Dog nutrition is one of the most complex aspects of dog ownership.
Dog food companies will advertise that their food will make your dog smarter,
healthier, and stronger. In a world of complicated labels and mystery
ingredients, it often feels impossible to know which food will best suit your
best friend.
The truth is in the ingredients
Your dog’s food may have catchy phrases on the front of the
packages that are easy to get caught up in. These phrases may say anything from
“all natural” to “great taste”. The savvy dog owner will pay no attention to
these phrases and immediately look for an ingredients label. If the ingredients
label looks like the picture below it’s a no go.
The ingredient label for these treats raises a few red
flags. Not only are there ingredients such as caramel color and multiple dyes,
including red 40, but the main ingredients are “meat and bone meal” and “poultry
by-product”.
By-Product
By-product is the term used for the parts of the animal that
is left over after the meat has been taken off. The remaining parts are ground
into a meal. This meal has very little nutritional value and will make your dog
feel full without giving it a balanced diet.
Mystery Meat
“meat and bone meal” raises another red flag. It is legal
for a pet food manufacturer to use deceased zoo animals in the food under this
category. This includes animals that died of disease and until recently,
included road kill.
Grain-Free Foods
Many brands offer a grain free version of their food. Grain
Free should only be fed to dogs with grain allergies and active dogs. In order
to make up for the lost carbohydrates, these foods add more protein, fat, and
fiber (potatoes are a common source). Feeding these to a less active family pet
can result in weight gain and an unsatisfied, always hungry pet.
Weight Management Food
If you notice that your dog has a little more to love than
it should, it is important to get him on a weight management food as soon as
possible. Extra weight is harder to get off than it is to prevent and while a
chubby dog may be endearing, the additional stress on the muscles and joints creates
more problems later in life.
Fact or Fiction: Common Myths about dog food
Fiction # 1: Dogs are naturally carnivorous hunters, the more
meat the better.
Fact: Dogs are naturally omnivorous scavengers, fruits,
vegetables, and carbohydrates are all important.
Fiction #2: Dogs get bored with eating the same food all the
time.
Fact: Switching a dog’s food causes stomach issues and takes
away his steady, balanced diet. If you feel your dog is bored, change the
treats.
Fiction #3: Wet food is better because it is closer to real
meat.
Fact: Wet food sits on your dogs teeth and does not scrape
off any tarter when he chews. There is also less nutritional value in a can of
dog food than a cup of kibble.
It is important to know the dangers of people food, check out the video to learn more!
Video Credit:
Great info!
ReplyDelete