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!

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