Dog Food Decisions Are Important

People are very aware of the nutrition that is contained in their own diet but sometimes we are not quite as aware of the quality of the food that we are feeding our pets. Dog foods are often commercial, high priced fillers that provide our best buddies with a full tummy and not much else. Sometimes the toxins and poor ingredients that are often found as the main products in commercial foods for dogs are doing more harm than good.

Pet owners do not mean to be ignorant of the facts, many of us are just trusting that well known names must mean that we are giving our best friends good nutrition. Sadly, this has proven to not be the case and we have recently seen pet food recalls and animals that have become severely ill when given foods that contain harmful ingredients.

Bad fats can lead to poor circulation and a weak heart, lack of good fats can give your pet a dull coat, and lack of proper vitamins in their diet can shorten their life and lead to poor overall health. Using cheap and unhealthy ingredients is a way for companies to increase their production and it allows the bagged and canned foods to last for a long time before the expiration date is reached. If you are one of the pet owners who assumes that one pet food is just as good as another, this information will open your eyes and your heart.

Unfortunately, most dog food products today contain the cheapest and poorest grades of grains, unhealthy and unsafe meat remnants and even artificial flavorings and preservatives that are not safe for humans or pets. Proteins and carbohydrates should be pure and of high quality to keep your pet healthy and happy. These are often only provided by using grains like bottom grade soybean, corn, and glutens. In fact, our own dogs can have natural allergies to these ingredients or they can develop allergies by being fed food that is not designed for their systems.

Many of the meat products used in our pet’s food are generated from dead or diseased animals and chemical additives. This leads to diseases, parasites, and illness in our furry friends. You should always check to see where your pet food was produced and manufactured. This requires some care because just because a state packaged the bag of food it does not mean that this is where the ingredients originated. We are all well aware of how many beloved pets succumbed to the pet food disaster that was sent to stores by oversea manufacturers who did not care about our animals' lives. Products made by select American manufacturers should be high on your list of suppliers. You can check with your vet if you have any question about the quality of your pet food choices.

Our dogs need food that contains quality fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, protein, carbohydrates, and good fats. Are you thinking that these all sound rather familiar? It should, as it is very similar to what we humans require. Your dog has to depend on you to check things out for him, because he will try to eat what you give him, even if it is not good for him. A good, high quality dog food will contain quality meat, eggs, amino acids, vitamins, and even brown rice. These are all wonderfully good ingredients for your pet. Vegetables can be vital to a healthy pet diet and these will provide vitamins, antioxidants and a longer life for your dog. Look for a product that contains things like this as well as fruit. Some products are even beginning to add Lactobacillus Acidophilus for a healthy GI tract for your pet. These additives and ingredients will give your dog a healthy, shiny coat, clean breath, clear eyes, and a healthy body.