Are You Feeding High Quality, Nutritious Dog Food? If Not, You May Be Killing Your Beloved Pet

High quality, nutritious dog food is the key to your dog's long term good health. You may be aware of this. Most food that we buy to feed our dogs is extremely low in nutritional value. If you are buying your dog's food in a grocery store or a pet supermarket, you may be slowly killing your dog.

Think about human nutrition. If we feed ourselves unhealthy food over a period of years, our bodies will begin to deteriorate. We suffer from a higher incidence of degenerative diseases.

The same thing is true for our dogs. An unhealthy diet (one lacking in good nutrition) results in gradual deterioration and increased disease in our beloved companions.

Why do you think that so many of our dogs are dying from kidney failure, cancer, heart failure, and other degenerative diseases? These diseases in our pets were almost non-existent before the advent of commercial dog food.

You are probably like me. I want my dog to live a long, happy, and healthy life. He gives me unconditional love. He is completely dependent on me. I owe him the very best nutrition.

You can see a picture of my dog, Romeo at the bottom of the page. Romeo is the one with the beautiful hair. I'm the one who doesn't have much. Romeo is a 6 year-old mutt. He has been fed high quality, nutritious dog food for 5 years now. He is the healthiest, sweetest, happiest dog we have ever owned.

Even when a company puts out a dog food product that is somewhat nutritious, it is probably 6-18 months old if it is sold in a grocery store or pet supermarket.

If you are told by a pet product store owner or employee that the food is fresh, they are probably being dishonest or don't know what they are talking about.

A pet supermarket may or may not sell its dog food fairly soon after it is received. But they don't know how long it has remained in a warehouse before shipment to the retailer. As it ages, the food and its nutritional content deteriorate because of mold, bacteria, heat, and other reasons.

Another major factor in determining a good dog food is the cooking method. It is best that the food is cooked at a low temperature and for a short period of time. If you find a food that that claims it is high in nutrition but is cooked at a high temperature or for a long period of time, most of the nutrition has been destroyed.

You possibly don't believe me when I say that, "you may be slowly killing your dog." I encourage you to read the article, "What's Really in Pet Food" which has been prepared by the Animal Protection Institute. You will find some "eye opening" information. You can read this important article by clicking here.

As the article states, most of the food we provide our dogs is "unfit for human consumption."

This includes both meat and grains. Is that what we want to feed our dogs - food that is unfit for human consumption?

You can't properly evaluate the quality of a dog food by simply reading an ingredient label. The label may say it is a "premium" or "top quality" food, but it may be far from that.

So here is what I recommend in finding a good dog food:

1. The food should contain a high percentage of meat. Completely disregard any product that includes by-products.

Don't be concerned if you see chicken "meal" or fish "meal" as one of the ingredients. Chicken meal and fish meal are great ingredients as long as they comes from high quality chicken or fish.

For example, water is removed from the chicken to form chicken meal. So if you see "chicken meal" as the first item on the ingredient label, you know that there is a lot of chicken in the product. If "chicken" is listed as one of the top ingredients, it may be much lower on the list of ingredients when the water is removed. The manufacturer may be trying to mislead the consumer to think that chicken is one of the top ingredients.

2. Make sure that the food is very fresh. I have found that the best and freshest dog food comes from an online source that delivers a very fresh, nutritious food to your doorstep.

3. Check out the cooking methods. The food should not be cooked at a high temperature or for a long period of time.

4. The food should contain no corn, no wheat, no dairy, no artificial colors, no artificial preservatives, no steroids, and no hormones.

Feeding your dog high quality, nutritious dog food will enable your pet to have a healthy, happy, and longer life. I personally feel that I owe that much to my little guy.

Scott Hubbard is a long time pet lover. For the last 40 years, dogs have been a major part of his family.

He has dedicated the last 5 years of his life to finding the best products for pet health. You can reach him directly by calling toll-free 877-878-4036 or by emailing him at scott.hubbard3@gmail.com.

Obesity Is Killing Pets - Here's How to Stop It

The weight of humans is publicised across the media but the weight of your pets seems to be almost disregarded. If you, as a person are concerned and conscious about your weight then you should put the effort in for your pets as well. There has been a recent up rise of pet obesity across the UK and USA and it is extremely damaging to their health and could potentially end in fatality.

In the past year, researchers have found that the rate of pets being overweight has remained the same yet the rate of obese pets has rapidly increased. It has been said that 53 per cent of adult dogs and 55 per cent of cats are now classed as being overweight and almost half of that percentage are obese.

These horrifying statistics show that pet owners are not caring for their pets properly and they over-feed them and have a lack of exercise. It is almost as important that pets are healthy as it is humans and they need caring for correctly in order to survive and be happy. A lot of owners admit to over-feeding their pets with food and treats but many of them do not think there is anything they can do about these growing statistics.

Pet owners are being held completely responsible for this exponential up rise as they are completely accountable for the amount that their friendly companions eat. From this, pet owners are the only people who can help put a stop to the up rise of overweight and obese animals.

How Can I Improve My Pet's Health?

Different pets have alternative requirements for a healthy diet but whether you have a cat, dog, hamster, rabbit or bird they all have a particular healthy diet similar to humans. Most pets cannot survive on a human diet and this goes for cats in comparison to dogs etc. As cats and dogs are the most popular pets to keep these are the main focus at the moment.

Dog Nutrition

Dogs need a balanced diet of meat, cereals and vegetables a lot like us humans - but do not be deceived as a complete human diet is unhealthy for dogs. Dogs are classed as omnivores but they do not need any necessary carbohydrates in their body. Also, be sure to supply your dogs with clean water at all times. 'Wet foods' need to be served at room temperature and given once or twice a day in comparison to dry foods/breakfast cereals which need to be given in small portions and the directions on the packaging should be followed. Chocolate should never be fed to a dog, as much as 3oz of cooking chocolate can kill a medium-sized dog.

Cat Nutrition

Unlike other animals, cats cannot live on a vegetarian diet as they need a lot of protein in order to stay healthy. Cats need protein, fats & oils, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates to stay happy and healthy - they also need plenty of fresh water as they can become seriously ill after not having water for a few hours. Kittens need to be fed small meals several times a day and need to eat more than adult cats whereas adult cats need to be fed differently. Adult male cats need 250 to 300 calories a day and adult female cats need around 200 to 300 calories a day. An average cup of dry food contains 400 calories and an average cup of wet food contains 150 calories. Depending on your cats eating habits will essentially depend on how much you feed them.

Animal and pet obesity is a huge issue and it needs resolving as soon as possible so do not hesitate to join in on the nutritional way to feed pets!

Jade Jennison is an enthusiastic writer in the subject matter of pets and their well-being and aims to provide information to people who share the same interests as her own. The websites recommended by Jade have been thoroughly researched and come highly acclaimed from direct experience. Take a look at Snack and Tack for a vast array of healthy food for every one of your pets.

What's Really in Your Dog's Food? Top Reasons Why Your Pet's Food Could Be Slowly Killing Him

Your dog is 99.8 percent wolf. Whether he's a tiny Yorkie, a giant Great Dane or any mixture in between, it's true. In fact, the DNA of gray wolves and dogs is nearly identical -- their DNA differs by, at most, 0.2 percent.

How can this be? Because all dogs evolved from the gray wolf, and although their appearance has changed greatly over the 10,000 to 15,000 years they've been domesticated, their basic internal workings, their physiology, has not.

So to get an idea of what a dog would naturally be eating, and thrive on, one needs look no further than the diet of a gray wolf.

Gray wolves eat a varied diet ranging from bison, elk, deer and moose to smaller animals like beavers and rabbits. Of course, they consume nearly all parts of the animal -- organs, many bones, vegetation left over in the animal's stomach -- and they eat it all raw.

Contrast that with what most modern-day dogs eat: dry kibble or canned food. Most of which are primarily based on cooked grains and animal byproducts, not meat.

Three Major Ingredients of Commercial Dog Foods and Why Your Dog is Better Off Without Them

1. Meat or Poultry Byproducts: Meat byproducts are the part of an animal left over after all parts fits for human consumption are taken away. This leaves heads, blood, ligaments, lungs, intestines, unborn babies, spleens, feet, bones and other parts. What you'll notice is that these items lack one very important element: meat.

Further, it may surprise you to learn that "4D" animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled), which were (just recently) banned for human consumption, are completely legal to use in pet foods.

2. Meat Meals (Chicken Meal, Bone Meal, Byproduct Meal, etc.): "Meals" of any kind are materials that are rendered, which means, according to the Encarta® World English Dictionary, "to purify or extract something by melting, especially to heat solid fat slowly until as much liquid fat as possible has been extracted from it, leaving small crisp remains."

The boiling process separates fat, removes water and kills bacteria, viruses and parasites. However, the high temperatures also destroy enzymes, proteins and other nutrients that your dog needs.

3. Starches and Grains: Corn, wheat, potatoes and other grains and starchy vegetables make up a large portion of most commercial dog foods. Even corn gluten meal, which essentially a high-protein extract that has most of the carbohydrates removed, is used to boost protein percentages in foods without having to use an actual animal ingredient.

One of the biggest problems with most commercial dog foods is that they are made up, largely, of grain when what your dog will thrive on is meat (and preferably RAW meat).

Dogs have a hard time digesting grains, and eating grain-based foods will often cause gas, digestive upset, and potentially serious health problems down the line.

Have You Been Warned Not to Feed Your Dog "People Food"?

Many people have been told that feeding their dog people food will make them sick. Well, as with people, if you feed your dog junk food like white bread and potato chips they most likely will get sick indeed. Feeding your dog a diet of high-quality raw meats and veggies, supplemented with essential vitamins and minerals, on the other hand, would get you a different story entirely.

Dogs like real food and that is also what they thrive on.

Yet, why is it that so many of us still believe we are doing our pets a favor by feeding them only kibble or food that comes from a can? Heavy marketing on behalf of the pet food industry certainly plays a major role.

In reality, the best food for your dog is a fresh raw food diet, similar to the one they would find in the wild.

Fortunately, there are numerous high-quality brands of top-notch raw dog foods on the market, typically in frozen or freeze-dried form. These foods make it simple to give your dog the food he's meant to eat.

What About Treats?

To give your dog a special, healthy treat, try:

Dehydrated pure meat treats including freeze-dried chunks of fish, beef or chicken (cats also love these)
Dehydrated sweet potato treats. These provide excellent nutrition and a hard, grooved surface that promotes dental health.
Raw bones
Raw baby carrots
Sardines or a fresh shrimp (cats especially love these!)
Meat-based biscuit treats. If your dog loves biscuit-style treats, look for varieties with one very special difference: the first ingredient in them should be meat! 

Your Dog Will Thank You!

After feeding a high-quality, raw food diet, many pet owners report that their pets have softer, shiner fur, better breath and more energy than they've had in years. But don't take our word for it. Give it a try for yourself ... and your pet!

Copyright ©2009 Greener Wiener (This article may be reprinted with copyright, contact and information intact for not-for-profit purposes.)

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At Greener Wiener our mission is simple: to provide natural pet products that promote wellness for dogs and cats. Our inspiration is our own pet family (four mini dachshunds and three cats) along with our own desire to live a greener life. Because we understand how much your pets mean to you, we started this site -- to share knowledge about the nutrition and care that can give your pet the longest, healthiest, and happiest life possible.

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Rachael Bieschke is a natural health writer and editor with specialties in pet wellness, natural living, nutrition, spirituality and holistic medicine. She currently writes weekly for one of the largest natural health Web sites on the Internet and her works have appeared in numerous magazines, Web sites and newsletters. She is also the co-owner of GreenerWiener.com.