Do you know what you're putting in your dog's dish everyday?Most dogs will eat almost anything that's put in front of them and, just like humans, they are what they eat.
Many now suffer from what are preventable diseases...did you know that 46% of all dogs die of cancer, 40% are overweight and scores more suffer everyday from allergies, ear infections, skin conditions, dental problems and other ailments...
When you learn the awful reality about the toxic ingredients in some commercial dog foods it will shock and sicken you and, once you know the reality of the health benefits in feeding a dog a homemade diet, you'll want to make an immediate change. If you stop feeding only commercial dog foods to your dog on a daily basis, slowly introduce fresh meats and vegetables and then stop commercial dog foods completely, you'll save him or her from needless suffering and save yourself a mountain of veterinarian bills, as well.
Now, here are some of the realities about some commercial dog foods and also some of the benefits of feeding a dog a healthy homemade diet...
1. Reality: Do you know that some commercial dog food is really dog "junk" food? If burgers, fried chicken, french fries, etc., eaten as a steady diet, can cause serious health issues in humans, what does dog "junk" food" do for dogs? Generally speaking, a canine's genetic makeup and nutritional requirements resembles that of humans. If we're damaging our own health by eating "junk food", what can be happening to our dogs when we feed them the equivalent, "junk" commercial dog food?
2. Reality: Do you know that the foods we humans eat are also a healthy choice for our dogs? Whatever else you may have heard, the same wholesome, nutritious foods we eat are a terrific choice for dogs. However, there are certain differences between human and canine nutritional requirements so you'll need to learn what they are if you want to feed your dog a healthy diet.
3. Reality: Do you know that if your vet sells dog food it also may not be such a great choice? Just like our own medical doctors, veterinarians aren't taught too much about nutrition in school. Most of what they learn is taught to them by the representatives of the pet food companies such as, on staff company vets, sales reps (do you think maybe they promote their own products?) or else through various studies, articles, and seminars. It's not very likely that your vet knows the difference between good and bad food if they personally haven't studied about it or tried raw or homemade diets themselves.
What may be happening is he or she is operating on obsolete data or"old wives tales". Some vets even profit from selling a certain brand of dog food and that may very well prejudice them against other brands or other forms of feeding a dog, such as home cooked dog food.
4. Reality: Do you know that some processed commercial dog foods can actually be hazardous to your dog's health and can cause numerous medical issues? It's legal for dog food companies to include "4D Meat" ("Dead, Dying, Diseased and Disabled" ranch or farm animals). In addition, they often add road kill (dead raccoons, possum and other animals killed by cars, trucks or disease), dogs and cats euthanized by vets, picked up by animal control workers and brought to dog food companies' renders for processing, powdered mill factory floor dust (they call it"grain") and what they call "corn" (usually ground left over husks) that's contaminated with very high amounts of pesticides. What some pet food manufacturers are putting into dog food and disguising as "By-Products" is borderline criminal!
It all makes a recipe of the worst possible mixture of ingredients we could ever feed to our dogs. And yet, millions of us do so, unknowingly! Remember...the cheaper the food...the cheaper the ingredients...the worse the nutrition...the more harmful, even deadly it an be! Make sure you know what's in the food, whenever you're feeding a dog! Read all about commercial dog food in depth in my future articles.
Please note: not "all" commercial dog foods are made from poor quality ingredients and cheap byproducts. Dog food manufacturers and the ingredients they use differ greatly. My goal in these articles is to provide you with as much information possible, so you can make your own "informed" decisions about what is or is not good food for your dog. I'll get into much greater detail about different "quality" dog food producers, ingredients and how to read dog food labels in future articles...so come back often.
5. Reality: Do you know it's a mistake to think that kibble cleans dog's teeth? This myth was circulated a while ago by a study that implied kibble "may" be better than canned dog food (not "is" better) for cleaning teeth. What must it be saying to us that almost every dog over the age of three that has dental disease eats kibble! Not hard to figure that one out!
6. Reality: Do you know that the term "Complete and Balanced"(used by some commercial dog food companies to advertise their products) does not really mean "Optimum". There are significant differences: food meeting only the "assumed" requirements for the health of an average dog can be advertised as "Complete and Balanced". When these foods are included in feeding trials, they are often only tested for things like lead and others are tested only on a small number of dogs for a very short time.
It's certain that adequate nutrients, necessary for our dog's wellness, will not be included in these products. It certainly is better than "not" complete and balanced at all, but only "optimal" levels of balanced nutrition are what we should be looking for. We'll be providing you with details of what optimal balanced nutrition is in a later article.
Sometimes a fast glance at the label can tell you whether the dog food is made of quality ingredients or not, in others it takes more knowledge about each of the ingredients to be able to tell whether that food is better. Of course every manufacturer is going to state that they are using only the very best ingredients. However, our constitutional right to freedom of speech does not require such statements to be truthful.
Be sure you know what's in the food you're feeding a dog every day! We'll write more on this later...
7. Reality: Do you know that if you're feeding a dog the same thing every day you're limiting it's access to good nutrition? Dog's, just like us, need a variety of food. Can you imagine eating ground corn husks, rancid fat and only chicken wing skin and bones (no Meat) with some cheap vitamins and minerals thrown in, every single day for your entire life?
It is true that some dogs can have an initial sensitivity when introduced to certain new foods. So, feeding a dog a variety of foods can lead to stomach issues, but it's only because they've been lacking balanced nutrition in their diet. As soon as they're given a well balanced diet, their digestive system gets restored. They can then eat a variety of foods at each meal without any problem, just as we do.
Be sure you introduce different foods in small amounts so that your dog's stomach has time to adjust to the changes.
8. Reality: Do you know that dry dog food is not better than canned dog food? Think about it...the food in a can is kept fresh by the very means of canning it. Now consider the amount of preservatives dry dog foods need after they are opened, in order to stay "fresh" indefinitely in the original bag, or whatever container you use for storage, or when they get left out all day so your dog can self-feed. Dry foods start out cooked and then are subjected to a high level of heat, which destroys nutrients...canned foods are canned fresh and therefore, retain more nutrients (although they're really not completely balanced).
Fresh food is "always" the best choice, either fed raw or cooked...next would be frozen or dehydrated and then freeze dried foods, all available at better pet stores.
9. Reality: Do you know that some of the ingredients used to make commercial dog food and certain common, everyday foods can be toxic to dogs, even kill them! Cooked bones and rawhide chews can cause major internal issues that require surgery. Wheat-based treats can induce allergies. Onions, grapes, raisins, chocolate, Xylia (the artificial sweetener) and other foods can be hazardous and should never be given to dogs.
To learn more about what's really in commercial dog food and the other items that are toxic to dogs, come back often and read our future articles where we'll give you detailed information.
10. Reality: Do you know that corn can kill dogs? Most dry dog food is loaded with this cheap filler and it's not the same corn we eat...it's the cheap remnants that's fed to cattle...even corn meal dust, swept up from the mill floor, is allowed to be used in dog food! Also, if this corn had been found unfit for human consumption due to pesticide content, then there's actually no limit for pesticide contamination in pet foods. Additionally, corn is very high in calories and therefore, very fattening...so, is it any wonder many dogs are overweight and suffer from diabetes.
So, now you know some of the awful realities about commercial dog food. Once you decide to improve your dog's diet and stop feeding that "junk" food, you can greatly improve his or her health and longevity...plus, you'll save yourself a lot of money!
All it takes is a little bit of knowledge and the desire to provide your dog with the vitality and long life it so richly deserves. We'll do our best to supply the knowledge...you just need to supply the desire.
Dogs Rule!
By Anita Boyd
http://EzineArticles.com
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