Go into any pet section of your local supermarket or into any pet store, and a minimum of 50 different dog foods will greet you. Shelves are crammed with cans and packs, 50 lb. bags and 10 lb. boxes, dry and wet, crumbles and bones -- all tempting the taste buds of Jake and Rocky, Daisy and Ginger.
Then we have the natural food preference, both cooked and raw. Many dog owners make the favorite human cure-all chicken soup (with chicken of course) even if their dogs don't need a "cure." Dogs seem to love it, eat their veggies, get their protein AND hydrate all in the process of eating their dinner. I've never tried the "raw" approach myself, but even some veterinarians swear by it.
We even have a holistic approach with dog food made with "all natural" ingredients, fresh from the farm. These sound pretty good to me, but I don't actually know how much better (or not better) they are than the old fashioned canned variety of years gone by. It seems - just as with humans - we all lived perfectly well years ago with our older ways, "ignorant" of any dangers lurking out there. BUT how "perfectly well" did we actually live?
What's a dog parent to do?
Not all dog food is equal to all dogs. Just as some humans have allergies to certain foods, animals may also have intestinal or skin problems with certain ingredients, for example, milk products, even chicken or beef. Also, keep in mind that some very good foods can even be too "rich" in protein or fats for a delicate stomach or dog of a certain age. You can always buy a small can or bag if you are trying out a new product and carefully track your dog's behavior and elimination afterward. Many smaller pet stores will give you free samples or packets of a particular products to try it out. PLEASE NOTE, always check with and follow your veterinarian's advice FIRST and before trying anything in this article.
Perhaps just as their human friends, dogs are better off now with our having more information and knowledge of what ingredients they should be eating and what to avoid. It would appear that dog food manufacturers certainly have information and, for the most part, attempt to handle operations with care and safety.
This still leaves the real burden of awareness and vigilance on the shoulders of the dog owners to read labels, articles, news reports, and to check with their veterinarians. The international business and trading world we live in today may do well for global relations and the economy, but it does leave us open to more cracks through which to fall.
I have gone through all this soul-searching about the right food with my own little four-year-old rescue dog Maggie, a buff-colored cocker spaniel. She is shy and sweet and is now fighting off the life-threatening effects of a very compromised immune system, which hastened pneumonia and a systemic fungal infection from her first three years of life in a puppy mill. But she is the light of my life, and I hope and pray she will continue to improve. I can see firsthand the importance of good nutrition and care to help that little immune system fight for its life and then stay healthy.
The bottom line is that we love our animals, and they return that love one hundred-fold plus. They are in our care, and we do our very best for them. No matter that they cannot speak to tell us so - somehow they get the message through to us.
Let's just take that extra moment to research all we can. Once we have enough information to make a decision, do it with love and consideration for your pet's well being.
P.S. The very same information holds true for your cat and kitten pets as well - their little tummies are in your hands!
Linda Reynertson
Linda is a freelance writer and publicist, owner of LMR Copywriting, who has written for and worked with animal experts and kennel business owners and marketers, international authors, and start-up online businesses.
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