What you feed your dog is really SO important for your dog's ultimate health, susceptibility to illness, and longevity.
You know, if you really want your dog to be as healthy as s/he can be, you should stop feeding ANY of the widely available commercial dog foods.
I'm talking here about the types of dog food commonly found in supermarkets, and even about most of the supposedly superior brands sold in some supermarkets, pet food shops, and even by many vets.
The cheaper the brand, then generally the more full of garbage it is, but even many of the more expensive brands leave much to be desired.
What do you think is an ideal diet for your dog?
- plump chickens?
- choice cuts of juicy beef and lamb?
- maybe a few healthy fresh grains for variety?
- the odd fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit?
You'd be right.
But how many of the above ingredients do you think go into commercial pet food?
A lot? Only a little? If you said yes to either of these, you'd be dead wrong.
The average commercial dog food bears NO relation to the above list of choice ingredients, despite what pet food manufacturers display in some of their marketing, and despite what the list of ingredients on the pack or can might tend to indicate.
There is very, very little (if any) of the above ingredients in the average commercial dog food, and by the time it's been overcooked at sustained high temperatures, and sprayed with preservative agents, the resultant "food" can be very harmful to your dog's health and wellbeing indeed.
Suffice to say that if you're feeding your dog ANY commercially available dog food, you're exposing your dog to a source of chemically enhanced, overprocessed, garbage, the meat source for which includes diseased carcasses which have been left for up to 5 days before being processed.
Enough to turn you off for life? It was for me. As you know, I've always fed my dogs a diet of mainly raw meat and bones. But I like to give them a little treat in the mornings rather than just feed them once a day (which, by the way, IS all a dog NEEDS). I used to give them a handful of dry dog food each morning, sometimes the cheaper supermarket brands, and sometimes the "brand" names which cost 4 or 5 times as much. Now that I know better, I never give my dogs any of that garbage.
I should say that SOME of the expensive pet foods which are readily available ARE better than the cheaper brands. BUT, most are still far from an ideal diet for your dog, so query whether the extra money is money well spent.
If the product says it's "with real chicken", did you know that it only needs to contain 3% of chicken? Neither did I.
If the first item listed is meat or chicken, did you know that this doesn't mean that's the main ingredient? Neither did I.
Take a close look at the label. It's likely to list a meat first, and then 2, 3, 4 or 5 types of grains. This is a very misleading tactic used by the commercial pet food manufacturers. Each of the grains individually may be slightly less in quantity than the meat. But added together? They're probably nearly 2, 3, 4 or 5 times the quantity of the meat ingredient.
After having looked into this issue in a great deal of detail, I'm convinced that the most healthy diet for your dog is mainly fresh meat, with some fresh veges and a little grain thrown in. And this alone is NOT enough. You need to give your dog a vitamin supplement always, for optimal health.
And for the very best health, there ARE some reputable HEALTHY, wholesome, holistic dog food manufacturers, which really DO provide wonderfully healthy food for our dogs.
If you're game to read the whole shocking report published by the U.S. Animal Protection Institute, about what's really in commercial pet food, it's posted at: www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/APIArticle
And for details of the best dog food manufacturers, see all the details here: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/DogFood
(c) 2005, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs
Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in holistic dog health. Her site, Healthy Happy Dogs, has pages and pages of information on improving your dog's health naturally. Brigitte is the author of several reports, articles, and the Healthy Happy Dogs newsletter.
For your special FREE report - "How to Improve Your Dog's Health Within 30 Days - Maybe Even Lengthen Your Dog's Life!", Click Here for Your Free Dog Health Report! http://www.healthyhappydogs.com
shuttle from Midway Glen Ellyn ..If you're reading this I think it's safe to assume... Read More
Training your dog to obey commands is an important part... Read More
I was talking to a friend of mine today and... Read More
Knowing how to feed your betta is fundamental, because doing... Read More
Get to know your beloved dog better with these insightful... Read More
As you likely know already, horses have at least 10... Read More
Hi,I'm Janet CombsMy mother bred and raised Bichon Frises for... Read More
Are there so many great dog breeds out there that... Read More
Nervous cats hide from people, they do not readily present... Read More
Is your bird a seed only eater? Did you know... Read More
Dogs and children are a perfect fit. They are what... Read More
Most dogs live between ten and seventeen years. The relationship... Read More
Many dogs today suffer from itchy skin caused by a... Read More
Grocery Stores could use some larger Dog Food Isles. Not... Read More
Thanks to Disney's Motion Picture 'Finding Nemo,' almost everybody is... Read More
Dog obedience training begins with the owner. There are several... Read More
Whoever coined the phrase, "It's a Dog's Life" wasn't familiar... Read More
What is Canine Bloat?Bloat refers to the bloating of the... Read More
Nearly every puppy in the world is born with roundworms.... Read More
Every year, many cat owners decide to get their cat... Read More
Dogs make great loyal pets and are always pleased to... Read More
The first thing a cat owner should know about home... Read More
Without agility, the most muscular person in the world couldn't... Read More
For Discus fish, there are 2 consideration in tanks -... Read More
Could a horse trainer, born about 154 years ago, teach... Read More
shuttle from O'Hare North Chicago ..This is an old saying that many of us have... Read More
1) Why should I crate train my dog? ... Read More
Part1: There is Actually a "Wrong" Way to Crate TrainCrate... Read More
Tips to getting the right GoldfishGoldfish are a temperate breed... Read More
Pug puppies make wonderful pets. Pugs are very affectionate and... Read More
For heat dissipation and body cooling, a horse trotting at... Read More
Cats need only be provided with decent shelter, food and... Read More
I have a business card burning a hole in my... Read More
The teaching and training of dog tricks while not a... Read More
Obesity is one of the most important health concerns facing... Read More
Pregnant cats have to eat for two, three, four, five,... Read More
Many chronic diseases commonly seen in pets result from immune... Read More
Can you comprehend a time when dog food, cat food,... Read More
Are cats and children a good mix?So, you had a... Read More
Playing reinforces the bond between you and your cat.Playing with... Read More
How do you build a goldfish pond outdoors?The tools you... Read More
Horse owners who are history buffs may recognize the name... Read More
With ancestors who were a breed of tenacious terriers, most... Read More
My dog has fleas. That one statement is enough to... Read More
Of the thirty-three terrier breeds (most of which were first... Read More
Puppies can be so exasperating! They know what we want,... Read More
Dog SupplementsA good nutritional program of dog supplements is just... Read More
The information in this article is based on the successful... Read More
Do you want a long and healthy life for your... Read More
The term applehead Chihuahua refers to the shape of a... Read More
Pet |