Dog Foods Are Not Made Equally

You love your pet and pamper that precious life you have. Elaborate fancy dog collars, designer dog clothes and even indulging in visits to the dog groomer may make your dog look great from the outside but in realty, what makes your dog happy and healthy all starts from the inside.

In recent years, especially during the last pet food recall scare of which many dogs were getting ill and even dying, people are now starting to read ingredient labels on pet food brands. With hundreds of brands out there, you can find pet food pretty much any where but the key is to find a "quality", holistic and natural food. For starters we highly recommend either of the following: Solid Gold Dog Food, Merrick, Innova, Evo, The Honest Kitchen or Grandma Lucy's "True".

Although convenience plays a big part of why people select a certain brand to feed their pet (easy to get) or perhaps the repeat marketing efforts that big corportions do over the television, print and even internet, here are some things to consider when you feed your pet next time (this also includes TREATS you feed your dog as well):

• Read the ingredients on the bag! If the first 8 ingredients start with any of the following, it is BEST suggested to switch your dog's food as soon as possible! Meat by-products, corn (corn meal, corn syrup, corn gluten, or ground corn), poultry by-products, lamb by-products, turkey by-products, sugar, or cane molasses By-products are NOT GOOD for dogs, along with corn (no matter how the corn is processed) nor any kind of sugar. By the way, if you are wondeirng what a "by-product" is, it's the "left overs" of an animals that are not for human consumption. See below for additional details.


• The best rule of thumb is if you can pick up your dog's food in the same place when you are shopping for your grocerys, it may NOT be the most healthiest of dog foods.


• Do not let certain marketing schemes on brands fool you. Foods can say "All Natural" and/or "Great Tasting" but the realty of it is that it may not be all natural. Again, read the ingredients!


• A GOOD quality food starts with any of these in their first 8 ingredients: lamb, fish, bison, salmon, chicken, beef, and then lists wholesome vegtables such as carrots and potatos. Dog foods high in grains are not suggested. It is now common to see specific brands labeled "grain free".


• Stay away from any dog food that contains the following perservatives: BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin. These are potentially cancer-causing agents.

Now, here is what certain ingredients mean:

By-products: Pet grade by-products consist of organs and parts either not desired, or condemned for human consumption. This can include bones, blood, intestines, lungs,
ligaments, heads, feet, and feathers.

Corn: Corn products are difficult for dogs to digest and some dogs experience being allergic to this ingredient.

Food Fragments: These are lower cost by-products of another food manufacturing process. They include wheat bran and brewer's rice which are waste products of the alcohol industry.

Meat and Bone Meal: These are inexpensive sources of animal protein. The protein in a meal containing a large amount of bone may be hard to digest and may not provide adequate
nutrition.

Animal Fat: Animal fat is a "generic" fat source that is most often made up of rendered animal fat, restaurant grease or other oils too rancid to be edible for humans. Look for a named fat source like poultry or chicken fat that is naturally preserved.

Chemical Preservatives: Chemical preservatives include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, propylene glycol and ethoxyquin. BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin are potentially cancer-causing agents.

Sweeteners: Sweeteners such as corn syrup, sugar, and cane molasses are usually added to lower quality foods to increase their appeal. Dietary sugars can begin or aggrevate health problems, such as diabetes.

Beef Tallow: This is a low quality fat product.

Just remember, if you feed your pet the best nutritional foods that are available, you may experience LESS visits to the vet for illnesses or minor medical conditions and even prolong your precious pet's life in the long run. Therefore, your best bet is to start your puppy on a healthy diet right from the start. If the breeder suggests or even gives you a brand of food that they have been feeding the puppy, take it in your own hands to read the ingredients on the pet food label because they are not necessarily giving you the best diet for that puppy to begin with. Again, if any of the above "bad" ingredients are listed on your current brand of dog food, switch the puppies food immediately but gradually over a week's period of time.