The massive pet food recall of 2007 had millions of dog owners terrified that they had unwittingly been poisoning their beloved pets. Dog food expert Sharda Baker writes “If you and your dog survived that frightening time, you have undoubtedly been more careful in your choice of dog foods ever since.” She believes that the average dog owner can solve their concerns by making their own pet's food at home or at least know which commercial food is the best, both safe and nutritious.
Much of the food found on grocery store shelves, are not considered the best foods for your pet. More often than not, these brands are full of ingredients that are lower in quality and inexpensive. While these brands provide a cheaper alternative to the other brands, they are generally not recommended. A quick glance at the ingredients can often provide an example of lower quality food.
Standards are set by the AAFCO for pet food safety and nutrition, and testing is done to determine acceptability. But the AAFCO will rate both low and high quality ingredients as being nutritionally "adequate", because there is a demand for pet food in all price ranges. So you need to read past the AAFCO approval statement to know what your dog is really consuming.
Baker writes, “Meat ingredients without a specific species named is not a good thing to feed a dog. Avoid phrases such as “meat byproducts” or “meat and bone meal”. Look for brands that can list the animal that they use as an ingredient, like “chicken meal” or “beef”. Also, avoid any brands that list corn as their main ingredient. You are feeding a dog, not a pig or a cow.”
Many pet owners are comfortable when their dogs appear content with the commercial food they are buying. Baker points out “Fido's been tricked. Chemicals have been added to many foods, creating a pleasing color and aroma which Fido finds irresistible and which hides the fact that the food may be low in nutritional value." These chemicals are easy enough to spot if you know what to look for. Coloring agents, drying agents, and texturizers are just some of the telltale ingredients that should cause you to sit up and take notice.
Most pet owners do not study the ingredients that are on the package label, but rather respond to advertising or go with a brand that the storeowner recommends or a friend uses for their dog. The option of making pet food at home has become more and more popular over the past few years as it allows owners to choose directly what is going into their dog’s bowl.
Feeding doggie homemade food, however, does not mean allowing him or her to dine on the family's leftovers. It means researching the proper balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats for your dog, and finding the foods, which will provide them in an easily digestible form. Baker states, "One of the best known homemade diets for the canine set is the BARF diet."
Baker explains what BARF stand for; “Seems you can say it stands for a couple of things, but the most often cited explanation is Bones And Raw Food. The other one floating around on the Internet is Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which is attributed to Dr. Ian Billinghurst, one of the original Barfers.”
The BARF diet, however, is not always the best method either of feeding your dog and it takes a great amount of time to prepare and research the foods. Many commercial brand dog foods have undergone testing to insure that they are compatible with the dietary needs of the dog. Basically, a dog will receive just about the same benefits of the BARF diet if he is fed one of these commercial foods, and it is up to the pet owner to be able to pick the right brand from the store shelf.
The important thing you, as a dog owner, should know is that commercial dog food is not all the same. You can learn much more about what is in each can, pouch, or bag of dog food by becoming educated in label reading, and the AAFCO standards. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what's the best dog food for your dog.
Sharda Baker has published several dog eBook and audios, including the Internet best selling "Complete Guide to Your Dog's Nutrition".
