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It’s been some time now, since the poor, and sometimes even dangerous, quality of many commercial dog foods was exposed when many dogs and cats perished or became gravely ill after consuming them. We, and the media, have long since moved on to the next crisis but it is important that dog and cat owners continue to be vigilant with regards to what they are feeding their canine or feline companions. While the foods that actually killed animals have been taken off the market, there are still a great many foods that are not a good choice for your animal. Bad foods can, over time, cause all kinds of serious health issues like tumors and cancers. So, we decided to address the subject again, in order to give everyone’s memory a little jolt.

There are so many brands and types of dog foods out there; how is one to know which ones are good and which are not so good? Everyone claims to be the best and many have some really good ads on TV that pull at your heartstrings. However, clever advertising campaigns and/or donations to shelters will not insure that the product they are selling is actually good for your dog.

Insuring that your dog or cat is getting good food that is free of harmful ingredients and full of beneficial ones is actually pretty easy. It just takes a few extra moments of your time. Don’t let the higher cost of good foods deter you in your mission. The slightly higher cost of better foods is more than offset by reduced Vet bills for serious illnesses that can be caused by poor foods. More importantly, you want your companion to be with you for as many years as possible and that aspect is priceless.

We have listed a few simple guidelines that will insure good nutrition for your dog.

Rule #1- (all this info pertains to both dry and wet foods)

Read the labels… just as you would, or should, for your own foods. If the primary ingredient (the one listed first) is not MEAT, don’t buy it… simple as that! If the food contains wheat or corn, don’t buy it. If the food contains any type of “by products”, don’t buy it. If dry food lists citric acid as a preservative don’t buy it. (Dry foods using this preservative have been linked to increased risk of BLOAT.)

Many of the better foods contain brown rice, some vegetables, blueberries, apples, barley, or some oats… they are, in lesser quantities than meat, great for your dog and your dog needs some carbs and fiber, which they provide.

Good foods should contain flaxseed oil, fish oil, olive oil, avocado, or any combination… all good stuff for your dog’s cardio health as well as their coat and skin.

Rule #2

Don’t feed your dog table scraps.