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YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT – AND
SO IS YOUR DOG
~
Barbara J. Andrews
Ever stand there reading dog food labels and then wonder why you
bothered? Worse yet, ever try
to compare labels?
Lets make it simple. Most
premium-grade “prepared” foods are good nutrition and frankly,
they are all about the same – meaning none of them are really complete.
A certain cereal says it is “total nutrition” but you would not raise your children on nothing but cereal!
Understand, we occasionally use dry dog food and thank the dog food
companies for the convenience but fresh food is the only basis for nutrition.
In order to read
a dog food label, you
must understand the terminology.
If it just says “beef” or “chicken” then you can feel
pretty safe that is the actual meat flesh of that animal - unless that
devious word "flavor" is in the same sentence. If it
says meat meal, it may contain hide, hair, and hooves.
If it says chicken meal or lamb meal, it means the
meat has been all processed together but depending on the manufacturer, it
generally doesn’t contain unusable parts such as feathers, beaks, or
wool.
If the label says “meat and bone meal”
it is meat meal with bone added but the law doesn’t require them to
state how much bone. Cheaper
for the manufacturer to throw in the bones and that is probably better than beet pulp for hardening the stool
so your clean up job is easier.
Be aware however,
a no-smell, hard dry stool is neither natural nor
healthy. Food makers try to make it that way so people will not mind
picking it up. A fresh healthy canine stool is moist and to our
noses, it stinks. If you're a dog, it is like reading the previous
day's menu.
It the label says “by-products” the product contains junk.
Worse yet, it can
contain diseased organs. It can contain the brain which in theory could be that of a
mad cow. It may contain
whole-head poultry, including the beak and feathers.
And of course, it also includes the stomach and intestines, along
with whatever was in there, which, if the animal was healthy and grass
fed, isn't so bad. "By-products"
is a huge hole in the safety net and an open door to avoid truth in advertising.
Manure from the slaughterhouse floor is an animal
by-product.
Even more disgusting and less nutritious, if it says “digest”
such as “poultry digest” it is a soupy glop that contains
all of the scraps and waste which is then dried out and mixed with the
good stuff, what little there might be of it! It is the lowest grade
of "food" and along with by-products, may contain contaminated waste
from the slaughter house, or worse, the veterinary practice or killing
"shelter."
And
in the bodies of dead dogs and cats is the deadly drug that probably
"put them to sleep." That goes right into your dog! It will
also contain flea collars..... poison. “Animal digest" could be
your neighbor’s lost dog.
Or “disposed” of
pets at the humane society.
Nothing is wasted and nothing is refused.
Someone’s beloved little mop-haired lap dog that
got lost, the litter of kittens the people down the street said they
“found homes for” or the sadly diseased pet that was put down - it all becomes “animal digest.”
A good rule of thumb; look for specific names like
“chicken” and steer clear of “poultry.”
The order of acceptability is Lamb (hasn't lived long enough to be
as full of antibiotics and hormones) Beef, Chicken, and Fish meal.
Further down
the ladder is the additional term “meal.” If it also says bone meal,
there's no guarantee where the bones came from (no, not the pet cemetery
but it could be just as bad) and regardless, it means there’s less real meat.
You can feed raw bones at home. And you should!
What you feed your dog is important to you as well as to the dog.
Watch for chicken on sale. It is cheaper than dry dog food and half
the cost of canned! When you find meat or poultry
on sale, stock the freezer! Veggies are great, buy them fresh for
your table and share leftovers with your dogs. Buy canned or frozen mixed
vegetables but if canned, be sure to pour the sugary liquid off.
Supplement with dry
premium brand food.
Your
pets will be healthier, have less skin problems, allergies, and other immune
deficiencies, and may even behave better when not reacting to chemical additives.
NO CORN. Read this important
recent article and you will never feed any corn-based product.
Dogs are carnivores - meat eaters.
Do not turn your 5 pound Chihuahua into a junk food junkie. A little
cheese or other dairy product is fine, even a little ice cream won’t
hurt. Fresh veggies and fruits are important, especially to
high-rise dogs that can’t get out and eat grass!
If
you have "inside pets" don't deprive them of what nature intended.
Plant a little grass inside.
Seriously, get one of those little pre-seeded planters for cats.
Your dog needs the live green vegetation just as much as the cat!
No
healthy dog is a "picky eater." None of our puppy owners ever call
with that complaint. They are educated owners. They feed real
food and their dogs know the difference.
You won’t find that listed on the label.
Copyright © 1998 Barbara J. Andrews. All rights reserved except for brief reference quotations
citing author and source. Article Reprint rights granted only
when working link to this page is provided or if print media,
TheDogPlace.org is listed as source. No portions may be
otherwise stored, used,
or reprinted in any form without prior express written consent of
Barbara J. Andrews.
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