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Guest Writer: Brenda Nelson

My food says its good?

All pet foods say they are good, but as a rule many commercially available dog foods use a lot of filler. As a result the dog must eat more food to get at the nutrition. Lower quality foods also use FAT to give the pet a glossy coat. Many owners feel a glossy coat = a healthy pet = good food.

Unfortunately because of lower quality ingredients, the dog must eat a lot more food, thereby eating a lot more fat. Thus contributing to obesity and other health problems.

The first 5 ingredients are the ones you want to pay most attention to. If the top ingredient is a good meat source, but the remaining four are all cheap filler, your food may not the best.

Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, and Lamb Meal are good. One of these should be the first ingredient listed on your bag (with the exception of senior food for overweight dogs). Fish Meal is something that some breeds, particularly northern breeds used for mushing, benefit from.

On the other hand “Meat Meal” or “Animal Fat” are bad. Any unspecified meat is mystery meat. It can come from ANY animal that died and was rendered that day. Mystery meat contributes to food allergies.

Beef, Pork, Wheat, and Soy are among the top 5 allergy causing ingredients for dogs (the other being corn). If your dog has “hot spots” or itchy areas check the ingredient list and avoid these ingredients.

Some breeds, have problems digesting soy, and it has been linked to causing behavioral problems. Corn and Corn Gluten Meal are fillers of no nutritional value and corn is a common allergen. Corn is a carbohydrate, and should never be higher than fourth on your pets food ingredient list. Carbs may make your doggie fat!

By-Products are one of the worst ingredients, they are a cheap filler of low digestibility. By-Products are waste left over by the rendering process. Beaks, feet, undeveloped eggs, intestines and even feathers. Not exactly yummy. But even worse is that by-products are preserved with a nasty chemical pesticide known as Ethoxyquin.

Ethoxyquin is a chemical pesticide considered so bad it is banned from use in some countries. It may be used on its own or hidden in the by-Product and as such is considered part of the by-product so may or may not appear listed on the ingredient list. It has been linked to health problems.

• BHT and BHA are cheap chemical preservatives, used in lower quality pet foods. Both have been linked to numerous health problems.
• Tocopherols (Vitamin E) is a more expensive preservative. It is natural, safe, and will preserve a food up to 12 months
• Yucca is a lesser ingredient used primarily to help control odor in the stool. Also believed to help with arthritis
• Glucosamine/Chondroitin are good, especially for older dogs, and large breed dog, they are believed to help with arthritis and joint health, and often used for arthritis.

Food and Feeding - Tips and Information…

Large Breed dogs require food for Large Breed dogs, particularly when they are pups – you really want to SLOW DOWN their growth so their joints are not stressed too quickly, these dogs often can be fed puppy food up to 18 or 24 months of age.

Every food markets itself as the BEST! I caution you not to take the advice from any one who sells a particular kind of dog food they are making money by promoting that food and will only tell you good things. This even includes veterinarians. They are paid to sell certain foods.

The amount of food to feed your dog will depend on the quality of the food – foods should have feeding guidelines on the side of the bad, you should break up the daily amount into two or three feedings (three if its a smaller breed, or a pup). If your dog is obese, follow the guideline for the weight the dog should be, not the weight the dog is.

Cost does not determine quality. Some food companies inflate their price so you think its better food, others have their prices higher because of paying for veterinarian endorsement. Food made in your own country may be less costly than a product made elsewhere.

If the food indicates that it is Human Grade, that is even better, as it indicates the food is fit for human consumption. If it does not say human grade then it can even be meat from animals who were euthanized, or died of other causes before reaching the rendering plant.

Always feed your dog out of a Ceramic or Stainless Steel bowl. Plastic bowls cannot be properly disinfected and can harbor bacteria, and give your dog acne.

By Brenda Nelson

(Brenda developed her love for animals at an early age, being the daugher of a zoologist. She eventually attended College to study horses and learn how to train them.  Aftter working with horses for several years she started working at an SPCA, which is a non-profit animal shelter.  She studied pet behavior and nutrition.  Currently living in Alberta, Canada, she has several pets of her own and writes numerous articles on pet care.  She is also active as an artist. )