchilla is to a lot of research. It’s also advisable to read about what the potential health problems could crop up and the characteristics of a chinchilla. Some things to think about are:
You should buy your chinchilla from a respected and expert breeder. When you do this, you have the added benefit of seeing the chinchillas when they are awake in the evening. They will be in their home environment, so you can check out the habitat and if it’s kept clean.
Because the breeder has raised the chinchillas, they can tell you all the information you need to know about whichever one you choose. If you see a particular chinchilla you like, the breeder can share their expert knowledge with you. The breeder can tell you about the parents, and you can find out if there any current health issues or behavior problems.
The price of a chinchilla is usually between $150 and $350. This is for a healthy juvenile or an adult. But, the costs can range from $100 to upwards over $400. It all depends on the type of chinchilla and who the breeder is.
The larger cage you can buy, the better off your chinchilla will like it. You need a minimum floor space of 24 by 24 inches. A taller cage is better than a short, squat one because chinchillas love to climb. The cage needs to be made out of wire because a chinchilla can chew right through the plastic.
Line the bottom of the tray with wood shavings but not cedar or pine. Aspen or newspaper is the best kind of liner to use. Avoid a cage that has a wire floor because it can hurt your chinchilla’s feet. You need to provide a nest box made of wood somewhere within the enclosure.
You need to place the cage in a quiet area out of foot traffic. The cage should be placed away from drafts and direct sunlight. Your chinchilla should not be overheated or chilled. The temperature in the enclosure should not be much over 77 degrees, or your pet can have heatstroke.
You will also need a glass water bottle so your chinchilla can’t chew through it. Attach a hopper style feeder outside the cage. This way, your pet won’t tip the food over or pee in it. If you use a ceramic food bowl, it must be cleaned daily.
Yes, it can, but a pen made especially for chinchillas is better.
Chinchillas need a lot of roughage in their diet. A good quality grass and pellets that are made for chinchillas. You should only give treats in moderation. You can also give your pet twigs from apple trees and other trees which are safe for your chinchilla to eat.
It is possible to train a chinchilla to use a litter box for urination, not all of them will do so. If you start at a young age, you have a better chance. But, you can’t train your pet to defecate in one because there isn’t a smell to associate it with training your chinchilla.
Toys are always a plus for your chinchilla. Blocks of wood and branches of trees that are free of pesticides are an excellent choice. Too, you can buy wooden parrot toys and the willow balls and rings that rabbits chew. You can buy a pumice block or a chinchilla block for chewing, which will help keep your pet’s teeth from overgrowing.
If you introduce your chinchilla to a 15-inch wheel at a young age, he will learn to enjoy it. The wheel needs to be on a solid surface with an open side, and no cross supports to catch tails and feet.
Your pet will love to take dust baths to keep his fur silky smooth and absorb oil. He will want to take a dust bath about 2-3 times a week in a plastic or cardboard dust box. It will need to be six x 6 x 9 inches with about two to three inches of chinchilla dust on the bottom. You can find this dust online and at pet stores.
The bath should be offered for about 15 minutes at a time and then removed after he uses it. Your pet will jump in and just roll over and over, enjoying every minute of the dust bath.
Chinchillas are susceptible to heatstroke easily. Perfect temperature for your pet is below 68 degrees F. and can’t withstand heat about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of your pet’s dense fur coat, he would collapse from heatstroke. If your pet collapses, he is in serious trouble because it’s a life-threatening emergency and will need to see the vet immediately.
Your chinchilla will need to see the vet annually to be weighted and have his teeth checked. Chinchillas are prone to developing dental problems like tooth impaction from overgrown teeth. It’s difficult to tell by looking if your pet has lost weight because of the heavy fur coat. Only a vet that regularly deals with chinchillas is savvy enough to feel the root impaction along the underside of your pet’s jawline.
Fur chewing can be a sign of boredom, poor diet, or stress. A chinchilla is a social animal that craves companionship, so it’s always best to buy two. If you move your chinchilla’s cage to another part of the house, it can cause your pet to chew his fur.
Owning a chinchilla can take some special requirements to thrive and stay healthy. Your pet can form a bond with you that will last through the years. For more information, check the link below:
references
https://qualitycage.com/blogs/news/do-chinchillas-make-good-pets
https://petcentral.chewy.com/10-reasons-why-chinchillas-make-amazing-pets/
https://www.petassure.com/new-newsletters/chinchillas-are-fun-and-friendly/
https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/caring-your-chinchilla
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/the-top-10-things-to-know-about-chinchillas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szo0IOydrLs
http://www.pethealthinfo.org.uk/our-guide-to-buying-a-chinchilla
http://chinchillachronicles.com/buying_a_chinchilla.html
Hedgehogs can be put in the same category as other small mammals that are a viable option for a pet. If you want a unique animal for a pet, a hedgehog is a perfect choice.
Hedgehogs aren’t classified as rodents, and your hedgehog won’t bark, meow, or disturb your neighbors with howling when left alone. A hedgehog is a quiet pet except when running on his wheel or exploring his cage.
Hedgehogs are a good beginner pet as long as you are responsible. You need to understand precisely what kind of pet you’re buying. You need to make your hedgehog feel safe and secure. You need to have the right habitat for them.
There are several types of hedgehogs you can choose as a pet. African Pygmy is one of the favorite choices. An African Pygmy is a hybrid of a white-bellied or four-toes hedgehog and the Algerian hedgehog. The reason why it’s called a pygmy is that it’s smaller than the European hedgehog.
Besides the European hedgehogs, there is the Egyptian long-eared hedgehog and the Indian long-eared hedgehog. Also, there have been the breeding of hybrids like the albino and pinto varieties.
If you would like a pet that interacts with you and wants to spend time with you, an African Pygmy hedgehog isn’t always warm and fuzzy. Since hedgehogs are nocturnal, they sleep all day. Hedgehogs don’t always like to cuddle, and some are indifferent to human affection.
But, if you think they would make an excellent pet to have and are willing to be responsible for the care and upkeep, then a hedgehog would be a good pet for you.
When you buy your hedgehog, you should buy only one since they are of a solitary nature and don’t care to share a cage. Unless you’re going to breed hedgehogs, don’t buy a male and female. A female hedgehog can start breeding at 8 weeks, but it’s advisable to let her age 5 months before breeding.
When you’re looking for the perfect hedgehog for you, there are some characteristics and health checks to need to look for:
Another thing is to make sure that you are buying from a reputable breeder. Don’t buy a hedgehog from a backyard breeder or a pet store. It’s because these hedgehogs usually have a poor temperament and die young because of inferior genetics.
When you buy from a reliable breeder, they don’t sell a baby hedgehog until it’s of age. Plus, a young baby hedgehog will bond more strongly with you. Research the breeder you choose thoroughly and ask the questions listed below:
You should never buy a wild hedgehog because it isn’t domesticated and will be unhappy being caged. You can buy one from a pet store, but because there usually isn’t a pedigree, you don’t know what you’re getting. Buying from a breeder is the always best option.
Hedgehog prices vary from $70 to $250. The prices depend on the age, color, breed, and temperament of the hedgehog.
When buying a hedgehog cage, don’t buy one with a wire floor. The rest of the pen can be wire, but a wire floor will hurt your pet’s feet. Don’t buy a cage that’s multi-level without secure protection on the sides of every level. Hedgehogs have very poor eyesight and can fall from heights easily.
The cage you buy needs to be escape-proof and as large as possible. The cage needs to be lined with paper-based bedding or newspaper. Wood shavings or litter meant for cats shouldn’t be used. If your hedgehog eats it, he could get a gastrointestinal obstruction.
A small litter box can be placed in the cage, and your hedgehog can be taught to use it. The litter box needs to be lined with paper and placed in a cage corner.
When purchasing the fluffy bedding, put more than two inches in the cage so your hedgehog can burrow. You need to have some type of box or enclosure that your pet can hide in. You can use, a pet igloo, PVC tubing, half log, wood box, or a tunnel, an exercise wheel is an added plus.
You will need to provide fresh drinking water. A stoppered water bottle is the cleanest choice and easiest. But, if your hedgehog won’t drink from it, then a heavy water bowl is the next choice. You will also need two bowls for eating, one for dry food and one for wet.
When finding a location to put the cage, avoid air conditioners, drafts, heaters, windows, and any other locations where the temperature would fluctuate. If the room temperature is between 75 to 80 degrees, your hedgehog will be healthy and content.
You need to place the cage where your pet will experience both day and night, even though he’s nocturnal. You can have the cage near a lamp or buy a light that’s especially for small animals and mount it on the cage.
Hedgehogs eat a variety of food besides insects. They eat mealworms, fruits, vegetables, waxworms, and crickets. Hedgehogs also eat cooked meat, hedgehog or cat kibble, cooked eggs, and even pinky mice.
You may notice what looks like a spitball sometimes coming from your hedgehog. He will bite and lick something with his mouth that has a new scent. Then he will throw back his head and spit the saliva all over his spines with his tongue. This is called “self-anointing” and is perfectly normal.
Since in the wild, a hedgehog’s food is available at night, that is when your pet will be most awake. Even though your hedgehog is domesticated, he will still maintain the nocturnal lifestyle. Your pet will sleep almost all day and run around on his wheel at night.
If you buy your hedgehog young enough, it’s a good possibility your hedgehog will bond with you. Some hedgehogs don’t like to be handled, some don’t mind, and some are indifferent. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t handle him. You can buy a small animal playpen, so your pet has extra room to run around while you’re handling him.
If your hedgehog feels threatened, he will curl up into a spiny ball. Once he curls up, he’s almost impossible to uncurl. Your pet will stay that way until he feels calm and safe. Don’t try to uncurl him manually because you can hurt his back.
Hedgehogs aren’t dangerous, but sometimes they will bite because they’re curious. Hedgehogs are known for nipping people’s fingers who smoke or have salt on their hands. If your hedgehog bites due to experimenting with taste and smell, just move your fingers away.
A hedgehog may bite if his bedding is changed if he’s startled, if he’s in pain or if it’s a female protecting her litter. Your pet could also bite if he’s been overhandled.
Hedgehogs aren’t little porcupines, but their quills can hurt if you are poked with them. If your pet is nervous until he gets used to being handled, hold him in a small towel until he calms down.
No, they don’t have any scent glands, but if the cage isn’t clean, they will pick up the odor of the cage.
You can bath your hedgehog from time to time.
They do like to swim and will enjoy doing so during a warm bath. Your pet would enjoy swimming in a bathtub or sink as long as it’s disinfected after the bath.
Hedgehogs can get fleas like most small mammals. A hedgehog is also susceptible to worms, pneumonia, and diarrhea. Some common diseases a hedgehog can develop are cancer, heart disease, or a fatty liver. If you notice quill loss, it’s a good indicator that something is wrong.
In the states of California, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Hawaii, Washington D.C., and the five boroughs of New York City, it is illegal to own hedgehogs.
One reason is the health risk that hedgehogs cause. Hedgehogs carry salmonella and foot-and-mouth disease. The best thing you can do is thoroughly wash your hands frequently after handling your pet.
Too, hedgehogs, if released into the wild, could have a negative impact on local ecosystems, according to wildlife experts. Its because the hedgehogs would compete for habitat and food with the native species of the area.
A hedgehog can be an exciting and fun pet as long as you realize the care involved. You have to appreciate the nocturnal aspects of this pet to own one. You need to understand to bond with your pet, he will need to be handled, and given time and attention. If this is done, then your hedgehog will thrive and be interactive with you.
For more information on hedgehogs, check out the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKihpcxC1V4
references:
https://ultimatepethub.com/owning-a-hedgehog-hedgehogs-as-pets-pros-and-cons/
https://pethelpful.com/exotic-pets/raising-hedgehogs
http://www.henryshedgehoghaven.com/good-tips-on-buying-a-hedgehog.html
https://hedgehogged.com/do-hedgehogs-make-good-pets-15-things-to-consider-before-buying/
https://www.thesprucepets.com/what-do-hedgehogs-eat-4588705
Benefits Of Fish Oil For Dogs – Must Read Guide You probably have heard of the advantages of fish oil for people, but have you read about the benefits for your dog? For your dog, the most common supplement which can be added to his diet is fish oil. It comes from salmon, mullet, tuna, […]
How Often Do Axolotls Eat And Whats The Best Food Axolotls are amazing amphibious salamander type creatures that are found in freshwater lakes and ponds in Mexico and they are best characterized by happy, young looking, smiling faces which makes them very attractive to keep as pets. They don’t grow past juvenile stage in terms […]