Do You Know The Truth About Commercial Dog Food?
In earlier years dogs used to be fed any type of table scraps and sometimes had their meals prepared ahead of time. We ate all types of food and so did our animals, except for one major difference of today’s house pets, they didn’t eat a bite of commercial dog food.
Interestingly enough, dogs lived long lives. Considering the leap in information and nutritional research that we have today, commercial dog food has improved, but it is a little ironic that standard human food did so well just a few years back.
Pet Food Advertising Has Brainwashed Us
A lot has changed over the past 20 to 30 years. Most dog owners feel that feeding their pets commercial dog food makes the most sense. They believe that high quality dog food sold in stores is not only the most convenient way to feed their animals, but is thought to give their dogs and puppies the best nutritional value offered, even better than human food.
You hear this sort of thing over and over again whenever a discussion takes place about dog food.
Processed Food is still Processed Food
Try convincing people that dogs and humans need the same nutritional food, it’s not that easy. However, the point to acknowledge about processed food, is no matter how you look at it, or what you believe a dog should eat as opposed to humans, processed food is still processed food! This stuff is manufactured, which means it goes through various steps of processing, preservatives and other additives before it hits the can and is packaged. Every step that is taken to get this food to the store shelves reduces its quality and nullifies most of its nutritional value.
Dog Food Recall – Knowledge Is Power
Due to the recent pet food recall, millions of pet owners are left feeling bewildered as to why this incident happened. So many dogs and cats were left sick and many more died. Since most pet owners depend on commercial pet food to feed their dogs, they are now skeptical about which brand of food to buy and what type of food is safe for their dogs.
Who Can You Count On?
Commercial pet foods have been contaminated with harmful chemicals, including mycotoxins (toxins produced by fungi). The FDA and food manufacturers have authorized several recalls after a defective food is found. The FDA and the food company join together to find out the main cause of the problem and prevent it from happening again.
Knowledge Is Power
When it comes to getting the best dog food possible, you need to know what to look for and what to avoid. Below are some ways to monitor the food you are giving your dog to ensure its safety:
1. Check the expiration date on all foods and treats before feeding them to your dog. Doing so will help you avoid any items that are scheduled to go bad. While this is a wise consumer action on your part, ironically enough the food could still be poisonous to your animals because of preservatives and other chemicals that are added for taste, longevity and texture. Try shopping organic if possible.
2. If the food or treat is not yet expired, but appears to be stale, or has a foul odor, do not feed it to your dog and contact the company/manufacturer. There probably isn’t much you can do in terms of getting your money back, but by contacting the producer, you may be a small part of a larger action to have a recall initiated. Remember, if nobody complains, nothing gets done.
3. Consult your vet if your dog shows any symptoms of abnormal or unusual behavior. Early treatment will result in a better chance of full recovery. It’s safe to say that some of the dogs and cats that were killed by tainted pet food, may have survived, had the owners’ brought them to the veterinarian at the first signs of illness. Take the situation seriously if you sense that your dog is having a reaction. Remember, the threat is real and many pets have died.
4. To ensure the safety of the food that your pet is eating, keep informed of the latest news on pet food recalls. The best way to do this is to go online and type in “pet food recall”. Read through as many articles as possible.
Try to avoid information that is put out by pet food manufacturers themselves. It’s not that the information is not reliable, but these companies are going to sugarcoat the dangers of pet food. It is their livelihood after all. They are in the business of selling pet food!
Commercial Dog Food You Might Want To Consider
Just a few years ago, feeding your dog was simple compared to today’s nutritional advice. My parent’s dog ate what we ate, including dessert! In addition to table scraps, he also ate commercial dog food. That dog had a happy life and lived well into his mid-teens without contracting any serious illness or disease.
Picking a commercial dog food was easy. There were only a handful of brands to choose from and these pet foods all had practically the same ingredients, only varying in color and flavor.
Nowadays, there are so many varieties to choose from. Below is a list of some of the popular commercial foods available for your dog:
Organic Dog Food
Most dog food products found in the market today contain pesticides and other chemicals. If you want to give your dog food that is free of these chemicals, consider organic dog food. However, the term “organic” can be misleading, so read the ingredients carefully before making your purchase.
No Preservative or Natural Preservative Dog Food
Most dog foods contain preservatives in the form of artificial chemicals such as ethoxyquin, BHT and BHA. These are added for two reasons: To prevent the food from spoiling and keep the taste lasting longer. Some dog foods, however, have natural preservatives like vitamin C (often listed as ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (often listed as tocopherols).
Before you buy a dog food with natural preservatives, be sure to read the ingredients first to make sure that the preservatives are actually derived from nature instead of it being artificially synthesized.
You may also buy dog foods that are free of any kind of preservatives. These products must be properly sealed in a cool, dry, bug-free place and used promptly to assure freshness.
Vegetarian Dog Food
Vegetarian dog foods allow vegetarian dog owners to exercise their dietary beliefs with their dogs. These foods contain all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients that your pet needs, so long as they are properly made. A vegetarian diet is also beneficial for dogs that are allergic to meat.
Raw Dog Food
Many dog owners believe that a diet of raw food is the healthiest way to feed their pet because this is the way wolves and other wild dog species ate. This belief has no scientific facts to value its accuracy. However, a diet of raw food can expose both you and your pet to dangerous bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli.
Therapeutic Dog Food
Therapeutic dog foods, along with necessary medical care, have been the growing trend in dog food products today. It is only available through a veterinarian and is usually prescribed for cases of preventive treatment, as an after-surgery diet, or for certain health problems like food allergies.
