What is really in dog food? Every pet owner has possibly asked this question to themselves and check on the container themselves. Riboflavin supplement? Copper Proteinate? What actually are these things? Is what we feed our pets actually good for them? Supposedly it is because that is what the labels tell us, but should we really trust what the labels say? Dog food is already somewhat harmful for human consumption shown in the article “No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch” by Ann Hodgman. She states that a Purina spokesman told her that poultry by-products consist of crushed neck bones, intestines, undeveloped eggs and other "carcass remnants”. Usually these things are not eaten by humans and can actually cause problems such as salmonella poising from the undeveloped eggs.
If these are so harmful to humans, they very well could be harmful to your dog as well. Almost every dog food brand claims itself to be the best for your dog, but sometimes that is not the case at all. A well-known dog food brand called Purina gives these very claims. However, Purina has not even been approved by the FDA surprisingly enough. “According to a report by The Examiner, veterinarians have reported bacterial infections, liver and kidney failure and high toxins in pets that have been brought in related to Beneful dog food illnesses,” states the article What’s Really in Pet Food?
Pedigree is another dog food brand that also caused many deaths of dogs, but has yet to be taken off the market as well.
The first disappointment she encounters is the quality of the dog foods. Hodgman expected to open packages filled with real meat, as advertisers relentlessly remind buyers of a dog’s love for real meat. The Gaines burger could neither be described as poor beef, rich beef or even beef at all. It couldn’t be fried and did not have that “real beef smell”. Ann describes it as being very malleable, “something you could make at home if you had a Play-DOH Fun Factory.” (107). The Kal Kan pedigree meals were also amiss. Ann’s words to describe these are lumpy, purple, stringy and veiny.
We all love our dogs and want to give them the best life has to offer. But with so many variations of dog food in the market, it isn't always easy to identify the best food for our dog. Who can possibly feel confident when so many brands trumpet buzzwords that hit the human aisles not long ago, such as "rich in antioxidants," "highly digestible," "Omega-3 fatty acids" and "Ultra Premium Formula"?
Dog food ingredients are very important because the substances that dogs ingest are what control their normal routine. If a dog is eating food that is healthy and full of nutrients, then they are most likely going to be very active and happy. In contrast, if a dog is receiving ingredients that are harmful or contain toxins, then they are probably going to be lethargic and ill-tempered. Everything a dog is eating is going to impact their longevity in
Expert veterinarian and noted author, Dr. Richard Pitcairn comments in his book on canine nutrition that in the 15 years of recommending raw dog food diets to his clients, he has never encountered a case of E. coli or salmonella.
I know you really don’t want to give your dog regular kibble because this kind of food is made out of low-quality grains (like soy and corn deemed not good enough for human consumption). Chemical coloring, flavorings, and preservatives is included in the mix to make the dog food attractive and palatable to dogs. This kind of dog food is equivalent of junk food which fills the dog’s stomach, but provides him zero calories. But fortunately wellness dog food is made with man-grade meats and ingredients that will ensure your dog will get all the nutrients, vitamins, and
Nutritious, wholesome, delicious, real ingredients are the foundation for Purina’s Beneful® Dog Food. Beneful® gives you a variety of proteins, accents, and textures to choose from to give your dog the nutrition they need. Here are some recommendations.
Today’s pet food market is larger and more diverse than ever before. While this offers a large number of choices in various types of pet food, it also presents a dilemma in choosing the healthiest food for your dog. Are generic or store brands suitable for a dog? What about familiar name brands like Purina and Alpo? Are the pricier brands that advertise specially formulated ingredients (Science Diet, Eukanuba) really living up to their claims and worth the extra money? All of these are valid questions that loving dog owners deserve to have answered.
Always read the labels on a dog food package. What you want to look at is the first ingredient. You do not want to see meat meal, this can be anything within the food including road kill. Chicken Meal or Lamb Meal is a good start. You also always want to see the word meal; whole meat without the Meal is mostly water. Most nutritionists prefer chicken based dog foods as they are easier to digest.
What kind of protein is from the food? Is it animal or veg protein? A high quality dog food will have always an animal protein. Dogs metabolize canine protein much better. Chicken is a good protein source because dogs are able to digest it well.
As you know, dog food is available in a wide variety of colours, sizes, flavors, and shapes. The real distinction is obviously the ingredients contained in the products. You may be surprised to know that the ingredient list on dog food labels reads very much like human junk food. Some ingredients are even difficult to pronounce and are borrowed from medical encyclopedias. Then of course there are dog foods that are teeming with artificial ingredients, additives and preservatives that can be harmful to pets. So just what is "Spot" to do when it comes to healthy eating?
Take a moment to ask yourself this question. If you knew that a certain food was harmful to you, would you feed it to your dog? Some dog food companies put harmful chemicals into their product that are also harmful to humans. They call this feed-grade. Feed-grade is food that is much lower quality than human-grade. Feed-grade allows toxins and chemicals into the food, while human-grade does not. For instance, they put a chemical in feed-grade called Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT). Not only has this chemical caused liver and kidney problems in dogs, it has been linked to cancer in humans.
Dog feeding is sufficient in canine growth. Such trade marks as Wellness dog food, Nutro dog food, Pedigree dog food and Eukanuba dog food are well-known and wide-spread, they can be easily found in any store, and there is a great variety of Eukanuba dog food products. You are welcome to choose the right food for your dog from the following list of Eukanuba dog food:
In case you come across some pet food coupons, make sure that you keep the Nutro dog food coupons, especially if you want to get your dog started on a better diet. Over the past few years, the popularity of organic and all-natural food items have steadily increased—thanks to the research and scientific studies linking toxins and chemicals used in processed foods to various forms of illnesses (such as cancer). If you want to get started on a healthier lifestyle through an organic diet, you can simply modify the meals you eat and select the freshest and most natural ingredients to use in cooking. Unfortunately, dogs do not have the same capability—they just rely on us to make the right and sensible diet choices for them. With this level of
If you are not aware of foods that can be toxic to dogs, here's a couple of the bad guys:
Choosing brands just like the wellness dog food is definitely not done at the pet stores. This decision will be made right after lots of research into food and wellness dog food ingredients and on how they actually influence the health