Edie MacKenzie On Dogs

Posts Tagged ‘Commercial Dog Food’

It is likely that dogs were first attracted to living with humans by the prospect of an easy meal. However, it took over 15 000 years of co-existence before someone hit on the idea of mass producing a food that was made specifically for dogs. And this first commercial dog food, created in the mid 1800’s, was hardly a commercial success. People continued feeding their dogs as they always had until the mid 20th century, when the idea of ‘dog food’ finally began to gain traction.

You may be wondering what dogs were fed for the thousands of years up to that point. The truth is, for much of that time, they were pretty much left to their own devices, and had to scrounge, steal or hunt what they could. Later, it became to feed the dog whatever leftovers remained from the human meal.

As the dog’s role evolved from guardian, hunter or worker to family pet, they would have got more regular meals from their human companions. Often though, the bulk of these meals would still have been table scraps, with some sort of commercial feed added for bulk.

As information has become more accessible, via television and, especially, the internet, there has been an increased interest in dog health and nutrition. This has seen a dramatic increase in the number of TV programs, websites and magazines about dogs.

We’ve seen the introduction of specialized, size specific, breed specific and age specific canine diets, as well as things like the BARF diet. Small wonder the average pet owner is confused about what to feed his dog.

So, I hear you ask, what food is best for my dog?

Well, depending on who you listen to, it could be anything from raw meat and vegetables, cooked homemade meals, or a premium, vet-approved brand of kibble.

All of these approaches have merit. But the important thing is balance and a menu that caters to the dog’s omnivorous nature. All good dog food diets, whether raw, dry or home cooked, need to take this into account.

Try to split your dog’s calorie intake three ways between meat, vegetables and fiber. Or feed a slightly higher percentage of meat and reduce the other two components proportionally.

Cooking for your dog and shopping for fresh foods are time consuming. But even if, like most of us, you are “time poor”, you can still feed your dog a balanced, healthy diet. Simply speak to your vet about the best premium or super premium dog food brand for your dog.

There are many variants available, so be sure to choose the right one from puppy, senior, lite, large breed etc. Some even cater to the nutritional needs of specific breeds.

Two definite no-nos are feeding your dog table scraps, and feeding him a cheap brand of kibble.

The cheap brands available on most supermarket shelves are packed with grains and thus of low nutritional value. They may also be behind numerous ailments ranging from allergies to more serious diseases like cancers.

Table scraps are also not ideal for dogs. Generally these will be high in fat and contain things like onions and garlic, which are harmful. If you feed your dog from the table you’re also likely to end up with a persistent beggar on your hands.

To learn more about best dog food, dog care, dog training and other useful dog info drop in at dogsanddogtraining.com

Lots of people have pets and love them. As a nation we spend billions of dollars every year on dog food, dog training, essential vaccines, and even clothing for them. The question that needs to be asked is if I take a multi-vitamin is there any reason my dog shouldn’t get one?

Of course yoru pet should get vitamins. Most pets would greatly benefit from having a multi-vitamin. While good pet foods have a lot of nutrients and vitamins, they are usually not enough. By giving your dogs a vitamin you can help keep them healthy and help them to live longer.

When purchasing a multi-vitamin for your dog look for supplements that contain vitamins A, C and D. Other important vitamins include B vitamins and minerals like magnesium, calcium, and zinc. Make sure you also consider whether your dog needs something special because large dogs like German Shepherds will need a larger dose.

Fish oil is also beneficial for dogs. As you probably know, omegas are good for people so it makes sense they are good for dogs. Recent studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of kidney and heart disease in dogs.

If your dog is getting older look for vitamins or dog food that contains glucosamine and chondroitin. These supplements are taken by humans to help with arthritis and they can also help your dog. Glucosamine helps your body to create new cartilage while chondroitin neutralizes the enzymes that erode cartilage away.

Many dogs like to eat grass but unfortunately most of grass has been treated with chemicals to keep either weeds or insects away. A better source of nutrients to boost their immune system, reduce allergies, and increase energy would be healthy green foods. Foods that contain green foods like barely grass, spirulina, and any other naturally green food should be loaded with nutrients that most commercial dog food doesn’t have. Also a study done in China showed that giving your dog spirulina when it was undergoing cancer treatment protected the dog from damaged caused by the chemotherapy and radiation.

When you are buying health supplements and vitamins for your pet, sticking with name brands is usually best. The last thing you want to do is buy the cheapest thing. You can, however, look at online sources of vitamins to save money and still get high quality. Also make sure to follow the dosage instructions on the back of the bottle. As mentioned above, larger dogs may need larger doses. Giving your dog a multi-vitamin can not only add time to his life but also make that life more enjoyable.

Your German Shepherd could be suffering from the side effects of commercial dog food, which is why so many owners are turning to dog health food. With so many potentially toxic ingredients being put into dog food these days, it can be hard to know whether you might be actually harming your best friend with every meal.

First you have to wonder how safe your dog food is from chemical contaminants that accidentally got into the food at some point in the production. Maybe basic ingredients were tainted overseas and nobody picked it up. Especially at the moment with companies all around the world looking to get more profit from less cost, we have to wonder if our dogs welfare is at risk.

How safe is your dog’s food really? It’s not uncommon for there to be chemical contaminants in human foods, which have much more strict controls.

In 2007 there was a widespread recall from over 100 dog food manufacturers after it was discovered that there was melamine (a type of plastic) in much of their dog food. It was eventually traced back to a factory in China which manufactured rice protein and wheat gluten (neither of which have any real nutritional value for a dog). So what that means is that it doesn’t matter what standards the US based company may have for their production plants if the ingredients coming into the plant are already contaminated!

Although this happened a couple of years ago, what has changed to ensure that it can’t happen again? Melamine was recently found in milk powder that was produced under human food standards. So what about the lower standards that pet foods are produced under? While it may a completely accidental, even the possibility of having toxic plastics ending up in dogs food is completely unacceptable.

I know I don’t want to pick up the paper and find out that my dog’s food has plastic in it. We are ultimately responsible for our dogs health, not just that they get the right nutrition, but to make sure that their food is free from harmful chemicals too.

Apart from the accidental chemical additives what else is your German Shepherd really eating? Commonly there’s a carcinogenic preservative called ethoxyquin in many factory made dog foods. This preservative has been banned for decades from human food due to it’s toxic side effects. Workers exposed to it exhibit a wide range of symptoms, not dissimilar to agent orange. But this toxic chemical is still being added to our dog’s food!

You won’t find it listed either, no matter how close you look. This is because fish meal when it is made gets treated with ethoxyquin, while it’s still on the boat. What this means is that fish meal might go into the food but the ingredients of the meal won’t be listed.

In some foods they promote the fact that there’s fish in there as a great source of protein and fatty acids, which is true. However if that fish is in the form of meal, then there’s a whole lot more going in than you bargained for. They could suffer from allergic reactions, cancer and liver failure. And this is something that supposed to be healthy!

For the sake of your German Shepherd it’s vital that you learn about dog health food. Commercially produced food is completely out of your control, you never really know what could be If you make your own then you can be absolutely sure that there’s no nasty chemicals and carcinogenic preservatives in your dog’s food. You can treat them to a variety of gourmet tastes and give them the very best nutrition possible.

Our dogs rely on us to provide them with the best possible food and care. To keep your best friend healthy and add years to their life, subscribe to our dog health food newsletter. You’ll find out exactly what goes into commercial dog food and how to make your own at home, cheaply and easily. Click here to subscribe http://www.dog-health-food.com

Article Source: Dog Health Food – Your German Shepherd Could Be Suffering

Your Beagle could be suffering from the side effects of toxic additives put into commercial dog food. Many people are turning towards dog health food as a way to be sure about what is going into your pet food.

Contaminated dog food can be in circulation for months before it gets picked up, and often it’s only when there’s a number of dogs getting sick and dying from the food that a recall is issued. Often quality is being sacrificed for the sake of profits.

In a bid to increase profits, many dog food manufacturers are using cheap by products from human food production and adding it as a protein source. This is can do your dog a lot of harm over the long term, leading to allergies and other chronic health issues.

In 2007, over 100 different types of dog food were recalled after melamine, which is a type of plastic, was found in many batches. Eventually the food was found to be tainted from imported rice protein. There are large questions about whether there is really any nutritional value in rice protein for dogs in the first place. But what this really means is that there is a chance that anything could end up in our dog food.

You may be thinking that this happened in China so I won’t affect you, but many companies around the world are using imported ingredients from China and other countries that don’t have the same regulation of their food products that we do in the western world. When you think about the tainted milk powder that was found recently, it’s only a matter of time before another batch of deadly food gets onto the market.

Even if there’s no accidental contamination, your Beagle could still be at risk from additives that are put into the dog food, before it reaches the factory. Ethoxyquin is routinely added to fish meal. Fish meal is then often promoted as a healthy form of protein. However they neglect to mention that ethoxyquin has been linked to serious allergic reactions, cancer and liver failure in dogs. And that it has been banned for human consumption for decades.

So have a quick look and see if your dog food has fish meal in it. And be aware that if it does then your dog is almost certainly getting a dose of a known carcinogen with every meal.

For the sake of your Beagle and it’s long term health, you really need to get educated about dog health food. It is our responsibility to know what is going into our dog’s food and to make sure that there are no toxic additives. or preservatives. We all want our best friend’s to live a long and healthy life and it’s not hard with a bit of knowledge.

How would you feel if your dog died at a young age and it was completely preventable? We need to know what goes into the food that we feed our dogs and if it’s making them sick. Our dog health food newsletter is chock full of tips for healthy eating, delicious recipes and information about what really goes into commercial dog food. Click here to subscribe http://www.dog-health-food.com

Article Source: Dog Health Food – Don’t Let Your Beagle Suffer From The Wrong Food

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After World War II, the success of commercial dog food was part of a sweeping societal trend toward modern conveniences that would both improve the overall standard of living and maximize the consumer’s leisure time. Women embraced anything that would free them from the kitchen or ease their household chores. Like drive-through restaurants and frozen dinners, prepackaged dog food was just one more culinary advantage.

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Beginning in the 1950’s, companies switched their promotional strategies to emphasize the convenience of canned and bagged dog foods. “Feeding a dog is simple today,” declared  one dog food company advertisement. “It is unnecessary to cook special foods, measure this and that – why bother when it takes less than a minute to prepare one of our meals for your dog?”

Another dog food company in those days played on a similar theme, promising to do “away with all the fuss and bother in preparing food for your dog.” They bragged about the lightning speed with which their dog food could be served and cleaned up, since it did not “stick to the feeding bowl and is easier than ever to mix.

As the pet food market became increasingly lucrative through the 1960’s, it caught the eye of American industrial giants looking to diversify. Quaker Oats, Ralston-Purina, and other breakfast food conglomerates began producing grain-based kibbles and biscuits, and meat packers such as Armour and Swift marketed the first canned dog foods with a meat base. (During this time., too, questions about the safety of cigarettes first prompted tobacco companies to diversify their holdings, and pet food was one of the more popular investments.) Competition among these industrial “big boys” brought new, stylishly packaged products and eye-popping promotional campaigns, which torpedoed smaller, independent companies like Spratt’s, as well as most regional “mom and pop” pet foods.

But too many dog owners persisted in supplementing commercial dog food with table scraps, so companies retooled their marketing strategies. Advertisements ceased to even acknowledge the idea of home cooking for dogs, and put an increasingly derogatory twist on “scraps,” while commercial foods were powerhouses of proteins, minerals, and vitamins.

At a 1964 meeting of the Pet Food Institute (PFI), a Washington-based lobbying association representing American companies, George Pugh, an executive of Swift and Company (makers of Pard dog food) described ongoing efforts to discourage the feeding of anything but commercial dog food. PFI staff also “assisted” Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and fourteen other popular magazines in the preparation of feature articles about dog care, which not incidentally advocated commercial pet food to the exclusion of everything else. And a script prepared and distributed by PFI, warning of the dangers of table scraps, got airtime on ninety-one radio stations throughout the country.