Healthy Food For Dogs

No conscientious dog owner would ever consider serving food that might be harmful to their dog. But this is happening all too often because owners are simply unaware of the facts behind the food they are buying.

To date there has been precious little research available on the subject. A report has now been carried out which reveals the secrets behind commercial dog food. It is essential reading for all owners.

For the vast majority of dog owners, the easiest way to buy healthy food for their dogs is from their regular grocery stores or something similar. The perceived wisdom is that 'well known' is the same as 'good'. This is far from the truth, and in reality is a risky misinterpretation.

Analysis indicates that commercial dog food purchased off the shelf is regularly damaging dogs. Preservatives used in commercial dog food are an area of serious concern with content used that has been banned from human consumption. Ethoxyquin (EQ) is just one such product.

Of course not all commercial dog food is bad but much of it is unhealthy. It is accepted that dog nutritional requirements are not particularly well understood by either owners or veterinarians. As a result a dog's precise dietary solutions are not well developed.

Finding quality research which is readily available is difficult and this continuing lack of information means that owners are constantly buying the wrong product. In the absence of intelligence, the best known and most readily available dog food products are purchased, even when they may well be harmful.

The implications are serious. Amongst the conditions that have been directly attributed to commercial dog food are:

Bad breath

Moodiness
Leukemia
Birth defects
Hair loss
Liver dysfunction
Major organ failure
Kidney cancer
Bladder cancer
Skin cancer

This does not represent an exhaustive list.

These conditions are often terminal, resulting in painful death. In all cases the quality of life is seriously reduced. Poor or inappropriate food is acknowledge as a major contribution to reduced life expectancy amongst dogs. On a matter-of-fact but nonetheless significant level, dog healthcare costs can be huge when dealing with these serious conditions.

The vast majority of owners are conscientious, caring and loving towards their dogs. We know that these animals hold a truly special place in the family and more often than not develop real bonds with owners. Bearing this in mind, owners must make decisions based on fact. Simply choosing what is available is harming their dogs more than they can realise.