Nutritional Research Boosts Development of Dog Food

Evolution in dog food has come a long way and new dog food trends emerge every year. As knowledge about dog nutrition increases more and more specific dog foods hit the market place. Veterinary nutrition has become a mature science that strives at discovering the essential food nutrients and their optimum dosage.

It is believed that the life span of our beloved pets has increased due to the revolution in cat and dog food. Estimates are that the life expectancy of dogs has increased by 3 years in the last 15 years because of the developments in dog food.

Nowadays we have breed specific dog food, health stage specific dog food, prescription dog food and natural and holistic dog food. Dog food history shows us the evolution from table scraps to ultra-premium dog food based on the dog’s personal DNA profile (the latest addition).

Objectives of Dog Food Change in Time

The very basic objective of dog food is to sustain and maintain your dog’s body. Dog food should contain at least contain the minimum amounts of amino acids, minerals, vitamins and fats to comply with this objective. To also deliver energy to your dog so he can run and play there must be sufficient amounts of carbohydrates and fats present. The very first commercial dog food (beginning 19th century) did nothing more than that as it was high in sugar and starch.

In the nineties dog food was developed based on physiological differences between the different dog breeds. Also size, age and activity level was taken into account. In this century dog food has become more advanced. The dog genome has been sequenced and more knowledge is gained about the relation between food nutrients and disease or between calorie restriction and life span. More knowledge is gained about breed specific diseases and nutritional requirements. And as we also see in the human food business, health food is big business. Health and wellness is a dog food trend driver in itself. Nutraceuticals gain more attention and the development of these has not stopped.

On top of the basic objectives (sustain the body + deliver energy) we want dog food nowadays to help prevent certain diseases. Manufacturers enrich dog food with supplements such as anti oxidants, prebiotics for dogs, probiotics for dogs, glucosamine, omega-3 and omega-6.

Marketing Tactics Come Into Play and Drive Dog Food Trends

As more and more different dog food products hit the market, competition grows and marketing becomes very important for a food manufacturer. Buzz words and health claims are printed on dog food bags, with beautiful pictures of healthy happy dogs running in the woods towards a bowl of dog food with fresh peas and risotto. Dog food has become big business. The millions of dollars are to be divided by the top dog food companies whereas niche players are trying to get a bite of this by delivering super premium dog food or specialized dog food for dogs with health problems.

The marketing department is greatly inspired by the trend of pet humanization or anthropomorphism. Dog owners start calling themselves pet parents and are treating their canine companion as little humans with fur. This is all fine of course as long as everybody’s happy. Though there are risks involved. Amongst others: Dogs will be dogs and they have different nutritional needs than humans. That pizza that you love is certainly not the best meal for your furry friend. So ignore dog food names such as ‘Chinese take out with vegetables and chicken’ and turn around the bag to read the dog food label.

Dog Food Trends where Science is the Driver

The most recent step in dog food evolution is the approach to speed up recovery from specific illnesses. Certain nutrients are now added or removed from the dog food recipe. So with prescription dog food and curative dog food, the evolution of dog food has progressed one step further since we got from feeding to prevention.

Dog Food Trends where ‘Back to Nature’ is the Driver

Another recent trend in commercial dog food is the development of natural dog food and holistic dog food. A lot of emphasis is displayed for the human-grade ingredients that are used. Holistic dog food is about looking after the well-being of the whole animal and not just the individual parts.

Perhaps the biggest competitor for commercial dog food is home made diets. In emerging markets most dogs are still fed table scraps as their main diet. However, in developed markets the food penetration levels are between 50 and 75% when one looks at the proportion of calories that are coming from commercial dog food. This means that there is still growing potential for ready made dog food as convenience is also a big market driver. Home-cooked meals and leftovers will continue to compete against commercial dog food especially with the big recall of March 2007 in mind. A lot of concerned dog owners turned to the art of canine cuisine and even dog food cooking classes emerged.

And we will probably continue to see new dog food trends. Science continues, the market changes, new dog food ingredients are developed and dog food recalls and environmental awareness change the dog food landscape.

For more information about dog allergies visit http://www.Best-Dog-Food-Guide.com Here you will find much more dog food related information. Subscribe to the e-zine to receive the free e-book ‘A bit of Tender, Love and Care for Dogs’.

To stay tuned to dog food news and trends please pay a visit to http://www.dog-food-blog.com
All the best, Barbara.

The roar of the crowd as the cars rush by, the sense of excitement in the air. Is it the Indy 500? No, it is RC racing! RC racing, or remote control racing also known as radio control, is a quickly growing hobby segment that appeals to both young and old, and men and women.

RC cars are popular at a hobby level, for creating and putting the cars together, or even taking it to the next level with professional tuning and racing. You can purchase RC cars as a kit in an unassembled form or completely assembled and rtr or ready to run condition.

What Types of RC Cars Are There?

The selection for RC cars is huge and growing every day. You can choose cars in almost any body type that you desire, in any color and any style. However, there are a few main distinctions that you will need to make before you choose any car for the first time.

You can choose from:

1) Gas powered or electric

2) On road racing models or off-road models

3) Assembled or non-assembled

4) Car or Truck

These are the main choices, however once you choose what type you are looking for, you will still have many style choices as well as engine choices to make.

Gas Powered or Electric?

The biggest decision that will have to make when you choose an RC car is whether it is powered by nitro gasoline or an electric battery pack. There are pros and cons to both types, and ultimately you need to decide what type of power is best for your needs and what you want your RC car to achieve.

Electric RC Cars

Electric remote control cars are an excellent choice if you are just getting started in the world of RC cars. They are typically easier to care for, and much easier to maintain than their gas powered counter parts. An electric car will make a great starter car because they are generally less expensive than a nitro car, so you can take the time to practice and perfect your driving skills before laying down a lot of money.

Electric cars are run on batteries. The batteries are assembled into battery packs that usually have a recharging capability. This is much more cost effective than cars that require new batteries. However it can also be time consuming having to recharge your battery pack, so if you do not like to wait, a spare battery pack is likely a good investment.

You can purchase electric RC cars for any budget, so you should choose a car that is suitable for your needs. Electric cars typically go slower than a nitro car, however you can purchase electric cars that will achieve high speeds.

It is important to remember when you buy a new electric car you must break in the motor slowly in order to extend the motor life and allow the engine to achieve its full potential. When you break in the motor, you simply start running the car at a slower speed and gradually bring it up to speed. If you do not want to take the time to break in an engine you can purchase cars ready to run. In most cases, these cars are ready to go and the motors are already broken in.

Nitro Gas Cars

RC cars that run on nitro gasoline are the most popular and fastest growing segment of remote control cars. With nitro vehicles, you can buy the popular trucks that will take jumps at high speeds and go off road driving. Alternatively, if speed is more your thing, look for the racecars that are meant to speed along pavement, tracks or other prepared surfaces.

As with electric RC cars, you can purchase ready to run cars or kits in varying states of assembly. Nitro RC vehicles typically run faster than electric vehicles and you can find some that will go 70mph right out of the box.

Gas powered RC vehicles run on a specially formulated fuel made especially for RC cars. Most nitro vehicles have a pull start engine similar to a lawnmower for easy starting. Because nitro cars are more complex than electric vehicles, it is important that you follow the instructions carefully. You can purchase nitro starter kits that come with everything that you need to get started. This is a great way to go for beginners when you do not want to leave anything out.

As with electric cars, it is very important to break in your engine unless of course you purchase a ready to run kit, which should be ready to go straight out of the box.

Which Way to Go

No matter if you choose the nitro gas powered version or the battery powered RC vehicles, you will have a great selection available to you, and of course, you will have a lot of fun. Why not try a few of each? With so much variety out there, it is almost impossible to settle on only one RC vehicle.

© 2005 [http://www.rc-cars-now.com]

About the Author

Kevin Brown is successful author and publisher of many informative websites including [http://www.rc-cars-now.com] . His websites offer tips and advice on a wide array of topics including rc cars [http://www.rc-cars-now.com], trucks, boats and more.

There are many myths about college and the college experience. The information below is to assist you in dispelling the some of the myths about attending College.

Myth: Your school college advisor can provide you with all of the information you need to know about attending college.

Fact: College advisors can only give you limited information about college acceptance, attendance and financing. With the increased level of competition to enter college, it is imperative that you seek out resources on your own.

Myth: Most parents (and students) have a savings plan for their child to attend college.

Fact: Very few families save in advance. If you have not started saving by now, the best way may be to obtain funding through scholarships and grants or through implementing the tools to attend college for FREE. Financial aid is another possible resource and can be an effective way in helping you with the cost of college.

Myth: You have to be really smart to attend college.

Fact: There is a college for everyone who wants to attend and everyone who is willing to study and put forth the effort to graduate.

The Numbers

14.5 million students are enrolled in the 3,638 US based Colleges; 12.5 million are enrolled at the undergraduate level.

79% of students attend public colleges; 21% attend private colleges.

56% are full time students.

23% are minorities.

70% are enrolled in the college of their first choice.

81% attend colleges in their home state.

50% of all college freshmen come from families with incomes of $30,000 to $75,000.

45.2% of American adults have some college education.

U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of Education.

With economics being the way they are, and the cost of living continuing to increase, we wonder why more people don’t attend college. Many are of the belief that college is still an unreachable goal. This may be because their parents never attended college. It may be because those around them have told them that college is difficult or that they will never make it through the college process. And, this cannot be further from the truth! Anyone who wants to attend college can go to college and a college education is the best way for you to guarantee professional success.

A college education shows that you have the tenacity to take the next step in academic achievement. A college education shows that you made the decision to become a well rounded individual and that you’ve taken the time to study a few subjects that may be out of your comfort zone. Yes, you will have to study English, math and science. You may even have to study chemistry, physics and biology, but when you finish, you will have knowledge on numerous topics that you could not acquire any other way. That is the true purpose of college at the undergraduate level. To make you a generalist, with the intent of you becoming a specialist in a specific vocational area.

A recent study indicated that 78% of high school students want to attend college. This study further detailed the three top reasons why most students don’t attend college. The third most frequently cited reason why students don’t attend college is because their parents didn’t attend. But there are many things that you do that your parents didn’t do. Your parents didn’t have 3D video games, your parents did not have MP3 players nor did they grow up with the concept of going green. Throughout your lifetime you will do numerous things that your parents have not done. So saying that your parents didn’t do it is a weak excuse.

The second most cited reason why some students don’t attend college is because they don’t know what to study. Many people are not sure about what they want to do with their lives. Just because you’re not sure of your future does not mean that you need to become stagnant. College will expose you to many professions and opportunities that you may not be aware of. College will make you aware of vocations within vocations and professional opportunities that may be perfect for your personality. So this is definitely not a good reason not to attend.

The number one reason cited as why students do not attend college is finance. Money! And once again this is ridiculous. Financial resources should not serve as a hindrance to your attending college. Funding is available through various sources, through various organizations, through various means for anyone who wants to attend college. And anyone who takes the time and a little effort can quickly and easily find and make use of these resources.

Last year over $300 billion dollars was available in college scholarship and college resource funding, and a high percentage of this funding was never accessed due to students not searching, not applying and not making use of the resources available.

Paul L. van Putten II, Ph.D. is an educator, entrepreneur and business consultant in the areas of social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial start-up, marketing, media management and leadership engagement. Dr. van Putten has seamlessly transitioned between both academic and corporate environments having served as a College President and Corporate Executive. He has also served as a consultant with national and international organizations and is the author of Attend College for Free and Five Dollars to Freedom. http://www.nationaletc.com