High Quality, Nutritious, Healthy Dog Food is the Key to Your Dog’s Long Term Good Health
Did you know that dog food you buy in a grocery store or pet supermarket is probably very low in nutritional value? Even if the food was somewhat nutritious when it was placed in the bag, that nutrition has deteriorated because the food is several months old by the time you purchase it at the store. So when you buy dog food in a store, you may be slowly killing your dog.
Think about our own health and nutrition. Eating fast food or other unhealthy food is not good for our own health. That type of food will lead to disease and a breakdown in our bodies over time.
The same thing is true for our dogs. An unhealthy diet (one lacking in good nutrition) results in gradual deterioration and increased disease in our beloved companions.
Why do you think that so many of our dogs are dying from kidney failure, cancer, heart failure, and other degenerative diseases? These diseases in our pets were almost non-existent before the advent of commercial dog food.
I think you will agree with me. You and I want our pets to live long, healthy, and happy lives. They are so full of unconditional love. They are completely dependent on us to provide them with good nutrition. I owe that to him.
You have possibly seen a picture of my dog, Romeo, on the internet. He is a 6 year-old mutt with a beautiful coat of hair. He gets compliments on it all the time. He has been fed high quality, nutritious dog food for 5 years now. He is the healthiest, sweetest, happiest dog we have ever owned.
I made a statement in the first paragraph, “you may be slowly killing your dog” if you’re not feeding high quality, nutritious, healthy dog food. I know that’s a strong statement. Many people feel that way. Read the article “What’s Really in Pet Food,” published by the Animal Protection Institute. This article includes some very startling information.
As stated in this article, dog food many times contains food “unfit for human consumption.”
The author is talking about both meat and grains. If you’re like me, I have absolutely no interest in feeding my dog food that is unfit for human consumption.
Here’s something to keep in mind. You can’t rely on the ingredient label or the wording on the package to make your dog food selection. Just because the package describes the food as “high quality” or “premium,” doesn’t mean that it is a quality, nutritious, healthy dog food.
Even when a company puts out a dog food product that is somewhat nutritious, it is probably 6-18 months old by the time it is sold in a grocery store or pet supermarket.
The store owner or employee may tell you that the food is very fresh. But chances are that person doesn’t know how long the bag of food has been stored in one or more warehouses before being shipped to the store. The owner just has no control over that.
The older that bag of food, the more the nutritional value of the food deteriorates. Major causes of this deterioration include bacteria, heat, and mold.
Another major factor in determining a good dog food is the cooking method. It is best that the food is cooked at a low temperature and for a short period of time. If you find a food that that claims it is high in nutrition but is cooked at a high temperature or for a long period of time, most of the nutrition has been destroyed.
I suggest that you consider the following 4 factors in selecting a high quality, nutritious, healthy dog food:
1. As I have already said, the food should be cooked at a low temperature and for a short period of time.
2. Meat should be the #1 ingredient. The food should contain no by-products.
For example, water is removed from the chicken to form chicken meal. So if you see “chicken meal” as the first item on the ingredient label, you know that there is a lot of chicken in the product. If “chicken” is listed as one of the top ingredients, it may be much lower on the list of ingredients when the water is removed. The manufacturer may be trying to mislead the consumer to think that chicken is one of the top ingredients.
4. Meat should make up a very high percentage of the food. A food that includes by-products should be avoided.
3. Check out the cooking methods. The food should not be cooked at a high temperature or for a long period of time.
4. The dog food should contain no corn, no wheat, no dairy, no artificial colors, no artificial preservatives, no steroids, and no hormones.
Providing a high quality, nutritious, healthy dog food will help your pet live a long, healthy, and happy life. That’s what I want to do for my little fellow.
Scott Hubbard is a long time pet lover. For the last 40 years, dogs have been a major part of his family. He has dedicated over 5 years to determining the best products for pet health. You can click here to learn more about the high quality, nutritious, healthy dog food that he recommends. You can reach him directly by calling toll-free 877-878-4036 or by emailing him at Scott@ScottHubbard-Consulting.com.
