Boston Terriers, or Boston Bull Terriers, are prone to allergies, so if your dog scratches or licks his or her feet a lot, you might want to consider making home made dog food. If your dog has an allergy, you can be a detective and discover what foods are involved. Keep track of what foods your Boston Terrier eats at what times, and when he or she appears to be uncomfortable.
Like humans, dogs need to have a balanced diet containing protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Some good sources of protein include hard-boiled eggs, 2% fat cottage cheese, and hard tofu. Good, easily digestible carbohydrate sources include the following: brown or white cooked long grain rice, baked white potatoes with their skins, baked sweet potatoes without skins, enriched cooked spaghetti, cooked oats, cooked pearled barley, cooked couscous, and dry tapioca. To get precise recipes for putting these ingredients together, ask your regular veterinarian or seek advice from a veterinary school or veterinary nutritionist.
Some vets and nutritionists recommend nutritional provide all that a dog needs for good nutrition. Calcium, for instance, can be a problem, and some experts recommend Tums to provide enough calcium for healthy bones. This is especially important to puppies who are growing.
Some foods to avoid include: onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, chocolate, raw meat, coffee, mushrooms, apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, unbaked bread dough, alcohol, nutmeg, and chicken bones. Onions and garlic contain thiosulphate, which can cause hemolytic anemia, meaning that the dog抯 red blood cells are destroyed by the immune system. Raisins and grapes can cause kidney failure by an unknown mechanism. Macadamia nuts can cause digestive upset, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, tremors, and stiffness. The nuts are not deadly, but obviously cause discomfort. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, two closely related chemicals that stimulate the nervous system. Your Boston terrier can become hyperactive with abnormal panting or urination, muscle twitches, and increased blood pressure and pulse rate. Coffee, containing caffeine, is dangerous for the same reason. This nervous system overstimulation can lead to death. Some kinds of mushrooms can leadto vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and death. Raw meat can contains bacteria such as E.coli, which can be deadly. The fruits mentioned above contain a cyanide compound which human can handle harmlessly, but which can be toxic to dogs. Unbaked bread dough can cause abdominal discomfort due to gas. Small amounts of alcohol can be poisonous to dogs because they are much more sensitive to it than we are, and that is especially true of a small breed like a Boston Bull. Nutmeg also affects a dog抯 nervous system and should be avoided. Chicken bones can splinter in a dog抯 digestive system.
Remember, get a good plan for adequate nutrition for your Boston Terrier, and you two can enjoy each other for many years
