With the unfortunate increase in pet food recalls, dog owners throw their hands in the air wondering what exactly they can feed their dogs that’s actually safe and won’t be recalled the day after purchase.
Learning Curve
We’ve since learned that one manufacturer used wheat gluten in their food, which caused most of the problems the first time. People started reading the labels of the food in hopes to find a safer product to give to their pets.
Unfortunately, this was proven to be a waste of time, since another manufacturer reportedly used a rice concentrate in one company’s dog food, but didn’t put the ingredient on the food label of the package.
Dog owners are now frustrated from all of these recalls and a new fear sets in – what food is actually safe? Because of this fear, many dog owners are now feeding their pets homemade human food.
It may sound like an easy solution to the problem, but it’s not really the best option. Human food can make a dog or any other pet sick. Their digestive systems aren’t built for it, so introducing human food can cause just as many problems as the recalled pet food if you’re not careful.
Organic Food
Not all human food is bad, though. If you decide to make your own food for your dog then make sure you’re giving healthy organic food. There should be nothing with artificial ingredients or any chemically sprayed food.
Organic will be the best way to go if you want to make your own food for your dog. If making your own food for your dog doesn’t really appeal to you, then look for dog foods that have the least amount of grains.
No Grains
Although there really isn’t any evidence that grains will cause all of these problems, it seems to make sense, since grains have been used as fillers for the pet food in the last few years.
Protein
Some experts offer some tips of what to look for on the ingredients label of your dog food. They state that the first three ingredients of the label should be some kind of protein – such as beef, chicken, fish or turkey.
It’s important that the dog food have a good amount of protein. These experts also state that you should never buy any dog food product that doesn’t have the company name, phone number or web address clearly listed on the package.
A Good Brand
You should have a way to contact someone if something should happen. You should avoid buying the generic labeled or store brand labeled dog food products, since these are manufactured from bulk suppliers. Look for a good brand name product to feed to your dog instead.
Dog food can be safe, but you need to be an advocate for your dog and make sure he’s eating healthy foods. Read the labels and make sure the food is of high quality and you can avoid the problems caused by the pet food recalls.
