Dog food is essentially food designed and specifically meant for consumption by large canines and other domesticated dogs. Humans are considered omnivores; we eat meat, but there are some parts of the animal that we don’t. The same principle applies to dogs. They are supposed to eat meat but they have been found to be lactose intolerant.
Dogs are supposed to eat meat, but they are also found to be lactose intolerant. This means that they can’t break down and digest milk, but they do very well on cow’s milk products. Unfortunately this means that dog food manufacturers are largely ignoring these dog health issues in favor of what is generally accepted as healthy and tasty dog food. In this respect it is no different than eating the dry dog food that comes from the supermarket.
The problem with commercially produced dog food lies in the fact that it is very cheaply manufactured and so lacks quality ingredients. Much of the product is made up of cheap grains such as corn and soya which are difficult to process and contain a lot of harmful substances. Dogs that eat this bad food experience a wide range of illnesses including flatulence, diarrhea and constipation. Many dogs die because of these disorders.
Commercial dog foods are also full of chemicals. Some of these are used as preservatives and some are used purely for aesthetic purposes such as colour. These chemicals not only come off as potentially toxic substances when ingested by your dog, they also leech into the system and do damage to vital organs. In fact many veterinarians advise against feeding commercially prepared dog food to animals because they are so unhealthily produced. The result is that many dogs suffer ill health and in some cases die.
It seems that in the last few years there has been a realignment in thinking about commercially prepared dog food. There are now plenty of nutritionally balanced and healthy alternatives on the market. The key is to make sure that whatever you choose contains the essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, fatty acids and carbohydrates that your dog needs. Unfortunately some pet foods actually lack all of these essential nutrients. This has led to claims that commercial products are actually harmful to dogs.
This may well be true. However it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go back to the store and buy some low quality dog food. You will need to look carefully at what you are buying. Many pet owners who have made the switch to healthier dog food have found that it was a simple switch coupled with some careful reading and planning that their dogs benefited from.
What should you look for in a healthy dog food? A good source of protein should be included along with a balance of vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. A lot of commercially prepared dog food contains a lot of junk food, sugar and even salt. Such foods can actually stimulate the growth of bacteria within your dog’s intestinal tract and create a potentially harmful situation.
Ideally, you should buy your dog food from a dog food manufacturing company that is family-owned and operated. Such companies take pride in the quality of the ingredients they use. They also make provisions for giving your dog a quality end product. In this way you can ensure that what you buy is healthy and does not contain any harmful ingredients.
The dog food manufacturing companies usually keep their sources of raw materials confidential. Only very few of them sell their products directly to consumers. These companies also ensure that the manufacturing process maintains hygiene and maintains the quality of the dog food. They use only hygienic and uncontaminated animal feeds. If the ingredients in the dog food fail to meet these standards, then it is obvious that your dog will not get the benefits it needs from these dog foods.
The various ingredients used by the dog food manufacturing companies are carefully chosen for their nutritional value and suitability for inclusion in a dog food. A lot of care is taken to ensure that the right balance of nutrients is maintained. A lot of emphasis is also given to the process of roasting or grilling the ingredients to make them palatable. This ensures that the ingredients retain all the essential nutrients and do not lose any of their value. If a company wants to succeed in this business and succeed in selling healthy dog food to its customers then it has to follow all the guidelines and standards that have been set.
There is no single formula to follow for ensuring that the dog food is healthy and if you want to feed your dog with healthy dog food, then you need to spend some time researching about the various manufacturers in the market. Check the quality of the ingredients used in the making of the dog food. Read about the manufacturing procedures and get to know about the manufacturing standards of the dog food. Once you are certain about the quality and suitability of the ingredients used in the dog food then only can you feed your dog with healthy dog food.