This is just a poll I want to post just to so everyone can get an idea of what type of foods they feed they're dog. Just in case you want to switch your dog on a different diet. I've chosen the Top 10 Dog Foods listed from Whole Dog Journals February 2001 issue. I know there are other good dog foods out there. If you have any in mind, feel free to discuss experiences with other dog foods.
How come I don't see my commercial dog food listed???
Recent studies show that many commercial pet foods may contribute to pet disease because of their poor nutritional value. But, by reading and understanding the labels, you can decide what is best for your pet.
Did you know commercial pet food also can contain condemned parts of animals that are not fit for humans to eat? These foods may contain moldy or spoiled food that is full of carcinogens. Some pet commercial foods can contain dirt, rocks and even wood shavings.
And, just because the label says there are no preservatives, doesn't mean that its true. If the preservatives are in the food before the pet food manufacturer receives it, they can say it has no preservatives as long as they did not add it.
Try to avoid ingredients called BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytolulene). These are both known to cause liver and kidney disease.
Also be aware of ingredients that have been listed more than once. For example, manufacturers can hide the fact that the main ingredient is sugar, if they split it by calling it high fructose and also corn syrup.
The main thing is to make sure that the first four ingredients that are listed in your pets food are meat products and not grains. Pets are carnivores and get their nutrition from meat. Most grains have little or no nutritional value and your cat or dog cannot digest them very well.
You can read more about the ingredients in dog foods by clicking here.... Click me...
Quality Foods Should Contain:
Superior sources of protein, either whole fresh meats or single source meat meal (ex. chicken meal rather than poultry meal)
A whole-meat source as one of the first two ingredients.
Whole, unprocessed grains, vegetables, and other foods. Nutrients and enzymes are more likely to be found in unprocessed foods.
Quality foods should contain a MINIMUM of the following:
Food fragments - lower-cost by-products of another food manufacturing process, such as brewer's rice and wheat bran...Manufacturers usually include at least one fragment to help lower costs. Beware any food that includes several fragments.
Meat by-products (not handled as carefully as whole meat) - any food that contains meat by-products as the MAJOR protein source indicates a low-quality product.
HIGH-QUALITY FOODS SHOULD NOT CONTAIN:
Fats or proteins named generically (ex. animal fat/poultry fat instead of beef fat/ lamb meal)
Artificial preservatives (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin)
Artificial colors.
Sweeteners (corn syrup, sucrose, ammoniated glycyrrhizin) to improve unappealing food
Propylene glycol - a toxic substance when consumed in large amounts; added to some "chewy" foods to keep them moist.
B.A.R.F.
One of the best and natural diets for your dog is B.A.R.F. (Bones and Raw Food) You can find out more on this diet by clicking here... Click me!!! (Information collected by Jane Johnson.)
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