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Thinking of moving up to the Europa range of Grain Free dog food? A number of issues might cross your mind regarding the Europa range of Gtain Free dog food and what it will do for both you and your dog – well below are just a few points that might help answer some of those questions.
The entire Europa range of Grain Free dog food contains a pre-biotic which can help to rid your dog of harmful bacteria from their intestine, especially if your dog has eaten something it shouldn’t have! read more (go the paragraph about pre-biotics) Many dog’s are also sensitive to certain ingredients contained in a dog food, however Europa Grain Free dog food excludes all the most common allergens to ensure that it remains kind and gentle even dogs with a sensitive stomach.
The next most common cause of such a condition after parasites is your dog’s diet. Europa’s carefully balanced, hypoallergenic nutritional diet, with the inclusion of both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, will help to restore your dog’s skin and coat back to its full and natural healthy state within a surprisingly short space of time. read more (go the paragraph about Omega 3 and 6)
Quite simply, no.
A Europa Grain Free diet means your dog will be receiving all the food, nutrients and vitamins it requires for a long, healthy and active life. Dogs tend not to react well to the chopping and changing of their diet, but welcome small additions to it. So we would recommend you sticking to a Europa diet, but on occasion adding some tit-bits to the bowl or even adding some meat gravy.
Remember, dogs have very few taste buds – they mainly taste with their nose, so if it smells good, as far as a dog is concerned, it will taste good!
As we have stated many times, Europa is classed as a Grain Free dog food. This means that in order to classify for this label, it must use high quality ingredients from top quality sources, contain a certain high level of protein and have included in the recipe other minerals and vitamins that promote a high quality of life for your dog.
Further to this, Europa is a member of the “Campaign for Real Pet Food” www.crpf.org.uk and we would encourage you to check out their web site and see what they and we stand for.
Europa is one of the most affordable of all the super premium dog foods, partly because it is made in the U.K. and partly because the philosophy of our company is in value for money. Europa offers optimum nutrition, it is cheaper per day than tinned food and mixer and in the long run, you can expect your dog to live a healthier and more active life as a result of feeding him or her on Europa Grain Free dog food.
By choosing to feed your dog on a Europa Grain Free dog food diet, you are making a positive statement regarding the health and vitality of your dog. When moving up to Europa from your dog’s previous food, it is very important that you introduce the food slowly to their diet.
We recommend this because a dog’s stomach can be sensitive to nutritional changes, often by way of looser stools. This is a very common, short term occurrence (i.e. up to 1 week) and you should neither be alarmed or concerned (if it occurs any longer than that we advise you to consult your local vet). As a consequence of the above, we recommend that you observe the following 6 day change over routine to assist your dog in moving up to a Europa Grain Free food:
Signs and symptons your dog is on the wrong diet
If your dog suffers from any of these symptoms you could be feeding your dog the wrong diet?
Itchy Skin
Moulting
Obesity
Tooth Tartar & Gum Disease
Upset Digestion
Poo Eating (Coprophagia/Pica)
Anal Glands
Tear Staining
Behaviour Problems
Fussy Eaters
Low cost foods may be causing these problems due to their ingredients i.e
Cereals, wheat, wheat gluten, artificial colours or flavours.
Help reduce any of the problems above by giving your dog a better diet.
SYMPTOMS OF FULL ANAL GLANDS?
Scooting (rubbing his/her bottom on the floor), and an itchy/smelly bottom are signs that your dog has full anal glands. Read on to discover what could be causing these problems and how they can be diet related.
WHAT CAUSES FULL ANAL GLANDS?
The anal glands are located on either side of the anus. They usually contain a foul-smelling matter which is expelled at urination and/or defecation and acts as a territory marker. A secondary function of these glands is to act as the body’s dustbin in that they are a means of collecting and discharging waste matter from the system. If the anal glands fill up causing discomfort and regularly require emptying, it is due to a low-quality diet which creates an excess of waste matter in the system.
SYMPTOMS OF UPSET DIGESTION
The common symptoms of digestive problems are loose bowel motions, occasional vomiting, abdominal discomfort or swelling, flatulence; passing blood or mucous or straining.
CAUSE OF UPSET DIGESTION
Whatever name is given to the disorder, be it colitis, gastro-enteritis, indigestion, allergy, infection, etc., persistent or recurring upset to the digestive system is usually caused by a diet which is unsuitable in some way. Allergy/intolerance to a food ingredient should always be considered as a possible cause of a persistent problem. Ingredients of low quality or poor digestibility, high fat content and chemical additives such as colourings are other possible causes. Overfeeding aggravates the problem by reducing digestibility and putting more demands on the digestive system.
UNUSUAL OR DISGUSTING EATING HABITS.
The craving for unusual foods is known as abnormal or depraved appetite or pica.
WHY DO DOGS EAT POO?
The most common misconception is that poo-eating is a sign that something is lacking in the diet. Another misunderstanding is that perhaps the poo contains undigested food. In my opinion, coprophagia (poo-eating) is probably a symptom of low-grade ill-health, probably of the digestive system. This is usually caused by poor quality food or over-feeding or a combination of the two. This applies equally to puppies and adult dogs.
WHAT CAUSES ITCHY SKIN & ECZEMA?
Skin disease can be very complicated and diagnosis can be a mine field. Food allergy/intolerance should always be considered in cases of chronic or recurring skin disorders. Dogs and cats are often diagnosed or suspected of being “allergic” to multiple food ingredients, grass, fleas, house mites, chemicals in the diet, furnishings and so on. These diagnoses are not always reliable. Even allergy testing can give false positive results. Besides, allergy testing could detect food intolerance. An important cause of itchy skin is the build-up of toxic waste in the body. Production of waste products is a normal part of the metabolic process but when this is excessive (due to poor quality food, fed to excess), these wastes accumulate and can interfere with normal healthy function. Itchy skin is often the first sign of this and an early warning that things are going wrong in the pet’s immune system.
WHAT IS TEAR STAINING?
Tear staining is usually seen in small and toy breeds with light coloured coats such as the Bichon Frise or Westie. These dogs often have runny eyes where the tears stain the hair on the face a pinkish-brown colour. The staining is commonly thought to be caused by blocked tear ducts but it is our experience that this staining can be corrected by adjusting the dog’s diet. It is recommended you feed a hypo-allergenic, natural diet if your dog has tear staining as this fur discolouration may be caused by a food allergy or a reaction to unsuitable ingredients such as colourings or artificial preservatives.
WHY DO DOGS BECOME FUSSY?
When giving our pets treats it makes us feel happy and it is great that we are a nation which cares so much, but in many cases this kindness is actually causing long term health problems for our pets. The reality can be hard to hear but the main reason dogs go of their food is because the owner is giving them too much food and they are just not hungry enough to eat it all. Overtime, giving too much food or encouraging your dog to eat more food can result in health problems including obesity and digestive upset.
HAS YOUR DOG TRAINED YOU?
Does this cycle sound familiar? The dog isn’t hungry so he leaves some (even all) of his food. You decide that he no longer likes the food so you buy him something else in order to get him to eat. The dog will eat the new food for a while (especially if it is higher in fat/sugar/salt) until he tires of the new food. You then seek out something else in order to stimulate the dog’s jaded appetite…and so the cycle continues. Unfortunately, to break this cycle, as an owner you may have to be a little tougher and follow our feeding programme on the following page.
“I don’t think I am overfeeding because my dog is not greedy and will only eat a bit of food before walking away…” If your dog regularly picks at his food and leaves food behind, this means he is eating as much as he wants rather than as much as he needs. Unfortunately, it means he is not hungry enough to eat everything you are offering. As long as he is healthy, active and not losing weight, our advice is to gradually reduce the amount you are offering until he is clearing his bowl. “My dog is not fat so I can’t be feeding too much food…” Dog owners often feel they are not overfeeding their dog because the dog is not fat. However, excess food doesn’t always result in fat dogs. Overfeeding can cause a number of other health problems. The extra food waste can fill up in the anal glands or can be discharged by the body, causing issues such as tear staining, occasional vomiting or diarrhoea.
Help reduce any of the problems above by giving your dog a better diet.