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Dog Nutrition Information

PET FOOD INGREDIENTS

I URGE EVERY PET OWNER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PET FOOD INGREDIENTS SINCE MOST DOGS AND CATS ARE FED THE SAME DIET EVERY DAY FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.  UNLIKE PEOPLE, WHO EAT SOME "JUNK FOOD" BUT EAT MOSTLY HEALTHY FOOD, PETS THAT EAT POORLY MADE FOODS DAILY MAY SUFFER NEEDLESSLY FROM HEALTH PROBLEMS.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT READING DOG FOOD LABELS AND WHICH FOODS ARE PRESERVATIVE-FREE, VISIT EARL WOLFE'S WEBSITE AT:  

You will soon discover that many popular brands that are recommended by vets (Science Diet, Eukanuba (some formulas), and Iams, for example) actually contain by-products and BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin.

The minimum you should know about dog food is that lamb meal or chicken meal (NOT by-products)should be the first ingredient.  You should avoid kibble with BHA, BHT, or Ethoxyquin (toxic preservatives) - instead look for "mixed tocopherols" or Vitamin E as a natural preservative. Also, try to avoid corn since most dogs don't digest it well and some dogs are allergic to wheat (and may scratch or lick their paws excessively due to the allergy). If you can spend a little more, try to find foods that use human-grade ingredients since the meat used in them has not been treated with harsh chemicals to break it down (meat unfit for human consumption must be denatured before it leaves the plant so that it cannot be put back into the human food supply).

One thing that many people do not realize is that the lower grade dog foods (grocery store brands) in addition to having the problems listed above, can actually contain DEAD CATS AND DOGS OR EVEN ROADKILL as sources of protein and filler!  There is an article exposing this practice that has been widely reprinted and circulated and it can be found at the Fuzzy Faces website at http://www.fuzzyfaces.com/lfood2.html .

Another must-read article published by the API (Animal Protection Institute) reveals "What's Really in Pet Food?" at:         http://www.api4animals.org/petfood.html .

NATURAL DOG FOODS

One high-quality food brand is Flint River Ranch, which only sells its food through private distributors (sort of like AVON), but the food is shipped directly to you and the shipping is included in the price - it runs about $25-27 for a 20 lb. bag, depending on the tax rate where you live.  The standard formula includes wheat (to which many dogs have allergies), but there is also a wheat-free lamb and rice formula available. Visit www.healthydogfood.com to learn more about Flint River Ranch and how to get it delivered directly to your home.

Another mail order food called "Best in Show Power Food" has chicken and chicken meal as its top ingredients, does not contain wheat or corn, uses human grade ingredients, and has mixed tocopherols rather than the other preservatives listed above.  You can get information on them at their website: www.bestinshowpowerfood.com or by calling 1-800-DOG-EATS.  The food costs roughly $29-34 per 20 lb. bag including shipping costs depending on how many bags you order.  I have used this brand and while my dog does very well on it, the cost it a little higher than I'd like to pay.

Other preservative-free foods that I've heard good things about are Innova and California Natural, both made by Natura.  They also have a website at www.naturapet.com.  

BONES AND RAW FOOD

An alternative to commercially available dog foods is home-prepared meals of either cooked or raw foods or some combination of the two.  DO NOT FEED YOUR DOG COOKED BONES AS THEY CAN SPLINTER AND CAUSE INJURY TO YOUR DOG.  You can supplement your dog's diet with RAW chicken wings, RAW beef marrow bones, RAW chicken/turkey necks, livers, gizzards, hearts, etc.  Most dogs can handle much more bacteria in their food than people can since their digestive tracts are much shorter. Sometimes I mix RAW ground Turkey with cooked or raw vegetables and rice.  If you decide to feed an entirely natural/raw diet, though be sure to do your homework to get the balance right and don't forget to give a multivitamin and flax oil or other oil supplement since many dogs won't get enough from their food unless you include fish in their diet.  There are several schools of thought when it comes to raw diets and I have done some reading on several of them and have also discussed them with other dog people, including breeders and trainers.  

There are also some arguments against feeding a raw diet, so be sure to check out both sides of the story before you decide what's best for your dog.  See the links below.

The following books and links provide information about raw diets:

Give Your Dog A Bone, Dr. Ian Billinghurst. (Available from the Dogwise pet books catalog).

Canine Nutrition: Choosing the Best Food for Your Breed of Dog, William D. Cusick.

Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, Dr. Richard Pitcairn and Susan Pitcairn.

Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats - The Ultimate Pet Diet, Kymythe Schultz.

The Holistic Guide fora Healthy Dog, Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown (new edition April 2000).

TO ORDER THESE BOOKS, VISIT KATHY'S WEBSITE:

http://www.healthydogfood.com

OTHER COOL DOG LINKS

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Page last updated 5/26/01.