After numerous dog deaths (with many more unreported cases), countless illnesses and over 50 brands of dog food (both wet and dry) having been pulled off the shelf due to contamination, the question many nervous dog owners are asking themselves is: should I feed my dog commercial-brand pet food at all?
Given that the source of the deadly toxin found in the pet food is said to be rat poison found in the wheat gluten imported from China, no one is 100% sure. So questioning whether or not you should be feeding your dog commercial dog food at all is a valid question.
Contrary to popular belief, the pretty pictures of chunks of meat seen on the cans and pouches of pet food are misleading. They are for our benefit, nothing else. There is actually very little (if any) of the pictured ingredients in the average commercial dog food, and you’d be shocked to know what is actually in that can of food. And by the time it’s been cooked at constant high temperatures, and sprayed with preservative agents, the resulting “food” can be very harmful to your dog’s health and well being.
Many health conscious owners and veterinarians are increasingly beginning to support a natural diet of raw food over commercially prepared dog foods. The reason? The pet food industry is largely unregulated. And most manufactured dog foods contain a tremendous amount of grain products (which dogs have a hard time digesting), meat by products and bone meal, are lacking in vitamins and minerals, as well as contain added ingredients such as food coloring, cancer-causing preservatives, and artificial flavors.
There are many excellent dog foods on the market, but it will take some investigation to find them. Your best bet is to look for food that isn’t mass produced. There are many smaller manufacturers that fit the bill. Of course, since most use human grade food, they tend to be a bit more expensive. But isn’t your dog worth it?
If you decide to forgo canned food altogether and prepare your dogs food at home, a great source of protein in addition to meat are eggs (cooked or raw). Be sure to add legumes such as fully cooked lentils or split peas, raw vegetables (vegetables are great sources of vitamins, minerals for dogs) like carrots, zucchini, squash, lettuce and other salad greens, bell peppers or fresh corn. Any hard vegetable like potatoes, corn, broccoli, etc. needs to be cooked. Ask your veterinarian to recommend vitamin and mineral supplements to add to your recipes.
We all need to look at the food we feed our dogs in a very different way from now on. And with the latest contamination news, feeding your dog commercial dog food is turning into a scary gamble. But regardless of which route you take (canned or homemade), a thorough inspection of the food your are currently feeding your pup is in order.
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