In a previous post, we featured some great dog-care products available at Melaleuca.com. They make some really great, safe, natural stuff.
Today, we want to discuss the most important product dog owners need to buy: dog food.
Dog food comes in so many different varieties, it’s utterly ridiculous. The biggest problem, aside from the thousands of products available to you, is that most dog food is not nearly nutritious enough for your pooch. What’s more, the big brands do a great job marketing their products to make you think what you are buying is healthy and safe.
Just take a look at the labels on some brightly colored dog food packages. They’ll use words and phrases to placate and attract you, like “natural and wholesome,” “high quality,” or “complete and balanced.” Don’t be fooled by these claims. They are industry terms with no real guidelines or criteria.
The worst dog food brands have corn as the main ingredient. If you don’t know why this is bad, just look at what corn syrup and corn products do to us people. That’s right: They makes us fat, slow, and diseased. Just imagine what it’s doing to your dog. Wheat flour is also problematic because it leads to so many dog allergies.
If the food you are giving your dog does not have a protein—preferably chicken—as the main ingredient, you need to replace it ASAP.
Fortunately, with the advent of the internet, the resources for helping us choose the proper dog food are better than they’ve ever been before. Just spend a few minutes searching “best dog foods” and you will discover some great review sites where people have really done their homework. Dog Food Advisor is the most detailed, thorough, and comprehensive site for reviewing and breaking down dog foods. Also, look for articles written by actual vets. They will tell you straight up what to avoid and what to look for.
Keep in mind that the best dog foods are going to cost more. That being said, you don;t have to break the bank to keep your dog happy and healthy. There are some very affordable brands out there that are just as good as the super-expensive stuff.
At the end of the day, the best thing you can do is talk to your vet. Sit down with them and talk about the various options out there. Within a few minutes, you’ll get some great, practical advice about the type of food you should be offering your pet.
