Dog Food vs. Dog "Food"

Have you ever read the label on that bag of Kibbles N' Bites you feed your four-legged friend? Better yet, can you understand it? you should. Sparky can't read and so you have gotta do it for him! Pet food standards are crap. What goes into our beloved friend's food would shock most people. Sometimes shock power is what's needed to make a change.

FOOD LABELS: Does your bag O kibble read "by-product meal?" For example: Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken by-product meal, corn, etc............according to the AAFCO, 

"Chicken by-product meal consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice." YUCK! So you are feeding Sparky the crap of crap.

It gets more disturbing........According to the article, What's Really in Pet Food,                   

"What most consumers don’t know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a convenient way for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered “unfit for human consumption,” and similar waste products to be turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, heads, hooves, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts."

  Not only is that disturbing that Sparky is woofing down un-edible "food" but it's harmful to him. Cancer is on the rise in canines and food is to blame.
So what should they eat? Lettuce???
A good ole' motto I remember helps me stick to my plan, "pay now or pay later!" Pay for the right nutrition now or pay the vet bills later. Here is what I feed my three smaller dogs, (and no, I have NO ties to this company) It's called Freshpet Select. It's $10.87/6 pounds and lasts a little over a week for three mouths. Not too shabby.

The ingredients are simple:

http://www.freshpetselect.com/index.htm

The food is refrigerated, which makes it more like, well food. The dogs really seem to enjoy it and as I cut it up into pieces I actually see whole chunks of carrot, beef, chicken and veggies which is what I paid for. I feed Charley (lab mix) Kirkland Dog Food from Costco-the ingredients are good and it costs approx $20.00/ 40 pound bag. I mix in frsh veggies and or meat to buff up the nutrition! I also switch things up on weekends and scramble or boil organic, local eggs for everyone. Don't get me wrong, these pups aren't always eating like they should, some of our favorite snacks are mac and cheese spirals and ramen noodles.

It's always fun to cook for an audience.

Today's menu: shredded carrots, veggie burgers and whole grain rice.

A few things you will NOT see in their food dishes: 

• rawhide bones -they are white because they are bleached. that's a no no.
• almost all brands of dog food stocked on grocery store shelves (I said almost all)--specialty stores is where to shop :) 
• any treats in shapes resembling human food -the shape is the only resemblance
• any treats that are colorful, ex: christmas tree rawhide-I'll pass on the dyes, thanks.
• any dog food with corn in first ten ingredients, Hanna is not a hen.
• any treats from the dollar store-think about it

What I remember:

Cheap food=cheap ingredients

More to come..........

Helpful Links:

guide to feeding
http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html

"people food" for dogs

http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/articles/10-more-people-food-dogs/9241

The Truth......

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/downloads/pdf/PetFoodReport_05-07.pdf

"The King," Cesar Millan 

http://www.cesarsway.com/

Note:  This is a blog, thus reflecting my opinions based on related research so if you don't like my opinions, bite me :)

Works Cited:

 Dell, Kristina. "Unraveling the Pet- Food Mystery." Time Magazine. 5 Apr. 2007. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. .
"What's Really In Pet Food." Born Free USA (2007): 1-18. Web. 27 Feb. 2010.