What does your food say?

There is a practice within the pet food industry that many consumers are unaware of and it is regarding the use of rendered animals in the manufacturing of the food.

When asked, The President of AAFCO said: "If the ingredient say's meat or bone MEAL, you don't know if it is cattle, or sheep, or horse, . . . or fluffy." then went on to say: ". . . nutritionally, it is still protein." To view the King 5 Television interview with the AAFCO President (Herschel Pendell)click on the link above.

Does the listing on your dog's food use the word MEAL when they advertise it is made from meat?
And can we trust what a pet food company tells us their food is made of in their advertising? . . . Another AFFCO president when asked about the labeling claims of a Purina product stated (in writing): ". . . the large manufacturers are protected by the Constitutionally guaranteed right of speech, which doesn't require that speech to be truthful or with reason."

So, in a climate such as ours, what is the right choice? Do we stop feeding commercial food and only home cook? Do we follow the Bones and Raw Foods diet? Do we source a smaller food manufacturer or an all organic kibble? No one answer is right for everyone. What is right for everyone though is to first make sure that you meet with an experienced nutritionist experienced in canine nutrition who is unaffiliated with any particular food manufacturer. Your dog may have allergies or perhaps is more active for it's age and doesn't require "senior" food yet. Like humans, each individual dog is different.

I do a combination of home cooking and raw with organic wheat free kibble as snacks when on the road. This is much too high maintenance for some individuals and i respect that. I need to make sure that on a weekly basis my dog is getting an optimal level of nutrition... the right amounts of amino acids, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. This isn't easy but it isn't too terribly hard either. It takes some extra time each day but mostly it costs more. In the long run though, does it? With reduced vet visits due to poor health, does it equal out?

There is a lot of talk about Breed Specific Nutrition and the nutritional differences that carry over from breed to breed. I feel that there is a lot of truth in this because of the athleticism of some breeds versus others, the thinner skeletal structures or the longer gastric tracts; some dogs respond to some foods and don't like others. What I have learned is this. Even if Breed Specific Nutrition states that your dog should eat fish or poultry but it hates fish and poultry.... don't force your dog to do it. It will make meal time a stressful time. Just be sure to supplement for anything that might be missing.

Now,many of you don't have the time or the know how around a kitchen to do as I do... no worries! The best resource for food reviews is the Whole Dog Journal I subscribe for all of the great tips that it provides. It follows my core beliefs of a more holistic style of pet care but isn't preachy and respects that not everyone can or will prepare a home made diet for their dog. For this reason they review the best foods each year and provide the reader with a break down on their findings!

Good luck out there!