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
green cleaning service Park Ridge ..These days, it's hard to know what decisions are the... Read More
Canine Diabetes: A Serious Dog Disease That is Completely ManageableCanine... Read More
A respiratory tract ailment can be fatal to your parrot... Read More
Cryptorchidism is peculiar to male dogs and a condition present... Read More
Buying a pet bird can be quite an investment. After... Read More
A puppy wanting to chew makes you want to scream!... Read More
The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With... Read More
An easier and more pleasant journey with your chosen Boxer... Read More
The pet food industry, a billion-dollar, unregulated operation, feeds on... Read More
Are you concerned when your dog or cat eats grass,... Read More
What is Canine Hip Dysplasia?Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is a... Read More
Breeding tropical fish can be a lot of fun. Try... Read More
Tired of cleaning the cat box? Here are some tips... Read More
How can my child benefit from having a pet?1.Social skills... Read More
Mistake #7 ? Assuming You Can Get On Any Horse... Read More
If you're like me, then you don't really have the... Read More
Dog clicker training is so much fun for both dogs... Read More
Just like humans, dogs are subject to diseases and illnesses.... Read More
1. Using tranquilizers.This is illegal in many states but other... Read More
If you are keeping tetras, chances are you are breeding... Read More
You've picked out the perfect puppy. You spent hours on... Read More
Continued from part two.Epilepsy/seizure disorderWhen your Boxer is between 2... Read More
Allergies to dogs can strike anyone at any age, yet... Read More
Herbology, basically, is the use of herbs in the treatment... Read More
Are you thinking about getting some discus then and want... Read More
cleaning help near Bannockburn ..This is an old saying that many of us have... Read More
Are you thinking about getting some discus then and want... Read More
Looking for some quick Rottweiler dog facts? Here's a quick... Read More
Moving is about as stressful a time as any in... Read More
Giving your dog a bath is important, but not as... Read More
Wondering how to begin crate training your puppy or dog,... Read More
So what does it mean to float a horse's teeth?... Read More
Like us, birds need variety in life. To be happy... Read More
The main ways a puppy will play with another dog... Read More
Quieting a barking dog is a quick and easy process.... Read More
The shutting and opening door trick can be taught to... Read More
Do you have at least one framed photo of your... Read More
Dogs mature and age at much different rates, usually according... Read More
Whether you are searching for something to say "Happy Birthday"... Read More
Did you know that pets outnumber people in the United... Read More
If you have never seen a Shar Pei before, the... Read More
There is nothing more adorable than a new puppy. Large... Read More
1. Using tranquilizers.This is illegal in many states but other... Read More
"Where's the harm? My cat seems to enjoy chocolate and... Read More
When goldfish swim up to the glass of the tank,... Read More
Is your cat talking to you?Many cat lovers claim that... Read More
Caring for a kitten is a lot of work. With... Read More
Guide for training a dogSo you can use a guide... Read More
You know that cats should always have a supply of... Read More
There are thousands of local and online Pet Stores but... Read More
Pet |