As many of you know who have followed Dakota’s blog for some time now, I consider myself to be a “dog hobbyist or a pet parent.” Dakota is the first dog that I have had the pleasure of sharing my home and life with as an adult, and the only other dog that I shared my life with was a Boxer named Brandy when I was a toddler. As a “dog hobbyist or a pet parent” there are red-flag topics that I felt that I wouldn’t broach on his blog, and were better left to those in the dog blogging world that I consider to be “Dog Experts, (either by virtue of their “pedigree” or their life experience).” What topics are those?
Health and Nutrition
I have always felt if I were going to attempt to discuss my red flag topics it would boil down to regurgitating information from the internet, but much of that information is difficult to understand, and taking the time to peruse it? Much worse! For those of you who are like me, “dog hobbyists or pet parents” and need and would like information and guidance from those that ARE “in-the-know”, our prayers have been answered! Enter the book Health and Nutrition for DOGS and CATS: A Guide for Pet Parents by David G. Wellock, which I am delighted to say was sent to me by the author, to share with all of YOU!
Click on the book cover to visit the publisher Rowman.com
FROM THE PUBLISHER: Health and Nutrition for DOGS and CATS: A Guide for Pet Parents by David G. Wellock is timely, informative, and delivers sensible information on topics of importance to all pet owners. From reading pet food labels to storing food, from understanding appropriate calorie intake to food allergies, David Wellock helps readers better understand the dietary needs of their dogs and cats.
David G. Wellock is a “seasoned expert in the care and feeding of dogs and cats. He provides fact-filled, no nonsense, understandable information on the topics pet parents need to know in order to purchase and prepare food and develop an appropriate diet for their furry charges.”
For me, this is not a book that I would sit and read the way I would a novel, rather, it is an invaluable resource that I will refer to again and again. Take a look at a few of the chapter topics and you will see why:
- The Rise of Pet Foods
- Shopping for your Pet’s Food
- How to Read a Pet Food Package
- Nutrition and Osteoarthritis
- Dental Details
- Urinary Disorders
- The Scoop on Poop
Want to know?
- About grain-free diets?
- Red-flag ingredients that should NEVER be in the food that you purchase
One of my personal favorites from this book is a list of:
Dave’s Table Scrap Rules:
- Leftovers designated for your pets should consist of lean meats and veggies
- All things in moderation
- Portion control
Just to name a few!
What I love about Dave, (yes, “Dave!” is that his writing style isn’t lecturing, condescending or “preachy”, his style is such that you feel as if you can have a conversation with him without feeling intimidated!) also, that after fourteen years in the pet food business (he had opened his own store!), he is “still learning about cats and dogs and their nutrition and health issues.” Dave says: ” Much of the knowledge I have acquired over these years has come to me as a result of interaction with customers and their pets. My store became my school, and my customers and their pets my teachers. My opinions are anecdotal rather than scientific, based on my experiences in dealing with thousands of customers and their pets. Hopefully whatever passes for wisdom and insight on the pages of this book will benefit you, my fellow two-footers, in your dealings with those furry family members sharing your life.”
There you have it, a book written for the “dog hobbyist” (as I like to refer to myself) or as Dave lovingly says “parent of a pet” or “paropet.” A book written in language that even I can make sense of, I am certain that you will be able to as well!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David G. Wellock is the owner/operator of a franchised Global Pet Foods store in St.Catharines, Ontario, Canada, where he currently resides.
ONE LUCKY PERSON WHO RESIDES IN THE USA WILL BE ABLE TO ENTER TO WIN A SIGNED COPY (A $36 value!)!
HOW TO ENTER: just leave a comment telling me what your dog’s (or cat’s or pig’s or whatever!) favorite food is (the “favorite food” can be “people food” or commercial!) The give-away is open NOW and will end MONDAY JUNE 17TH AT 5PM. Comments that do NOT follow the requirement will be disqualified. WINNER will be chosen by random.org and will be announced WEDNESDAY JUNE 19th.
Good luck!
If you can’t wait to see who wins the contest, you can purchase Health and Nutrition for DOGS and CATS: A Guide for Pet Parents, in either hardcover form or as an ebook by visiting the publisher by clicking here, or visiting Amazon by clicking here, or visiting Barnes & Noble by clicking here.
Dakota's Den 
Bullet loves chicken!
Which cat? Buggy loves strawberries, kiwi and cow milk. Bubby loves cheese doodles, peanut butter, chips and poptarts. Boo loves his pumpkin and cantaloupe. Bitty likes tortilla shells.
Looks interesting, will check it out 🙂
Ohhhh, sounds like a great, informative book!
Favorite foods? Oreo – CHEESE!
Chewy – anything that once walked the earth
That is such a loaded topic! My sister likes anything that is considered edible, I am a bit more selective but I love chicken jerky…not from China, of course, and my own homemade treats!
Food!? I love everything edible especially cheese and yoghurt. I love raw veggies too, they are crunchy and yummy!
Love,
Eva
Now that sounds like a book right up my ally!
All my pups eat Orijen and LOVE it! They also love any human food they can get their paws onto!
Cody loves raw carrots, but his favorite food is ice cream….I know, I’m a bad mommy, but he loves it.
For both my guys – there favorite food is ANYTHING I give them – they are not fussy eaters at all although I do have to be really careful with Reilly’s food allergies.I really don’t think they have one favorite – all food in general is their favorite 🙂
sounds like a very informative book…too bad I don’t have both pet.
Good luck to all american dogs and kitties! It sounds interesting and I like that it is a book for dogs AND cats – that’s cool! I like seafood – think I must be a kitty too :o)
Maya and Pierson love all kinds of food! I used to feed them a basic grocery store brand of food. After Sephi passed, we switched to a better quality brand. But I’m still not sure if I am doing a good job of making sure they get the proper nutrition. This book would be very helpful.
My kitties love Temptation cat treats. Thank you for the giveaway.
Sue B
Wow! I have pretty much the same feelings as you about my knowledge in the area of pet food. I cringe doing reviews because there is always someone who knows more about it than I do who has to chime in. The book sounds like a great reference to have handy!
After yesterday, I’d have to say that Bunny’s favorite food is Frosty Paws or ice cream. She tried stealing my Ben and Jerry’s, the little imp!
Ha even as a vet tech I’m not comfortable bringing up the subject of dog food very much LOL. Exotic pet diet is a different story though. The book sounds great and seems like a great resource for pet parents!
Oh well Finn loves some uncooked spaghetti and Charley loves his blueberries. BOL!
I hear you on this one – we don’t even have human food figured out yet, so it’s even more difficult for pet parents to figure out nutrition for their pets! I remember eagerly wanting to buy the “best” food for Eko, but quickly realizing that there is no one “best” food. The best food is the one that works for your pet – and that food can be different for each pet. Always like to stay informed and this book looks like a good read – thanks for sharing.
Actually my three furbabies love food and will eat ANYTHING. Oddly, the one food they go “bananas” over are tangerines. We can’t open a tangerine without looking down and staring at 3 sets of eyes looking up at us.
I’m really lucky in that Gizmo is not a picky eater…He loves his kibble (Fromm’s Grain Free) and in people food he likes veggies like broccoli as well as any meat and fish scraps I feed him…He really loves sardines and salmon
I bet my mom would love this book! She is always trying to learn more about what I should be eating. And I am always trying to get more of what I am eating 😉 But my most favorite? Tricky…I’ll have to go with Stella & Chewy’s freeze dried raw food 🙂
I think I would have previously said Carrots are my favorite food, but after the last few weeks my firm favorite is now Coconut Oil for sure – Yum Yum! Sounds like a great book!
Wags to all
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Lexie loves chicken, Mica loves beef and not chicken. The one thing I have learned after having dogs all my life and many breeds is that each one teaches me something new and I never know everything on any topic 🙂
Great review! Sharing.
It’s difficult to pick one favorite, especially with one beagle who loves just about everything…..but if I had to pick one for all of them I’d say peanut butter! My hubby loves to snack on pb and crackers, and when he does, he is surrounded by dogs! 🙂
The book sounds like a really great resource!
Sounds like an interesting book. I love all the information available now to make educational decisions about nutrition and diet.
Sounds like a great resource. What to feed the dog is one of those topics, like religion and politics, that I never bring up! Some folks are very, um, passionate about the topic!
“Paropet” is such a great word! I love, love, love bananas. When my human daddy is in town, we share a banana every morning. I just get very tiny bites, but they sure are yummy bites!
Nestle’s favorite food is sliced american cheese from the deli. No cheddar, mozzarella, or white american. No other people food or cat treats. She is a weird cat. 🙂
I have labs, they love all foods. BUT if I had to pin it down to one, I’d say cheese. They really love cheese!
My Sheltie Dallas eats kibble. Although not a picky eater, sometimes I will open a bag of the brand she has been eating and she will not go near it. Makes me wonder what she smells in it that is bad. I am now attempting to learn how to decipher the ingredient labels in an effort to find the best food for her. Her favorite treat? Homemade! She sits and waits while they bake. 🙂