Updated January 8th, 2018

Dog food companies want you to feel emotional about your dog and what you are feeding them. We all want “what’s best” and so do they, right!?

Except these companies do not really have your best interest in mind, or your dog’s. They want to make money. So they play into your emotions with their sappy commercials and the recommended amount to feed on the backs of all of their bags.

Remember the more they sell the more money they make. The less quality ingredients they use the cheaper they can make their food and more profit they turn.

 

Standing in the store, looking at the wide variety of options you and your dog have when it comes to dog food, you might be tempted to pick the cheapest food off the shelf. Is it really that different from the food that is twice or sometimes even three times as expensive?

In short: YES, it is. Most cheap dog food is packed not with nutrients, but with fillers such as corn, wheat, rice and others.

It might provide your dog with the calories they need, but it will not provide them with the vitamins and minerals they need to be healthy.

It’s the same as you eating nothing but McDonalds for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day for your entire life.  How would you feel if you did?

If you want your dog to be healthy and happy, and to live a long life, you need to invest in quality dog food. Even big brands will add fillers to their food to make it tastier to your dog (but not more nutritious) or to make their cheap ingredients last longer.

It’s time to start not just looking at prices, but what is written on the back of those bags, too. If your pet food has things like “animal meal”, “animal fat”, a long list of “by product meals”, the kibble are different colors, or have “Chow” in the title then run the other way!

Think about it, what KIND of animal!? 

If it is not specifically identified it can be literally anything from road kill to euthanized animals. Yeah, gross! Believe it or not but if you can buy it where you buy your food, then think twice about the quality.

So Where Should I look and What Should I look For?

There are a number of different brands that make high quality dog food and most of them are accessible in those small holistic pet stores, or if you know where to look. You can visit www.dogfoodadvisor.com to find out about your current food or research others you are interested in finding more about.

A rule of thumb is to make sure the first three ingredients are actually protein and ones that are identified (chicken, duck, salmon…etc).

Why three?  Well, when your dog’s food is being made and goes through the high heat process the meat actually shrinks in size. This is because meat contains a lot of moisture, much more than rice and corn. So, your food may have meat as the first ingredient and then the second is a filler such as rice or corn. But after this process you will end up with more filler and less meat.

Conclusion

Look for foods that are high in nutrient-rich ingredients, like real meat and vegetables and low in fillers like wheat and corn (which a lot of dogs are actually allergic to).

If you’re not sure what kind of food is best for your dog, you might want to consult with your trainer or the knowledgeable people at your holistic pet store.

You don’t have to buy the most expensive food on the shelf, but you should buy the food that is actually made from quality ingredients, instead of those stuffed with filler calories. Remember, you are what you eat and the same applies to your dog!