Dog Food Ingredients To Watch Out For
It is always a bit daunting to have to purchase food for your pet, but with the economic crisis nowadays, it’s even more difficult and raises further questions. Given all the inexpensive dog foods out there, and the more costly ones, and the wealth of different manufacturers (like Sojos), how do you ever figure out what’s your best alternative?
Price, of course, is often at the forefront of buyers’ minds. Is it worth it, they might ask, to pay more money for premium, organic, or healthy dog food? The answer depends on how much you care for your pet. Would you feed your child bad food? Of course not. So why should your dog be any different?
When buying dog food, be sure to look at the list of ingredients! Many manufacturers will attempt to save money and put filler into their product instead of actual food. This is bad for pets because these filler ingredients are either non-nutritious or even actively harmful to their digestive systems. Some ingredients to watch out for include the following.
Corn is a cheap and indigestible substance, attributing to number one filler in any dog food. May it be in any form (ground corn, corn meal, corn husks or even corn syrup). Obviously it isn’t doing any good to your dog other than bloating the poor thing. It would be advisible to avoid completely, check the ingredients before you pay!
Other ingredients to watch out for include anything labeled as a “by-product.” This basically means anything deemed unfit for consumption, including feet, brains, diseased meat, and even roadkill! There is no way to tell what you’re getting. Why take the risk? “Mill run” is another phrase you might see, and it’s almost as bad; it’s waste from mills. Best case scenario, it’s just hulls.
Examine the quality of other dog products as well. Dog treats and snacks are often made with mostly fillers. It is often the case that dog treats contain more filler than dog food, because people view the treats as “just a snack”. Be careful not to accept this mindset. Dog treats should have nutritional value as well.
You may wonder if it is worth the effort to analyze the ingredients in your dogs food. Many dogs eat cheaper food and they seem to be fine. However, these dogs are at risk for health problems, including digestive issues. If you feed your dog cheaper food, you may end up paying more over time in veterinary bills. Besides the possible expense, you should care about the type of food you are feeding your dog. After all, he or she is your best friend.
In these trying times it is important to remember that your pet is a part of your family and you are responsible for them having a healthy diet. It is essential to learn how to read dog food labels, as well as other dog products, to ensure your pet is not getting harmful or unnecessary fillers or additives. There are so many options out there for pet food, such as sojos food, that you need to be sure to understand what you are looking for. Common unnecessary things you will find on these labels are corn, in any form, and by-products. These are just fillers and provide no nutritional value.
- Melinda Smith