5 Things To Look For In A Good Dog Food
Our furry friends provide us with so much joy; they give us unconditional love, and our canine companions are often more loyal than our human counterparts.
Our furry friends provide us with so much joy; they give us unconditional love, and our canine companions are often more loyal than our human counterparts.
Because our pets bring us so much happiness, we are more than happy to choose products that promote the health of our fur babies.
One area that we must be diligent in is choosing healthy and nutritional food for our pups. This should be an easy task, but it is more difficult than one might think.
We trust the FDA to make sure that our food supply is processed under certain conditions. We trust that manufacturers will provide us with healthy food, and we are grateful that the FDA exists to regulate our food supply. However, it is imperative that pet parents understand human food is regulated much differently than pet food. In fact, all animal food is considered "feed grade," and it does not have to follow the same strenuous guidelines as human food. This means we pet parents have to be even more diligent in choosing commercial dog food for our canines.
It is highly important that we pet parents educate ourselves on reading the ingredient label of potential pet food choices. Not all dog food is created alike, and some dog foods sold right in the supermarket are downright dangerous to dogs. Again, this is because of the regulations that dog food manufacturers need not meet (as the company would if the food processed were for human consumption).
Learn to read your dog food labels, and learn what ingredients can be potentially harmful to dogs. Look for chemical-sounding names of ingredients. Keep this in mind - if you can't pronounce it, it is probably not something you want Fido to eat. You also want to look at the first ingredients. For dog food to be nutritionally healthy, you want the first ingredients to be real meat and vegetables. You also want to look out for the presence of artificial additives and preservatives.
Here are some other key (and very harmful) ingredients that many pet parents don't realize are a part of "feed grade" pet food:
Many pet parents aren't aware of certain seemingly-natural sounding ingredients and the harm they can cause. Rendered fat, meat by-products, white flour, meat meal, corn, gluten, and corn syrup sound like they are natural products, but these are all processed. Furthermore, each of these products can cause allergic reactions in your pup that might not be life-threatening, but the reactions can make her miserable.
Let's first look at rendered fat and meat by-products. When an animal is processed for food production, there are parts of the animal - hooves, parts of the intestinal tract, beaks, etc. - that is not approved for human consumption. Instead of throwing these parts away as they should, some meat processing plants will grind these parts up to make "meat by-products." These ingredients can cause dogs to have skin irritation and other allergic reactions that can result in persistent itching and eventual loss of fur. Some dogs may develop digestive issues after eating these by-products.
Also, the same thing is done with bones, and they will list this as a by-product as well.
What is rendered fat? It is fat that is rendered away from the bone and other meat by processing. Rendered fat can actually cause pancreatitis in dogs.
Now, let's discuss gluten, white flour, and corn or corn by-products. Each of these is related to gluten, and, when your dog eats flour or corn, the body processes it as if it is sugar. Some dogs are highly sensitive to gluten products, and they may develop digestive issues as well as skin irritation. It is best to look for "grain-free" on the label of your dog's food. Corn syrup is not healthy for dogs; it can wreak havoc on their blood sugar levels.
How can salmon be harmful to dogs? Simple - when cultivated in a farming situation, salmon may contain higher levels of mercury and PCBs. These can actually cause cancer over time. If you want to provide a great fish for your dog, look for labels that say "wild-caught salmon."
Xylitol is a sugar substitute that can cause hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) in your dog, and it can make him feel lethargic once the blood sugar levels back out. However, if a dog consumes enough of this ingredient, seizures and liver failure can become an issue.
While soy is good for humans as a protein source, it does not digest properly in dogs and provides very little protein for your canine. Skip the soy and look for real meat in the food - wild-caught salmon, lamb, chicken, and the like.
Look for words like salmon oil, coconut oil, and chicken fat. Avoid foods with the term "poultry fat" in the ingredients - this is rendered fat, and it has been processed. Beef fat and pork fat are also acceptable; however, when the "fats" are vague (animal fat, vegetable oil, etc.) then steer clear of that brand. Fat in the ingredients has been rendered, not naturally derived.
Above all, look for natural ingredients from sustainable sources. Avoid vaguely described fats and terms such as "by-product." Leave off gluten products as well as soy. Make sure that meat is one of the first ingredients, and avoid foods that have lots of long, chemical-sounding words that are difficult to pronounce. Your dog will be happy that you did.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.