Dog Treats and Pet Nutrition

Page 1

Dog Treats and Pet Nutrition

Do you know what’s in your dog’s food? Many commercial pet foods may contain ingredients like animal by-products and preservatives that may be harmful to your beloved pet. Combined with filler products like grains, many of which don’t benefit a dog’s health, and provide only empty calories, and artificial colorings and flavorings, these are then processed at high temperatures, effectively destroying any nutritional value the food may have had.

Unsurprisingly, canine obesity and diabetes, as well as a whole host of other health problems have been on the rise, many of them attributed to poor diet and nutrition. The preservatives and chemical ingredients found in many commercial dog foods have even been linked to such health issues as digestive problems and even cancers.

Today, many brands of premium and natural dog foods have entered the market, giving dog owners literally hundreds of choices for dog food, kibble and dog treats, each with it’s own claims of superiority and quality. What is a pet owner to do in order to ensure that his dog gets only the best nutrition?

One of the most important things for all pet owners to learn is how to read the labels of a good pet food. In order to familiarize himself with the labels on pet products, a conscientious pet owner must know which ingredients a healthy pet food should and should not contain.

For example, animal by-products listed in the ingredients mean that the food uses, as a source of protein any by-products from the processing of animals – including hooves and hair, stomach contents, slaughterhouse waste, manure, meat from diseased animals and sometimes even euthanized pets. These highly undesireable ingredients are used in many brands of dog food and dog treats.

The order in which the ingredients appear is also an important factor. It is important to pay attention to the order that ingredients are listed – the first on the list comprises the biggest part of the food. One sure indication of a low quality pet food is one that lists corn, corn meal or other corn based products as


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.