Matthew Pearson, who lives on Graiseley Lane, Wednesfield, appeared before magistrates at Wolverhampton Court on 13th September.

The 28-year-old, who recently became a father, had confessed to charges of animal cruelty before his appearance, and hung his head in shame as he was handed down a jail sentence of 20 weeks, which included two-and-a-half months on license. He was then led away by officers to begin his stay at Her Majesty’s pleasure.

The court had heard the grisly details of his crime; Pearson’s parents had entrusted him to look after their two dogs, two cats, a hamster and a rat whilst they were enjoying an extended stay in Cornwall. However, Pearson betrayed their trust and left the animals to starve.

Roger Price, the prosecutor acting on behalf of the RSPCA, told the court that Pearson’s parents had left him the sum of £1,515 to feed their pets. Regardless of this, RSPCA inspectors found a shocking scene when they visited the house.

Buster, a collie cross, was curled up lifeless in his basket located in the kitchen. The rat and the hamster were dead, and inspector Jayne Bashford found the remains of the two cats. It was obvious that Beethoven, the family’s other collie-cross, had only survived by eating the felines.

Thankfully, Beethoven has now been rehoused with a loving family in the North West.

Pearson was also ordered to pay costs totalling £1,000, and banned from owning any pet for a decade by district judge Michael Weaver.

Umar Madni, representing Pearson, added that his client had been sacked from his job because of his actions.

Your dog’s diet can be quite complicated, and it is essential that you ensure your dog is getting all the nutritional aspects of their diet. If your dog is not getting enough vitamins, then this can lead to tummy upset, brittle bones and more serious health problems.

A lot of pre packaged food on the market will help ensure that your dog is getting all of their vital nutrients and vitamins, and you should start this at a young age. There is always a big debate over whether you should feed your dog dried or moist foods, but this depends on what minerals and vitamins are contained in the food, so it is essential that you read the labels prior to purchasing.

If you give your dog a variety of moist and dry food, this can help them stay in great condition, and if it is a puppy, fuel their growth. Ensure there is plenty of fibre in his diet too, as this helps the digestion system.

You can also make your own food for your dog and your puppies. There are many good books available on the market which will advise you of the right kind of food to cook for your pets. Just remember to make sure that their diet is well balanced and has some veggies in it.

Before you bring your dog home, do a little research into the kind of dog food that you should buy as there can be health problems for your dog if they are not fed the right kind of food. You should buy dog food with your dog’s energy and nutritional requirements in mind above all else, and that means taking into consideration the age of the dog that you are bringing home, the dog’s breed, age and weight – as well as your budget. A dog breeder or vet should be able to advise you on what is suitable to feed a new born puppy in comparison to what an older dog may find easier to stomach, and whether wet or dry dog food is the right thing to feed your pet. A smaller dog may have lower energy needs than a bigger dog, and a pregnant dog may have certain nutritional needs that differ to other dogs. All of these things need to be taken into account when buying dog food.

You may take some time when grocery shopping to look at the nutritional content printed on your food packaging, but have you ever checked out your pet food? As is always the case, it’s advisable to know what the terminology means.

For example, the first ingredient should be meat. Not a by-product of meat, or mechanically recovered meat (MRM), just ‘meat’. By-products and MRM include skin, eyes, feathers and hooves – your rule of thumb should be that if you could stomach it, then you can give it to your pet.

An ingredient like chicken weighs around 80 per cent more raw than cooked. However, ‘chicken meal’ is weighed the water has been removed from it and it has been cooked, giving you a more accurate representation of the ingredients. What does this mean to you? Well, the ingredients are listed in their raw state, so if the first is ‘chicken’ and the second as ‘corn meal’ it could mean that there is more corn meal than chicken. A dog’s digestive system is not equipped to deal with corn efficiently – it will pass right through him, so he won’t see any nutritional benefit. Corn has also been linked to swelling joints and skin allergies in dogs, making it an ingredient to avoid wherever possible.

It’s important to get your pooch’s diet right from the start, ideally from when he’s a pup. As he grows, he’ll pass through a couple of awkward stages, such as teething and being fussy about his food, but a little patience and the right nutrition will see you both through. Due to his delicate stomach, his food must be chosen with care, and there must be variety in his diet. Getting your puppy food from Pets at Home takes the guesswork out of feeding your pet, and you won’t waste hours squinting at labels in your supermarket in an effort to decipher them.

Dogs in reality are almost omnivorous and like to consume both plant based foods and meat. However a dog is mainly a carnivore and deal better with meat based foods. Their guts, although designed to consume a wide variety of foods, cope better with meat and sometimes don’t digest plant based foods and grain very well.

Dogs are usually hunters and predators and most of their plant based intake will come from the intestinal content of their usually herbivorous prey. Making a dog entirely vegetarian is possible but will need careful planning. This is not a dog’s natural state however and it is stressed that careful planning goes in to making a dog 100% vegetarian.

There are some well balanced commercial vegetarian dog foods that are available to buy which will help to provide your dog with quality protein and other essential vitamins and minerals. By supplementing these with a number of vegetable based protein foods like tofu, avocado, and steamed vegetables will help to provide the dog with a healthy meat free meal.

Basing the diet around the commercial vegetarian foods and the suggested foods will be healthy for the dog. It is recommended, however, that for variety you try adding some non vegetarian food. There are several recipe books that are available that will help to give ideas for the dogs.

As always it is recommended that you speak to a vet before making any changes to your dog’s diet.

Whether they find leftover food on the floor or just steal out of your hands, dogs will do whatever they can to eat what they want. However, there are some foods that have huge dangers to a dog’s health.

Most people know that chocolate is harmful to a dog as it contains a chemical called Theobromine that causes complications and, if a lot of it is consumed, death. However, there are other foods that are less common that dogs can become ill from eating. A danger for dogs that is relatively new is the sugar alcohol chemical xylitol, these can be found in sugarless gum and candy and the consequences for the dog consuming these items can be fatal. After just a few sticks of gum a dog’s blood sugar can drop to dangerous levels. They may even become lethargic and start to vomit.

Grapes and raisins can also be very harmful to a dog. If consumed in a moderate amount dogs can start to vomit and, in some extreme cases, they can cause Liver failure. What some people may think is a healthy treat for a dog can actually put them in life threatening danger.

These are some of the most toxic and harmful foods that you should be aware of when your dog is around looking for scraps. Your vet can give you a full list of foods that may be harmful to your dog.

What happens is the next time food is given to a puppy the person is frightened of receiving another nip, the result is the hand is quickly pulled back before the puppy can get at the food.

A puppy will think he has to be quick to get the food and, before you know it, there is a repeating action of snatching, and at this stage of his life it is the human not the puppy who is to blame.

When feeding a puppy treats it is best to be calm and place the food on the palm of your hand and remember to keep it flat and tuck in your thumb.

When a puppy is taking the food give them approval in the form of praise, do not smack or shout if he does make a mistake, it will shatter his confidence.

A full grown dog will require a little more training with a firmer resolution. Make sure he is calm and have his treat in your hand; this time your hand is closed. Hold out your hand and use the command words ‘off’.

Ignore his attempts to get your hand open, repeat the command ‘off’ until he gets the message. The minute he draws back a little then open your hand and allow him to have the treat while praising him for his good behaviour.

Doggie note: it is worth remembering treats should be kept to a minimum as they are part of a dog’s daily recommended allowance.

The main element of a dog’s diet is the protein food group. This is generally made up from meat and chicken (and sometimes fish) and should be given to a puppy daily. However, it is important not to over-feed a dog or puppy with too much meat as this can cause problems with a dog’s kidneys. Raw meat and fish is also best avoided generally since these can carry a number of contaminants which are harmful to dogs, and especially puppies.

Carbohydrates are important for improving energy levels in a dog or puppy. This can be found in foodstuffs such as pasta and cereals and can be mixed into the meat being served. Relatively small amounts of fats are also needed for a dog to maintain its healthy skin and kidney functions, as well as aiding dog breeding. Vitamins and minerals are very important to dogs and puppies. Calcium for healthy teeth and gums and phosphorous for good cell re-growth are two of the most important supplements needed. Giving a dog or puppy plenty of water is also vital to ensure that the animal does not become dehydrated.

Any treats given should be specific dog or puppy treats and not ones meant for human consumption.

Just as humans need to eat the best groups of foods, so does a dog. A brand of puppy or dog food should have the following ingredients listed:

• Proteins and Carbohydrates.
• Good fats and low amounts of salt.
• Vitamins and minerals.

A dog requires all of the above, fed the right amount of portions at mealtimes and having access to fresh water at all times. Manufacturers of dog food are required by law to print the ingredients and the relevant amounts on the labels of their products.

The range of dog food has increased dramatically over the years, and there is an array of different dog foods for a dog owner to choose from. There is dry food, wet food, and even dog food which has been tailored to meet the needs of a dog that suffers from certain allergies.

However, like humans, some dog foods may suit one dog and not another; just like us, dogs can have their personal preferences.

If a dog’s behaviour changes after he or she has eaten a particular dog food it may be that one of the ingredients in the food is not suitable.

Try changing his dog food, if the same behaviour occurs ask a local vet to check him out. A puppy or a dog that has a sensitive digestive tract may need food that is specially formulated for dogs.

When a puppy or dog has this condition it is easily recognisable, you will hear a clicking sound when your dog moves, he will have difficulty in moving about as the condition is quite painful.

There is also Elbow Dysplasia; this is a condition that affects the front legs of a dog rather than the rear ones. Arthritis can affect your pet’s joints later on in life.

A nutritional diet can have a positive effect on a dog; to avoid the onset of this disease it is important that a diet meets the requirements of the relevant breed of dog. Quality ingredients should be a priority, a dog that is fed cheap dog food will not meet the standard required to keep a dog in good health; long term there will be excessive stress on its joints.

Large breeds of dog at the puppy stage should be fed the correct ratio of protein, fat and calcium. Adding extra calcium or vitamins can do more harm than good, and portions should be kept small.

Four or five small portions a day will stop a puppy from becoming overweight; too much food will put a strain on the major organs of his body.