Title: Healthy Pet Food Tips
Author: Jane Dinunzio
Healthy Pet Food Tips
Deciding what to feed your pet isn't easy these days,
especially after the unprecedented pet food recalls in 2007
that pulled more than 100 brands off store shelves. The
culprit of the contaminated food was wheat gluten, poisoned
with melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and
fertilizers. The tainted food caused kidney failure and
other illnesses, and may have killed thousands of pets.
Recalls and poisonings aside, there are plenty of other
reasons to be aware of what's in your animal's food. A
good diet keeps your pet's coat healthy and keeps his
digestive system running smoothly. Also, you pay for what
you get. Foods with a lot of fillers are cheaper but less
nutritious. Just as with human food, good ingredients will
go a long way toward giving your pet a long, healthy life.
Learn to decipher labels on commercial pet foods. The most
important parts of the label are the nutritional adequacy
statement and ingredients list. The former tells you
whether a food is suitable as the sole nourishment for a
healthy pet. The label will specify that the product
"provides a complete and balanced nutrition."
A well formulated cat or dog food will list chicken, beef,
lamb, poultry, or fish meal first.
Cats are carnivores and dogs are omnivores, so both need
their meat. Bone meal and other meat by-products are
poorer sources of protein. Soy, rice, oats, yeast, wheat,
corn, and other fillers provide protein but aren't as
digestible, so look for foods that list these lower in the
ingredients.
Manufacturers sometimes try to mask the amount of fillers
in pet foods by breaking them into components. For
example, corn may be listed as cornmeal, corn gluten and
ground corn. If all three were grouped together, corn
would appear much higher in the ingredients. At the end of
the list you'll find preservative. Ethoxyquin is one of
the most controversial, because it may affect a dog's
liver. Look for foods preserved with Vitamin C (also
called ascorbic acid) or Vitamin E (listed as tocopherol)
instead.
A better alternative is to buy organic pet food. An
organic pet food marked 95% organic meets the same
guidelines as organic food produced for humans. The food
won't contain pesticides or antibiotics, and it's preserved
with natural substances like Vitamins C and E. As with any
food, the organic option will be more expensive, but it's
healthier for your pet, and the way it is produced is
definitely better for the environment.
The best choice by far is making your own pet food so you
know exactly what you're feeding your animal. Ensure
you're preparing nutritionally balanced food, or your pet
may suffer from malnutrition. Consult your veterinarian
before starting your pet on home made pet food.
Home made pet food tends to be the most expensive option,
but may be worth your peace of mind. While some pet owners
feed their animals raw meat, you'll be hard-pressed to find
a vet who thinks it's a good idea. There is always a
chance that you or your pet could be exposed to E.coli or
salmonella.
About the Author:
I am a strong advocate for feeding your pet healthy
nutritious food which will extend their lives and increase
their health. Find recipes and info at:
http://recipes4gour
__,_._,___
