| These days, it's hard to know what decisions | | | | biggest cereal mills, which may be slightly |
| are the best ones for our beloved pets. So | | | | better nutritionally, but remember that your |
| much information, so many conflicting | | | | dog was born a carnivore. His body does not |
| theories and opinions! When it comes to dog | | | | digest grain easily.4. Moderately-priced dog |
| food, is wetter better? Or should you give | | | | food usually contains harmful additives and |
| dry a try?In this article, I'm not going to | | | | preservatives. To make up for the lack of |
| tell you what to feed your dog. That's | | | | taste that comes from overprocessing meat and |
| something that should be decided on by you, | | | | grain meal, dog food companies added |
| and based on the recommendation of your vet. | | | | artificial "meat-like" color, flavor and a |
| But it helps to know the facts before making | | | | spray of fat to their secret recipe, not to |
| a decision, and here are some things you may | | | | mention harmful preservatives like BHA and |
| not have known about what's really in that | | | | BHT to extend the shelf life. It's these very |
| can of mutt meal or bag of kibble.1. Dog food | | | | additives that cause health complications in |
| was invented to make use of "food waste" | | | | humans leading to heart disease, diabetes and |
| that's deemed unfit for humans. Back in the | | | | cancer, not only for humans but for dogs as |
| old days, dogs ate the same things that | | | | well.Make an informed decision on behalf of |
| humans ate: meat, vegetables and grains from | | | | your dog.So what are we supposed to do, stop |
| the family meals. Then came food processing | | | | paying for our children's piano lessons so we |
| plants, and a set of FDA standards that had | | | | can afford the added expense of Rover's |
| to be met for human consumption. When the | | | | weekly meat consumption?Many dog owners |
| government realized the amount of grain and | | | | choose to feed their furry friends whole |
| meat that was being wasted in these | | | | foods like beef, chicken, rice and potatoes, |
| processing plants, they decided to package it | | | | in an effort to keep them healthier and |
| in cans and bags and market it as "Dog Food." | | | | around for many more years. Although whole |
| Advertising did a great job of telling the | | | | food is always the smarter choice, this may |
| public, "This is the ideal diet for your | | | | not be a practical consideration for your |
| dog!"2. Dogs only live to about half of their | | | | budget. In which case, it's worth looking |
| life expectancy. Some experts claim that the | | | | into one of the top brands of dog foods such |
| real lifespan of a canine can be as much as | | | | as Iams, Eukaneuba or Hill's Science Diet, |
| 35 years, yet most dogs don't get past age | | | | for their nutritionally formulated foods that |
| 17. Dogs are developing the same diseases and | | | | contain the proper amounts of certain |
| ailments as humans: obesity, diabetes, heart | | | | vitamins and minerals that are crucial in |
| trouble, arthritis, and even cancer. Why the | | | | keeping a dog's body in balance and |
| failing health? One theory is that dogs who | | | | functioning at peak performance. These foods |
| eat processed dog food suffer the same fate | | | | may be slightly higher priced than the |
| as people who subsist on junkfood. Their | | | | standard economy pack of Ol' Roy... but |
| bodies never get the nutrition that's needed | | | | paying a little extra now can keep the vet |
| for optimal functioning, so they age | | | | bills down later.Just like anything else in |
| prematurely and their bodies "crap out" on | | | | your life, you want to make choices that |
| them.3. Most dog food has no nutritional | | | | reflect your own beliefs, financial situation |
| value. Whether you feed your dog wet food or | | | | and personal philosophy. It's ultimately up |
| dry food, both wet and dry formulas of | | | | to you to decide what to feed your dog. But |
| "average-priced" brands are based on very low | | | | it always helps to know the facts |
| quality standards. If your dog eats meat from | | | | first.Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All |
| a can, he's consuming mostly rendered meat or | | | | rights reserved.Liked this article? Have more |
| meat meal, which has been treated in meat | | | | of the same emailed to your inbox each month. |
| processing plants on extremely high heat. To | | | | Sign up for the Copywriting and Marketing |
| "render" meat is to separate the moisture the | | | | Ezine from Dina at and learn to write search |
| solids as well as boil all of the vitamins | | | | engine friendly web copy and market your web |
| and nutrients out of it. If he eats kibble, | | | | based business for free. |
| he's getting runoff from the country's | | | | |