Pet food labels and terms can be a bit confusing so here is a list of commonly listed ingredients to help you determine which to choose for your dog.

Meat: Meat incorporates the flesh of cows, sheep, chicken and turkeys. This flesh can include parts such as the diaphragm, hearts, tongue, skeletal muscle, fat, nerves, blood vessels and sinew. Pet foods that list meat as the first ingredient are generally of a superior kind.

Meat-by-products: Meat-by-products are defined by the AAFCO as including blood, brain, spleen, liver, lungs, bone, intestines and stomach; they should not include the hooves, teeth or hair of the animal. When choosing a dog food, it is best to select a brand that lists meat as a primary ingredient rather than meat-by-products.

Poultry-by-products: Poultry-by-products are the heart, kidneys, intestines, stomach and lungs of poultry as well as the heads and feet. Poultry-by-products should not include feathers.

Fish Meal: Fish meal is defined by the AAFCO as being the flesh of fish that hasn’t decomposed and it may or may not contain fish oil.

Corn Gluten Meal: Corn gluten meal is derived from the manufacturing of corn syrup and starch. It is the by-product of the manufacturing process and doesn’t contain any germ, starch or bran. It is generally used as filler and provides “empty” calories, i.e. Void of any nutritional benefits.

Brewers Rice: Brewers rice is derived the fragments that result from the milling of rice. It is fragments of the kernels of rice which have been removed from larger kernels during processing.

BHA: or butylated hydroxyanisole, is a food preservative and antioxidant added to foods to preserve oils and fats.

Ethoxyquin: Ethoxyquin is an antioxidant usually added to animal feeds to prevent the loss of fat and vitamins A and E.

Tocopherols: Tocopherols are basically vitamin E compounds that are added to food to provide a source of vitamin E and they also function as a natural food preservative.

Since dogs are the most common house pet, let us start with them. When it comes to dog pet care you should consider comfort and amusement. Dogs love to play and they love to run. So before you even decide to buy a dog you should take into consideration the place where you and your dog can play. They are a very social animal that’s why if possible you should provide a place for them to have fun with you and your family. Dogs also like comfort, so as the owner you should provide a comfortable space for them to sleep and relax. When it comes to feeding your dog you have two options. One, is you can buy dog foods available in the market. Most dog foods already include all the daily vitamins that the dog will need.

Second option is to feed him real food from your home. Dogs as we all know love to chew on chicken bones, but that shouldn’t be the only thing you give them. You can also add chicken meat, vegetables and boiled rice. You should also ask your veterinarian regarding the vitamins or supplements that your dog needs. Just like humans they also have daily requirements of calcium, and other vitamins.

Lastly, for dogs and all other animals vaccination is needed. This is to prevent them to be able to protect them from disease. Better to do this while they are still young. Just like humans they can also get sick. Some of the most common sickness among dogs are the following: Vomiting and diarrhea, blood in urine and itching and scratching due to skin infection. These can all be prevented if they are properly given vaccines.

Another common house pet are fishes. Pet care for fishes is very meticulous. Before you even bring home your fish you should be able to prepare the aquarium that the fish will be living in. The water inside the aquarium should be treated. You should put water inside the tank and allow it to settle for a few days then add rocks and you can now run the filter and the air pump. Now that the aquarium is ready you can now put your fish there. Feeding them is another part of pet care. Fish food that can be purchased commercially should be approved by the vet.