| To give your dog, or any pet for that matter, a good | | | | used as filler only. Dogs are known to be highly allergic |
| foundation for a healthy life it is essential to start with | | | | to wheat and corn. |
| proper nutrtion. There are many really horrible, low | | | | If there are any by-products at all on the ingredient list, |
| quality, chemical laden dog foods on the market still | | | | pass this dog food by. |
| today, even though we have become more aware | | | | There should not be any fillers. |
| and educated about what to look for when purchasing | | | | Carcinogenic preservatives do not need to be used, |
| dog food. | | | | and if they are don't buy the product. (They will be |
| Cheaper dog food brands are generally sold at your | | | | listed as BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin.) |
| local grocery store, whereas the higher quality | | | | Artificial colorings are also cancer causing, and |
| premium dog food brands are found in pet stores, or | | | | completely unnecessary. You'll be surprised to see |
| online at specialty pet stores. | | | | how many products still contain this dangerous |
| Increasing your dog's life span is easily achieved by | | | | ingredient. The dyes will be marked as such - e.g. Red, |
| feeding a properly balanced healthy organic dog food | | | | Blue and Yellow dyes. |
| or high premium diet from puppy hood. An all natural | | | | No added sugars or corn syrup should be in the |
| healthy diet is as beneficial for your dog as it is for | | | | ingredient list. |
| yourself. Improper or poor nutrition can cause diseases, | | | | The more organic ingredients listed, the better. |
| allergies, obesity, and shortened life spans in your dogs. | | | | Added glucosamine, chondroitin, pro and prebiotics, flax |
| There are many commercial grade dog food products | | | | seed oil, barley, oats or oatmeal, and sunflower oil, are |
| available at the grocery store, and care must be taken | | | | a good thing. |
| when choosing one. After the recent pet food | | | | Slowly baked, not extruded, retains the minerals, |
| contamination scares and recalls because of toxicity | | | | vitamins and essential goodness of the food. |
| and disgusting additives being found in the | | | | Hormone free, antibiotic free, pesticide and herbicide |
| manufacturing process, many pet owners are | | | | free, chemical and preservative free would indicate a |
| becoming much more aware of what they feed their | | | | high quality premium organic dog food. |
| pet. | | | | And finally, no mystery meats should be in the list. |
| Here are a few general guidelines to follow when | | | | Mystery meat will be listed as simply meat or poultry, |
| looking at the ingredients on a dog food bag: | | | | rather than chicken or venison. The mystery meat will |
| Choose a food with high meat content. The first | | | | probably be some horrible rotten road kill, old |
| ingredient must be a specified meat. Another one or | | | | euthanized animals, and parts of animals that are not |
| two meats or meat meal listed in the top 5 ingredients | | | | edible. |
| is a bonus, but not necessary. (Meat meal is meat with | | | | Although the higher quality food might seem more |
| the moisture removed.) | | | | expensive initially, it will work itself out and become |
| If the same grain ingredient is used two or more times | | | | cheaper in the long run. The savings in vet bills alone |
| in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", | | | | over the life of your pet will pay for the food. |
| brewer's rice", "rice flour", are all the same grain), this is | | | | I use a lazy homemade dog food tactic of using a high |
| not a well balanced, nutritious product. It is loaded with | | | | end organic dog food, and add just a few ounces of |
| "filler" and made to look like it is healthy by separating | | | | poached chicken, or broiled venison every day. The |
| the one ingredient into sub categories, but rice is rice so | | | | best of both worlds is then achieved for my dogs. |
| it should be listed once. | | | | Always be aware, educate yourself and know that |
| Using high quality grains has become the standard for | | | | the big business of dog food manufacturing is in it for |
| the premium quality dog food manufacturers, such as | | | | the profit, not the health and welfare of our pets. That |
| barley, brown rice and oatmeal. If the grains are | | | | is up to us. Just do the absolute best you can for your |
| organic, then all the better. Wheat and corn are inferior | | | | pet and it will be returned with more doggie love, which |
| and useless as a nutritional element in dog food, and | | | | is never a bad thing. |