Is Your Dog Food Harming Your Dog
You are certainly familiar with the situation that during the lunch your dog is lurking near the table looking at you with his eager eyes, waiting for some treat. He is acting like his last meal was couple of days ago. It is well known that dogs are very trusting pets. They will, probably, eat almost everything you give them. So, it is a big responsibility for you as a caring owner to feed your dog in the best possible way. Before selecting a dog food, there are some factors for consideration. Those factors are dog’s age, body condition, dog’s health history and your budget.
You should be aware of the fact that some common food can be harmful to your dog. Most dangerous common food for dogs is chocolate. Although this sweet is very delicious for human, it can be lethal to dogs. In other cases chocolate can cause diarrhea, panting, vomiting, tremors and hyperactivity. Also, you should be very cautious with fruits, garlic, onions, peppers, popcorn, raw eggs, alcoholic beverages, coffee and tea.
It is logical that you should choose what your dog is going to eat instead of taking risk with things that can harm him, but is dog food really the best choice for your pet?
There are different opinions when it comes to the dog food and it is a controversial subject. Ignorance is bliss – sometimes. Most people don’t know what’s really in the dog’s commercially prepared food. The annual revenue of U.S. pet food industry is more than $10 billion. Through the advertising and media they insure consumers that their products are all your dog will ever need. On every pet food box you’ll see the images of beef, plump chickens, and fresh grains. Pet food industry is nothing but an extension of the human food industry. Waste products that are considered unfit for human consumption can be turned into profit by putting them into pet food. Many pet food companies are concealing the real origin of the ingredients or they are changing their quality. They are getting the ingredients from the different farms, different states and sometimes from a different country. Interesting part is that manufacturers are not legally required to inform consumers about those changes. You are free to go to the pet food company website or call customer service number to ask legitimate questions about the ingredients, taste or if their food contains agricultural rejects. Always bear in your mind that information given by the pet food company can be biased.
Most animal nutritional experts and veterinarians believe that raw diet of bones and meat is the best dog food. A good idea is to combine BARF diet (Bones and Raw Food) with some whole wheat and vegetables. Never use human medication on animals, use vitamins from your local vet.
If your choice is the dog food, avoid low quality dry dog food with too much unnatural products and preservatives. Always go for high quality brands to feed your dog but don’t believe everything they say in commercials.
Best of Luck!