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Something which is of great concern to many dog owners is knowing how much they should be feeding their pet for its best health and condition. And while every dog is different (just like every human) there are certain guidelines that can be followed that make things a lot easier.
Firstly, consider the quality of the food you are using. You will need to feed much less of a high quality food than a cheap supermarket or bulk food. This is simply because the quality of the ingredients is much higher and there won't be much (if anything) in the way of 'fillers' which provide no nutritional benefit for the dog. It is actually a misconception that 'cheap' brands are in fact cheaper. In reality, most of them actually work out to be more expensive as you need to feed so much more.

Most petfood brands provide guidelines on the bag for how much to feed but these really are only a guideline. On the Petfood Direct website at www.petfooddirect.co.nz/feed-calculator/ we provide a feeding calculator; simply enter the weight of your dog and the selected formula and it will tell you the ideal amount to feed, again depending on the age and activity level of your pet.Bear in mind that if you are feeding your dog other things (such as food scraps) you should cut down on the recommended daily quantity suggested on the dog food packaging.
Once you have a rough idea of how much you should be feeding on a daily basis, you should monitor the effects on your dog and adjust if necessary. As a general rule, always err on the low side in the amount you feed. Most dog owners feed their dog too much, and as a result have issues with obesity developing over time. It is far better to start with less food and increase the quantity if your dog starts to lose weight and condition. This is much easier to deal with than trying to reduce your dog's weight.

Finally, and most importantly, don't fret over your dog's eating habits and the amount you feed. No dog ever starved from missing a meal or from being hungry. By monitoring the results the food has you will soon get a good idea of what is the best amount to feed your dog.

Pro Pac cat food is now back in stock. Our apologies for any inconvenience; we were caught by surprise at how popular it was.

Some of the Pro Pac dog formulas we were out of are also back.If you're not familiar with the Pro Pac cat food (and if you have a cat!) it is extremely high quality. It is one of the very few foods on the market to contain lysine, a highly beneficial natural ingredient that aids bone growth and eyesight in cats. It is very high in meat and protein and cats love it!
As with the dog range there are no by-products or fillers and it has only natural ingredients. We also have samples available which can be ordered direct from the website or by giving us a call.

We've recently made some big changes to the main page of our website. In particular we've included some important information about pet food (and Pro Pac) that you might find very interesting.

In researching other dog food brands we also discovered something very interesting. Apart from the vastly superior ingredients in Pro Pac (which means you will probably end up with a different dog with minimal if any health problems) Pro Pac actually works out cheaper than most of the supermarket brands (such as Beneful).We have compared the energy levels of each food and you'll see that to provide the same amount of energy (kilocalories) with Pro Pac you can feed a LOT less. So a bag goes a LOT further.
Check out the comparison chart on our website www.petfooddirect.co.nz (about halfway down the page).

The warehouse is now back in full swing so if you are needing more Pro Pac supplies remember you can order online at www.petfooddirect.co.nz or give us a call anytime (24/7) tollfree on 0800 364 366. We normally get the order on the courier to you on the same day.

It has been said that if you were to ask ten dog owners for their opinions on the right food to feed a dog you will get twelve different answers! It seems everyone has an opinion, and knows the "facts" about dog food that they have "heard" somewhere. Of course, a lot of the blame for the confusion can be laid at the feet of the petfood manufacturing companies themselves. After all, when you look at the poor ingredients that are used in many foods you can't help wondering how the company concerned could have the conscience to market it as a "complete nutrition" for dogs, let alone with all the marketing hype that is found in most dog food advertising.
All this has led to many owners literally "throwing the baby out with the bath water" and denouncing anything that isn't pure raw meat as bad food dogs. Without wishing to get into the debate over the merits or otherwise of a raw diet for dogs (apart from saying that many dogs I have observed on a raw food diet do not seem particularly healthy), the truth is that a dried dog food can not only be convenient and economical for the dog owner, it can also be extremely beneficial for the dog.

A common ingredient in dried dog food is corn. For some reason (no doubt something to do with information spread by petfood sellers whose brands don't include it), it seems to have something of a negative connotation. Some people say it is unnatural, not well digested by a dog, of no nutritional value and simply a cheap filler used by companies to keep their prices down and their sales up.But let's look at some facts and we will find that corn is not only NOT harmful to dogs, it is also highly beneficial.
Corn is a carbohydrate and is thus an energy source. Dogs need a lot of energy, and corn is a very good way to provide it. Corn is one of the most digestible carbohydrates, with a 99% digestibility. This is why it has been described as "probably the perfect carbohydrate for dogs" by a number of nutritional experts.

The other reason corn is viewed negatively is because of the view that it can cause allergies. However, it is one of the least causes of allergies of any ingredient of dog food. In a study of 278 cases of food allergies for dogs where the cause was clearly identified, drone was way down on the list. Far ahead of it were beef, dairy products and wheat. Of the 278 cases of allergies in the study, only 7 were caused by corn.Corn is also not a "cheap" filler. Human-grade corn (particularly when it is not genetically modified as is the case with Pro Pac) is not cheap to produce or buy.
As long as corn is not the FIRST (and therefore the main) ingredient in a food, it can be a highly beneficial component of the overall food for a dog. In fact there have been many reported cases of dogs that, when corn was removed from their diet, lost weight and coat condition and had a big drop in energy levels.

If you have heard that corn is "bad" and a "cheap filler" then you only need to look at the many dogs in magnificent condition who have a quality dried food that contains corn to know that corn is actually a highly beneficial ingredient. 

Have you ever noticed how much your dog scratches itself? It's an interesting question and the truth is that most dog owners don't really give a second thought to the amount of scratching their dog does.

In fact, many dog owners simply accept that a dog which often licks or scratches itself is perfectly normal. However, the truth is that your dog shouldn't scratch itself any more than you do (which presumably isn't that often).Observe your dog over an hour or so and notice how much is scratches or licks itself. If it is more often than a couple of times then you may have a problem. Think of it from your pet's perspective - if it is scratching a lot it obviously has some sort of skin irritation which will be at the least annoying for it, and it may even be causing it discomfort or pain. If it is an obvious issue then it should be addressed.
The first thing most people think of as the cause of scratching is fleas. In actual fact, this is one of the least reasons your dog may have an irritation. Of course, if possible you can inspect the dog's skin and fur to see if there is any evidence of fleas. If it is not immediately obvious then it is best to look for other (and more likely) causes.

Some animals can react to things in its environment. These included natural elements such as grasses, pollens and plants. A change in season can set off allergic reactions, and are more common in the summer and spring. This is because many of the offending substances are present in the air. Dogs can often be outside more during these seasons as well.Both fleas and natural irritants can be combatted with medicines from a vet or pet shop. However, before going to that trouble and expense there is one other allergy-causing factor that you should look at closely - the food you are feeding your dog.
In fact, allergies caused by ingredients in dog food is one of the most common causes of skin problems in dogs. If you are not feeding a quality food you can be almost certain that it will be the cause of the problem.

It is a simple fact that you cannot feed things to your dog that don't agree with it without it trying to eliminate it from its system. The ways its body will try to do this include runny stools, bad breath and body odor - and skin rashes and sores.All of the following dog food ingredients are common causes of allergies in dogs. Most of them have no place in an animal's diet:

• Beef
• Animal fat
• Wheat
• Soy
• Dairy products
• Cereal by-products
• Artificial flavourings, colourings and preservatives

If your dog suffers from any of the symptoms above check out the ingredients of the food you are using. Also be very mindful of any additional foods you allow the dog to eat such as table scraps.

Many people have the attitude that the dog can just eat anything. They seem to think that a smelly dog that scratches a lot is "normal". However the same people are not very happy when they run up an expensive vet bill.The food you feed your dog does make a massive difference to its health and wellbeing. It need not cost you any more as with a decent food you feed less anyway. But putting a little bit of care into what you feed will definitely be worth it.