Dog Food- Avoid Their Health Problems
Buying food for your dog is confusing at the best of times, but in today's economy, poses an additional set of questions. After all, there is cheap pet food, and then there is more expensive pet food. Innumerable brands, such as sojos food, exist. How is a shopper supposed to tell what to buy?
Price, of course, is often at the forefront of buyers' minds. Is it worth it, they might ask, to pay more money for premium, organic, or healthy dog food? The answer depends on how much you care for your pet. Would you feed your child bad food? Of course not. So why should your dog be any different?
As you purchase dog food, make certain to check what it contains! A lot of makers try to conserve on expenses by using fillers in their product rather than real food. This is a disadvantage for pets since these filler substances don't provide nutrition and may actually be hazardous to their digestion. Among the ingredient items to beware of are these:
Corn is probably the number one filler in dog food, just as with human food. It is cheap and not digestible and does nothing but take up space. This can be in the form of ground corn, corn meal, corn husks, or even corn syrup! None of this is good for your dog and should be avoided at all costs, especially if it is in the first few ingredients.
Other ingredients to watch out for include anything labeled as a "by-product." This basically means anything deemed unfit for consumption, including feet, brains, diseased meat, and even roadkill! There is no way to tell what you're getting. Why take the risk? "Mill run" is another phrase you might see, and it's almost as bad; it's waste from mills. Best case scenario, it's just hulls.
Pay attention to the quality of dog products other than food as well. For instance, dog treats are often packed with as much or even more filler than regular food, with the justification that "it doesn't have to be healthy because it's just a treat." Don't believe that. If your dog is going to eat a treat, it should be of the highest quality you can find.
You might wonder why it's worth it to spend so much time scrutinizing your pet's food. After all, other dogs eat the cheaper food and do just fine. These dogs, however, tend to have a higher risk of health problems, especially digestive problems. This can make you pay more in the long run for veterinary bills. And, besides, your dog is your best friend. It's worth it to find quality dog food so he or she can be happy and healthy.
Purchasing dog food is perplexing even when times are good, but in today's troubled economy it raises many more questions. There is inexpensive food and then there is pricey food. There are numerous brands, like Sojos food. Examine the quality of other dog products as well. Dog treats and snacks are often made with mostly fillers. It is often the case that dog treats contain more filler than food, because people view the treats as "just a snack". Be careful not to accept this mindset. Dog treats should have nutritional value as well.
Published January 29th, 2009
Filed in Family