The Early Years

Before the advent of commercial dog food, people fed their dogs scraps from the table and the dogs supplemented that food with other food found as they roamed throughout the day. In 1860, James Spratt invented the dog biscuit, which was made in England.

Over time, the dog's range narrowed, leash laws enacted and eventually the family dog became limited to his immediate home area. The cereal companies, needing something to do with their scraps, decided to make the scraps into dog kibble.

Choices Of Dog Food

Today, the choices in dog food have exploded to include all kinds of speciality foods: organic, for big dogs, small dogs, dogs with stomach trouble, dogs of various breeds. But, the basic choices of dog food are still the same: Kibble, semi-moist, canned and frozen. Canned dog food is divided into four different styles: stew, chunk, ration and all-animal.

The dog food known as ration has ingredients that are ground and cooked. None of the meat is identifiable. All animal food has some byproducts visible and identifiable. The chunk dog food is ground, but then pressed into chunks. Stew has added gravy, more for the benefit of the owner's eyes than the dog's taste buds.

Chemicals Found In Dog Food

The more processed the dog food, the more chemicals that will be found in it. Semi-moist dog food contains prophylene glycol which acts as a humectant to keep the food pliable. Dog food containing gravies have food starch, gum and coloring added. Artificial color and flavoring are added to dog food to make it taste better and look better to the owner. The preservatives BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin and mold inhibitors are also added. According to Pet Food Industry Magazine more than 200 different ingredients are approved for use in pet food.

Nutritional Needs Of Dogs

Dogs need fats, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water to meet the needs of growth, activity and repair. If a dog food has only plant protein, unless it has been processed, the dog will not be able to absorb it and take advantage of the nutrients.

No living thing on Earth eats the identical foods each day, every day. Even wild animals eat a variety of foods. Many dogs are fed the same food year after year with little variation. This is not the best thing to promote good health, even if the food claims it is 100% complete.

Animals are the same. Dogs need a variety of protein sources, fruits and vegetables from as close to the original as possible. An Australian man named Ian Billinghurst advocates the BARF diet. This diet has dogs eating raw bones and raw food. Chicken carcasses, yogurt, raw eggs, vegetables and fruits and the exclusion of all grains make up the BARF diet.

Many people insist that this diet has made their dogs more energetic and healthier. Other people are completely against feeding a dog a raw diet. Whether the BARF diet or other raw food diet for dogs is right or wrong, dogs do need to eat food that they are adapted to biologically. If they do not eat quality food with easily absorbed ingredients, their health will suffer and degenerative disease will set in.

Picking The Highest Quality Food For Your Dog

There are many high-quality dog foods on the market today that have no by-products, high levels of digestible protein and low or no grain that owners can choose from. Before selecting a food for your dog, it is important to take into consideration the age and activity level of your pet, as well as learn all you can about dog nutrition so that you can make an educated choice about what to feed your dog.

Find the most affordable dog nutrition deals available on the internet fast and easy! When you visit http://tommiehoward.offershop.us/pets you will be able to fill your dogs needs in a few minutes!

Written by Tommie Howard using tags: pet food industry

In the past couple years there have been well over a dozen different dog food recalls. The dog fod industry has been under a lot of heat as it has become quite clear that commercial dog food is produced with such low quality standards that it has the ability to cause extreme illness in your pooch.

The pet food industry did not just taint themselves, they also caused concern and heartbreak among many dog owners that will never be able to regain the faith that most of us all took for granted with this industry.

Unfortunately many people didn't just see their dog get sick - thousands of dog owners lost their pets because of tainted dog food that they had purchased. It's not surprise that more and more people are starting to look into what exactly goes into commercial dog food.

Beyond tainted dog food, the large dog food companies have always been in the practice of providing food for dogs that is not healthy for our pets to begin with. This has always been a problem and still is today. There are hidden dangers in dog food many of us are not aware of.

The trend recently has been for us humans to eat better. The more nutritious the food is that we consume means we live healthier lives. Paying attention to diet and avoiding foods that have excessive fats and processed sugars, especially in the processed foods we buy, helps us to maintain bodies that are fit and trim.

It's easy not to think the same way when we are choosing out food for our dog. Many people are so used to just grabbing a bag of food whenever they run out. However, food plays just as important of a role in a dog's life.

There are some ingredients in dog food that we should flat out avoid. They are not healthy or reliable in quality for pet consumption. They are also used heavily in the dog food industry by the larger companies.

As an example, corn gluten is a by-product that is found in dog foods. This is used because it is an incredibly cheap filler. However, not only is it an extremely poor source of protein, but it is one of the most common causes of allergies in dogs.

One of the worst ingredients found in commercial dog food is something called 'chicken by-product meal'. This is a combination I hate describing - it's nothing but ground up chickens feets, necks, bones, intestines etc. The companies use it because it's cheap but it has the potential of being toxic or tainted. It sure doesn't do your dog any good!

Soybean meal is an ingredient that is used in order to provide a source of protein. It's cheap and is found in many dog foods. The problem is that soybean is the number one cause of allergies in dogs. It annoys me that they would include an ingredient that they know so many dogs will have a reaction to.

These are only three of the ingredients - there are many more that I could list. However, I'm sure you get the idea. The dog foods on the store shelves have the potential to make your dog very sick.

When you do your research about feeding your dog the right foods, you will be amazed at the changes you see. Your dogs mood, energy levels, skin, bathroom habits and even their behavior will improve. It's amazing what a change in diet will do.

Does this mean that you can't ever use store-bought dog food? Of course not, but you absolutely must know what to look for. We included a link at the bottom of this article where you can find more information.

Once you understand the dangers of certain commercial dog food and which ingredients to avoid, it's incredibly easy to make sure your dog is being fed nothing but the best food possible. Not only will you have the happiest and healthiest dog on the block, but you might just save its life! All the best!

Click Here to find out the dog foods you must avoid and how to keep your dog strong and healthy. It's important to know how to find healthy dog food to make sure your dog lives a long and healthy life!

Written by Linda McNaughton using tags: pet food industry

With the commercial pet food industry being under the gun in recent times, it can be hard for any of us to believe that we will not be seeing more pet food recalls in the near future. The sad truth is that the dog food we buy in the stores has the potential to cause extreme illness to our dogs.

These recalls weren't just small isolated cases - some of them were widespread and affected thousands of households.

Unfortunately many people didn't just see their dog get sick - thousands of dog owners lost their pets because of tainted dog food that they had purchased. It's not surprise that more and more people are starting to look into what exactly goes into commercial dog food.

Beyond tainted dog food, the large dog food companies have always been in the practice of providing food for dogs that is not healthy for our pets to begin with. This has always been a problem and still is today. There are hidden dangers in dog food many of us are not aware of.

The trend recently has been for us humans to eat better. The more nutritious the food is that we consume means we live healthier lives. Paying attention to diet and avoiding foods that have excessive fats and processed sugars, especially in the processed foods we buy, helps us to maintain bodies that are fit and trim.

However we often don't think twice about what we are feeding our dogs when we pick up a bag of food for them. However, the same theory applies to any animal - what you feed them has a direct impact on their health and quality of life.

Some of the ingredients in commercial dog food have no place in a dog's system. They are unreliable and extremely unhealthy.

As an example, corn gluten is a by-product that is found in dog foods. This is used because it is an incredibly cheap filler. However, not only is it an extremely poor source of protein, but it is one of the most common causes of allergies in dogs.

Another disturbing ingredient used in dog food is chicken by-product meal. Where this comes from is sickening - it is made up of chickens feet, intestines, necks etc. Again, it is an inexpensive ingredient that they are trying to claim is a source of protein. However, the protein is useless and this also has the potential to be tainted or toxic.

Soybean meal is also used as a protein source in dog food. The protein is a decent quality, however Soybean is also the number one allergy that dogs suffer from.

We could list several more ingredients, but I'm sure you get the point. The dog food you find in the stores is made up of such low quality ingredients that can put your dog's health at risk. The companies aren't looking to include the best ingredients for your pup - they just want to make as much money as they can.

It's amazing to see how much of a difference feeding your dog the right type of food can make. Your dog will be happier, healthier and even better behaved once you pay attention to their diet.

Does this mean that you can't ever use store-bought dog food? Of course not, but you absolutely must know what to look for. We included a link at the bottom of this article where you can find more information.

Once you understand the dangers of certain commercial dog food and which ingredients to avoid, it's incredibly easy to make sure your dog is being fed nothing but the best food possible. Not only will you have the happiest and healthiest dog on the block, but you might just save its life! All the best!

Click Here for more information on the dog foods you must avoid and how to keep your dog from getting sick. You need to know how to find healthy dog food to make sure your dog lives a long and healthy life!

Written by Linda McNaughton using tags: pet food industry

Do you consider big name dog food brands to be made with the best dog food ingredients? After studying the matter I've come to the conclusion that people are aware of a brand not because it's particularly healthy but because it's a brand that can afford some heavy advertising.

Your vet, unfortunately, does not have the best dog food available for your canine. I'll bet that 90% of Vets that sell dog food are selling Science Diet, yet it does not meet the requirements to make my top ten best dog food list.

I have done many hours of research trying to find out how to pick the best dog food, ever since my Beagle started having Seizures. I learned more about how to read a dog food label, and decipher what those ingredients really are then most people do for human food.

The problem was the more research I would do the deeper I would get into this ugly world of commercial dog foods.

It didn't take me long to figure out that I would have to learn some things about the Pet food industry in order to give my dogs the best dog food that's out there.

I have documented my findings in many articles about the pet food industry, which is virtually self-regulated, and about how the industry uses deceptive labeling language to deceive pet owners about true contents of pet food.

There is no law to assist us for selecting most suitable dog food apart from the law that makes it compulsory to mention the contents on label in descending order of weight of ingredients. If corn is the initial ingredient listed it is the largest component of the product regardless of what it is called.

Do yourself a favor and ignore the name on the bag and take a look at the ingredient list to determine what the food really is. After looking at the first few ingredients and rubbing your head, then you can look at the rest of the list which you'll have no clue what the word mean. Yet here I am telling you the label is still the best place to learn what is really in the food.

As you start to look at ingredient lists, your going to see healthy sounding ingredients like dried egg products. Don't be fooled this particular ingredient is anything but healthy. The only thing healthy in dried egg products is the word egg, and the last I checked you can't eat a word. Why do you want to feed your dog food with ingredients that need to be marked not fit for human consumption before sold? Another good one, is Chicken by-products, if you think this has anything to do with chicken you would serve your family, think again.

When you look at the listed ingredients of this item, you can figure out some of them, however it will be more difficult to identify the preservatives and vitamins as the names are less familiar.

I have learned what to look for in the best dog food on the market.

This has helped my weed through over 150 brands of dog food, and only 10 were good enough to make my top 10 best dog food list. When you compare the labels on these 10 to the brands your Vet are selling, you are going to start to take healthy feeding decisions out of the hands of your Vet and do it yourself.

Written by Michael Considine using tags: pet food industry