How To Choose A Healthy Pet Food For Your Dog

by Jolie Mitchel

One of the most important decisions you can make for your furry best friend is what they eat. You would think with all the restrictions and laws on the food you or I eat, that food for your dog would be just as safe. You could not be further from the truth. It does not matter if you buy your pets food from the grocery store down the street, some designer doggy boutique, or from your local veterinarianas office. All of these places may sell food that contains animal by-products.

Animal by-products are meats from animals considered unsuitable for human consumption. This can also be known as rendered meat. They can be found in all pet foods, from store brands to brand name products. If you wouldn’t want to eat rendered meat, why would you want to feed it to your pet?

Rendered meat can come from many sources. These include animals dead upon arrival to the slaughterhouse, and animals too sick or diseased for human consumption. Even euthanized cats, dogs, horses, or other animals could be used. Do you want to risk feeding meat to your dog that may once have been your neighbors dog?

The source of meat is not the only problem in pet foods today. Preservatives commonly found in pet food, such as ethoxyquin, BHT, and BHA, are toxic. Better alternatives to keep your pet’s food fresh include Vitamins E and C.

Many people say that the ratio a dogas diet should contain is 50% vegetables, 40% meat, and about 10% grain or carbohydrates. Another thing to think about is you get what you pay for. Cheaper dog foods more often than not will have less quality ingredients then Healthy Dog Food does.

One option is to purchase holistic pet food. Holistic pet foods are natural and nutritious and are a Healthy Dog Food. They have ingredients fit for human consumption. If you would not consume foods made with ingredients such as chicken beaks or toxic preservatives, do not feed it to your pet.

The most assured way to know what you are feeding your dog is to make the pet food yourself. Books can be purchased with delicious Healthy Dog Food recipes for your companion. Your veterinarian can also tell you the vitamins and nutrients your pet needs.

It is important to remember not all human foods are suitable for animals. Grapes and raisins cause damage to your dog’s kidneys; mushrooms can be deadly; raw, cooked, or powdered garlic and onions can damage red blood cells and may cause anemia; raw fish on a regular basis may lead to thiamine deficiency, which can result in loss of appetite, seizures, and death. Many other examples of harmful human food also exist. If you are unsure whether a new food is safe for your pet, you should always ask a veterinarian first.

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To find out more about dog food facts please visit ThePoochPlace.com and learn the secrets about homemade dog food.

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