Every pet owner should learn to read the labels on their dog’s food and be sure that they are feeding their best friend correctly. If you purchase dog foods that are certified 100 percent organic and natural, your dog is bound to live a longer and happier life. These higher-quality dog foods must follow strict USDA guidelines.
It is well worth the time it takes to become enlightened about all the ingredients in your dog’s unhealthy food. Many dog food companies hire people to design the best possible eye-catching label that sells to the public. This design has nothing to do with what that producer put into that brand of food.
Although genetics plays a part in a dog’s life and some dogs are predisposed to medical problems because these problems run in their genes, they have a higher risk for developing issues such as heart disease, diabetes, thyroid, cancer, obesity, and more if specific health issues ran in their family, the same as these issues run in your family.
The Foods Your Dog Should Not Eat
- Corn: especially when this is used as the main ingredient, as this is typically a filler and has no nutritional value.
- Whole Wheat: this grain is excellent for you, but not your dog because it contains gluten. Gluten can cause severe allergic reactions in many dogs.
- Soy: is another common food allergen for dogs. Many companies use this as an inexpensive substitute for protein. Soy triggers food allergies. Soy contains phytoestrogens, mimicking hormone estrogen, causing a wide range of health problems in dogs. Soy can also inhibit proper thyroid functions.
- By-products/Fillers: such as rice, corn, soybean, wheat mill, modified cornstarch, oats, and more. Some of these are very dangerous for your dog, and are used because they are low-cost ingredients for the producer. Meat by-products consist of the parts of the animal left over and not appropriate for humans to eat.
- Plant Proteins: such as peas, potatoes, and legumes are not harmful; however, they are less nutritious than meat.
- Coloring Agents: these are used to make dog food more appealing to humans. Low-quality dog food uses Red 40, Blue two, and Yellow five.
- Artificial Flavors: these are used when a dog would not otherwise eat the food, and makes the food more appealing.
- Artificial Preservatives: these will extend the shelf-life of dog food. These preservatives such as BHA, BHT, and Ethoxyquin are dangerous chemicals for your dog but unfortunately, often are legal to be used in food. Ethoxyquin is illegal to use in human food but not dog food.
- Sweeteners: these are used to make dog food more appealing to your dog, such as corn syrup, fructose, and sugar. Sweeteners add calories and increase the risk for dental problems.
These cheaper brands will not immediately harm your dog. However, after a time of eating this cheap food, it increases the dog’s risk for health issues which will cost you more money in the future to care for your dog medically.
Healthy Ingredients in Dog Food
The following healthy ingredients are rarely found in the cheaper brands of dog food. These are the types of ingredients that you will find in high-quality, all-natural dog foods which will extend the longevity of your beloved dog. When looking for healthy options for your dog, you should look for a food that has a healthy balance of:
- Animal-Based fats to help produce energy
- Omega fatty acids to keep skin and coat healthy
- Salmon oil
- Chicken fat
- Fish such as fresh tuna or menhaden fish meal
- Digestible carbohydrates like whole grains
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Gluten-free foods like beans and legumes
- Chelated minerals
- Prebiotic fibers
- Dried fermentation products
- Fruits
- Vitamins
- Minerals and more
Please be sure to avoid the Following Human Foods as They are Toxic to Dogs
- Chocolate
- Garlic
- Onions
- Dairy
- Raisins
- Candies
- Gum
- Grapes
- Salt
- Bacon
- Fat
- Peanut Butter is acceptable if used in moderation. Avoid any ingredients like xylitol.
The Top Ten 100 Percent Organic, Natural Dog Food Brands
These dog food brands contain no harmful ingredients and only good healthy ingredients.
- Cornucopia Brand Dog Food since 1969
- Tender and Better
- Gather Free Acres
- Castor and Pollux Organix Organic Dog Food
- Primal Freeze-Dried Nuggets
- Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Dog Food
- Newman’s Organic dog Food
- Just Right
- Eukanuba
- Ollie
- Nom Nom
- The Farmers Dog
- Whole Earth Farms and many more
As you can see by the above certified organic dog food, the list is quite extensive and gives you many options and prices. Your budget often determines how much you can spend on your dog’s diet.
When you decide to switch over your current dog food, you should do so gradually so that your dog’s body can adapt to the richer food source. For instance, if you were to switch over to Cornucopia, you would need to put one cup of your dog’s everyday food into their dish and mix it with one-quarter cup of the Cornucopia food. Gradually increase this new brand until the dog gets all the Cornucopia goodness and no more of the inadequate food they have been eating.
Are You Looking for the Best All-Natural, Organic Dog Food?
It would be best if you started feeding your dog a more nutritious and 100 percent organic diet as soon as possible. Do not wait until you run out of your choice of dog food. Order some Cornucopia Organic Pet Foods and mix the Cornucopia brand into their meals in small amounts, increasing this amount at each feeding. If you feed them solely a naturally organic food, it may cause some gastrointestinal upset. Mixing a small amount of this dog food with their current food gives their digestive tract time to adjust.
Now that you’ve been informed about the better dog foods out there for your best friend, have you checked your know-how for the Importance of water intake, pooch hydration and how it affects your dogs recall and alterness?
photo credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/yUr_afmmRR0
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