September 13, 2008

Choosing A Healthy Pet Food For Your Dog

by Jolie Mitchel

Your dog deserves a healthy pet food. Unfortunately, whether purchased in a grocery store, pet store, or veterinarian's office, pet food may contain animal by-products. While many laws exist to regulate our food, the same assurances do not exist for pet food.

Animal by-products may also be known as rendered meat. These are meats from animals considered unsuitable for human consumption, but are found in all pet foods, from store brands to name brand products. If you wouldn't want to eat rendered meat, why would you 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.

A better alternative for your dog is holistic pet food. These foods are a natural and nutritious Healthy Dog Food. There are no chicken beaks or toxic preservatives. The only ingredients are fit for human consumption, which you will gladly feed to your pet.

The best way to know exactly what you are feeding your dog is to make the food yourself. Books are availabe which contain many delicious Healthy Dog Food recipes. Your veterinarian is also a great source for the vitamins and nutrients you pet needs.

Keep in mind that not all human foods are suitable for animals. Grapes and raisins are known to cause damage to your dogas kidneys. Feeding your dog mushrooms can result in death. Raw, cooked, or powdered garlic and onions can damage red blood cells and may cause anemia. Regular feeding of raw fish can lead to a thiamine deficiency. Being deficient in thiamine can cause your dog to lose its appetite, have seizures, and may even cause death. There are many more human foods that can harm your pet. If you want to give him something you should always ask the veterinarian first.

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Filed under Cat Health by Jolie Mitchel