From the cheapest generic kibble to the expensive medical diets, commercial pet foods are highly
processed and treated with chemicals and additives to make them "complete" as well as palatable. Nutrients that are destroyed
by processing are replaced with synthetic equivalents. Most dry foods contain powerful synthetic antioxidants to give them
a long shelf life. For the most part, they contain animal organs and parts deemed "not fit for human consumption." Do
pet food manufacturers really think that ingredients that are too unhealthy for people to eat are good for dogs? Or that food
from bags that have been sitting in a warehouse for a year or more is wholesome fare?
In fact, they are not. Many people have discovered, to their dismay, that processed pet foods have
damaged their animals. Allergies, ear infections, diabetes, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, dull coats, dandruff,
lethargy, dental disease all have dietary links. While diet is not the sole cause of disease, it is clear that the body
- human or canine - cannot maintain itself, let alone heal itself, without good nutritional food.
We would never consider a diet consisting entirely of processed foods from cans, boxes and bags to
be healthy for us, and it's really no different for our dogs. Many dogs and cats have been sickened or even died from
commercial foods. A return to the basics, to a more wholesome, "natural" diet, makes the most sense.
Rawhide Chews
Dogs love to chew but watch what you give them to chew on. Rawhide chews are made of skin and are
loaded with an enormous amount of chemicals, like formaldehyde, bleaches and synthesized flavors (all of which are chemicals).
Avoid them at all costs. Especially small breed dogs can wind up with bowel abstructions if they swallow a large piece and
that will cost an expensive trip to the vet.
Chew treats such as pigs ears have also been chemically processed. Cow hooves may have been treated
with preservatives as well. You are better off getting a nice beef bone from the butcher.
Bone appetite!
