Feeding a Dog Dry Dog Food - You Need to Know the Danger of Fillers

The amount of meat, originally used in dry dog food, has been greatly reduced over the last decade and has been replaced with cheap and potentially harmful cereal and grain products by many lower quality dog food companies. Nutritionally, how each individual dog processes the nutrients that are in these products greatly depends on how easy to digest each of the particular grains may be.
The actual amount of nutrients your dog may get specifically depends on what the amount and type of filler in the brand you are feeding a dog. Dogs can usually absorb almost all of the carbohydrates in certain grains, such as white rice, but cannot digest many of the others like peanut shells.
As much as twenty percent of the nutritional value of other grains, such as oats, beans and wheat can be poor or lost completely. The nutritional value of corn and potatoes is also much less than that of rice. And some other ingredients used as filler in dry dog food such as, peanut shells, cotton hulls, feathers, etc. have absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever, and are only used to hold the dry dog food nuggets together or just to make your dog feel full! These fillers can be harmful to your dog and yet, there are many unscrupulous manufacturers who use them, anyway.
Because grain is necessary to hold the nuggets of dry dog food together, it needs to equal at least fifty percent of the total ingredients. If you are feeding a dog these foods every day, you could be giving him or her a hundred percent more grain than canines normally eat in the wild or that they actually need.
If you check the labels on cheap dry dog food bags, you'll find two of the top three ingredients listed are usually some kind of grain product... ground corn, corn gluten meal, brewers rice, beet pulp, feathers and cotton hulls are some of the most frequently used. Why? Because these are much less expensive, "cheaper" ingredients than meat.
There was a huge recall by Nature's Recipe in 1995 (they pulled thousands of tons of dry dog food off of the shelves) which caused them to lose approximately twenty million dollars. This all came about when consumers that complained their dogs were vomiting and had loss of appetite. A fungus that produced vomitoxin (a toxic substance produced by mold) was found to have contaminated the wheat in that brand.
Although it causes vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, etc., vomitoxin is milder than most toxins. The more dangerous toxins can cause weight loss, liver damage, lameness, and even death, as seen in the Doane case. What happened next should give all dog care givers cause to pause and wonder what's happening with our so called "Watch Dogs" in the government agencies.
Then again, in 1999, another fungal toxin was found that killed 25 dogs. This caused the recall of dry dog food made by Doane Pet Care (maker of O'l Roy, Walmart's brand, plus 53 other brands).
The incident with Nature's Recipe prompted the FDA to get involved out of concern, but for only the human population and not the more than 250 dogs who got sick. It was concluded that the discovery of vomitoxin in Nature's Recipe wasn't much of a threat to the "human" population because "the grain that would go into pet food is not a high quality grain". What! So does that mean manufacturers have a green light to poison our dogs with poor quality or contaminated ingredients?
Dog food manufacturers also use soy as a protein for energy and to add bulk to the food so that when a dog eats a product containing soy it will feel more satisfied. Some dogs do well with soy while others experience gas. Soy is also used as a source of protein in vegetarian dog foods.
And now for corn... did you know corn kills dogs? Most of the dry brands on store shelves is loaded with corn, a cheap filler. This is not the same corn humans eat, it's feed grade corn (the kind fed to cattle), or cheap feed corn remnants. Even corn meal dust swept up from the mill factory floor, counts as "corn" to be used in our dog's food. This same corn may even have been condemned for human consumption, but there are no limits to the amount pesticide contamination set for our pets' foods.
If that weren't bad enough, corn (which gives us both high fructose corn syrup and corn oil) is fattening. Why are so many dogs obese and suffer from diabetes...I wonder if it has anything to do with corn being used as filler in so many dry dog foods?
Dog food industry critics observe that many of the ingredients used as humectants -- ingredients such as corn syrup and corn gluten meal which bind water to prevent oxidation-- also bind the water in such a way that the food actually sticks to the colon and may cause blockage. The blockage of the colon may cause an increased risk of cancer of the colon or rectum.
The presence of corn products in dry dog food - particularly if they are high on the list of ingredients - may indicate that corn has been used instead of a more expensive alternative. About 25% of the corn produced in the U.S. today is genetically modified. Dogs have a difficult time digesting corn.
Corn gluten meal in dog food is a concentrated source of protein that can be substituted for costlier animal protein. In many bargain brands, corn gluten meal provides a large proportion or even the total amount of protein listed in the food label rather than more digestible forms of protein such as meat.
Then there's wheat...wheat is a main ingredient in many dry dog foods. The wheat that's used in these products we're feeding a dog is not what's used in our breads, cakes, cereals, etc. It's usually the "tail of the mill" (that's a clever way of saying the sweepings of leftovers on the floor after everything else in the mill has been processed), wheat germ meal...this is referred to as "middlings and shorts" (same thing as "tail of the mill"...just another way of saying it).
So, lets take a look at what we now know so far, about what goes into those attractively designed and cleverly named bags on store shelves...first there's the diseased and toxic meats (I told you about that in my previous articles), converted (rendered) so it can be legally used in our dog foods. Now, let's see...what else is there that's very, very cheap?
Ahh yes, there's livestock-grade grain (that's the one the FDA showed no concern about with the contamination found in dog food), which is normally the main ingredient the manufacturers use...not because dogs need it in large amounts, but because it's the cheapest food around and can add bulk. But, there are even cheaper ingredients used, such as...waste dust, floor sweepings, husks, rejects from the screening process for flour, straw, sand, dirt, etc. How perfect for our dog's daily diet! Yuckkk!
Now, if they were to call this stuff scraps, no one would buy it so they call it "middlings" (isn't that a cute name!), customers will never know what it really is. Then there's ground up bones, heads, feet, feathers, etc., they name that "poultry meal, fish meal, etc."...doesn't that sound much better than scraps?
What's also interesting is that "livestock grade" really means manufacturers do not need to be at all concerned with "allowable" levels of pesticides left in the grains it uses as fillers in our dog's food. Because of this loophole manufacturers can legally use any of these "waste grains" in our dog's food.
OK, so lets see what other lovely ingredients can also be used as fillers for feeding our dogs:
Beet pulp... the dried residue from sugar beet... this is mostly all sugar. This can be a good source of fiber but has been known to clog the intestinal villus.
Soybean meal... a product made by grinding the flakes that remain after removing oil from the soybeans. Soy is linked to a great deal of allergies that can cause sneezing, swelling, itching, anaphylactic shock and death.
Powdered cellulose... made by processing a pulp from fibrous plant material... otherwise known as "sawdust".
Sugar foods, by-products from grinding and mixing inedible portions of candy, dry packaged drinks, dried gelatin mixes, etc...and other similar foods that are primarily made of sugar.
Ground almond and peanut shells... a source of fiber with zero nutritional value.
Other fillers... ground corncobs, feathers, citrus pulp, weeds, straw, seed hulls, etc
Many dog food manufacturers add such fillers, with no nutritional value, in order to decrease the cost of producing the food, offset rising costs involved in manufacturing, marketing, shipping, etc., and so that they can keep the selling price low.
It's quite ironic that in some cases, unnecessary filler ingredients have become toxic and have led to huge recalls and ultimately massive costs to those companies. A couple of recent cases are, in 2006 the aflatoxin on corn caused the Diamond Pet Food Recall, and in 2007 melamine on wheat gluten and rice gluten fillers caused the Menu Foods Pet Food Recall (which included Hill's, Royal Canin, Natural Balance, Iams, Eukanuba, Purina, Nutro Brands, etc.).
Unfortunately however, the use of fillers in lower grade commercial dog food still continues even after all of these recalls. What the recalls did do is make caregivers aware of this issue and of the health hazard these cheap fillers can pose to our beloved dogs. It's also heartening to note that a great many caregivers are now paying special attention to learning about and reading dog food labels and understanding just what may be in those attractive bags on store shelves.
Yet there are many cheap "fillers" that are not included in the labeling and the possible use of them needs to be recognized. With the continued use of low grade foods your dog can still be ingesting such things as: cereal byproducts, cottonseed hulls, citrus pulp, straw, corncobs, feathers, soy, sawdust, etc.
Many of these cheap fillers are added to the food instead of a high grade filler like rice. The use of these have been known to be harmful to a dog's intestines. These cheap fillers have also been known to cause more serious health problems in puppies, senior dogs or dogs that have a diminished capacity to fight off disease. Even in light of this manufacturers will continue to add dangerous ingredients to our pet's foods in order to offset the rising price of producing dry dog food.
Cheap grain fillers are in danger of becoming contaminated due to the fact that hazardous chemicals are used on them in the growing and storage process. This can make your dog very sick or even worse. Also, a number of veterinarians have called attention to the fact that soy ingredients, which make up a large quantity of fillers, may cause dangerous allergic reactions in dogs. These can include everything from minor sneezing or hives to extremes like shortness of breath or severe shock.
We can greatly enhance the nutritional benefits in the food we feed our dogs by using higher a quality food. In order to provide the highest level of nutrition when feeding a dog, we must always buy dog food that contains the appropriate quantities of protein, fiber, fat and carbohydrates. You can learn the correct amounts at the AAFCO's site and then us this knowledge to read the labels on the bags. Always beware of generic brands and foods priced low for quantity purchases They are probably full of disguised fillers.
Beware, many dog food manufacturers pay their advertising agencies very high fees to lure you into purchasing their products. Once you have the knowledge of what the appropriate ingredients and correct amounts needed for your dog's optimal nutrition and know how to read dog food labels, you can provide your dog with the best diet to protect him or her from illness or even worse.
To avoid fillers, look at the ingredients on your pet food. While some companies may list real meat as the number one ingredient in dry dog food, they may actually have more cheap fillers hidden in it, thus reducing the ratio of quality ingredients to useless ones. Stay vigilant and learn what's actually in the food you're feeding your dog. Remember, it can be very costly to buy cheap dog food!
I will be posting another article on Dog Food Labels and how to read them soon.
Till then, take good care of your dog... for the love of dogs!

Anita Boyd, a "dog person" her entire life recently learned she's been feeding toxic ingredients to her dogs over many years through a commercial dog food that she trusted would nourish them. One of her beloved dogs suffered from severe bladder issues and died at a very early age and some of her other cherished pets died far too soon from cancer.

Since she's learned the awful truth about what's "really" in some commercial dog foods, she feels compelled to expose the blatant lies that are being perpetuated on unaware care givers by unscrupulous pet food companies. So, she's decided to publicize everything she's extensively researched and will continue to uncover about the disgusting, toxic ingredients we're unknowingly feeding to our trusting dogs and offer dog persons better alternatives for feeding a dog.

Here in these articles, as well as on her blog all about feeding a dog nutritious foods and on her website, you'll be provided with extremely important and highly detailed information related to this subject. Anita hopes you'll visit both real soon to learn much more about feeding a dog safe food. And, please be sure and come back here often to read new and informative articles, all about how you can make sure you're feeding a dog the best dog food possible in order to ensure him or her a long and healthy life.

"In Dogs We Trust"!

Dog Food - Teaching Your Dog Better 'Tricks

There is much to recommend feeding your dog homemade dog food if you have the time to prepare it, and make sure you have recipes that give the correct ratio of nutrients, as well as the vitamins and supplements you'll need to add. These can be mixed up in a bag, stored, and sprinkled in every meal.

Dogs should have a minimum of 18% protein for maintenance when they are adults, and 22% for reproduction and growth. Fat should be a minimum of 5% for adult dogs, and 8% for reproduction and growth. But the more fat that is in the diet, the more protein there should be. Fat makes dogs, as well as people, eat less by making them feel fuller. If they eat less, and there are less of other essential nutrients like protein and vitamins and minerals, the dog will not get the nourishment it needs.

Generally, commercial pet food is made according to the appropriate guidelines, but care should be taken if significant amounts of other food is added to the diet, and it is high in fat.

But whether you're feeding your dog commercial dog food, or home made dog food, there are a few things to keep in mind so you don't end up with a fussy dog:

• dogs should be fed once a day once they are no longer puppies, or two small meals, no more. Feeding your dog too frequently when he is older can turn him appear like a fussy eater, when he is actually full.
• feeding your dog too regularly can get him into the routine of expecting to eat at those times, too, and may lead to weight gain. Letting him get hungry, and feeding sensibly, will not harm him. In the wild, dogs would eat for once a day until they were completely full.
• Don't stand and stare at your dog waiting for him to eat. He will likely think something is wrong, or something else is coming, and won't eat.
• Don't give into your dog and give him something else straight away if he refuses his meal, as he's effectively training you and not the other way around!
• There's nothing wrong with feeding your dog a varied diet, but don't keep changing the food because he seems fussy and won't eat it. Make sure nothing is wrong with him physically first, then if he is healthy, take charge of the situation. Put his food down, leave him to it, and then 30 minutes later go and check to see whether it's been eaten. If it hasn't, take it away, then at the end of the day put down some fresh food. Repeat the process, and take it away 30 minutes later if it still isn't eaten. This way you'll train your dog to eat his food, and not reinforce his behaviour. Brian Kilcommons has a very interesting method for teaching dogs to eat their food. When the above fails, he prepared the dog food in front of the dog, making lots of 'yummy' noises whilst he did it. He made it slowly, and when the dog still wasn't interested, he put it down in front of his face, then took it straight away and threw it out. He did this first at breakfast, then at dinner. At dinner, the dog in question was more interested, but he still threw it out after putting it in front of him. The next morning, the dog was jumping up and down whilst the food was being prepared. He put it down, pulled it away, then looked at him for about a minute, then left it for him to eat. That dog now eats anything put down for him.
• If your dog suddenly goes off his food, it could be because he has dental problems, or a stomach problem. Get him checked out by the vet.
• Some dogs do actually prefer a certain type of food, just as people do. Try your dog with a variety of foods, and if he only eats one type, and will starve himself if he doesn't get it, the best solution can simply be to feed him that type of food.
• Don't feed your dog a high fat diet, or junk food, including chocolate. It's not good for them.

References: Brian Kilcommons, Good Owners, Great Dogs

7 Dog Food Ingredients that could be Hurting Your Dog!

What ingredients make for good and bad dog food?

With so many dog foods available on today's market that are commercially prepared, it is often quite difficult as only a dog owner to tell which ones are better than others and why.

First of all, many of the big companies are paying really slick marketers and advertisers millions of dollars per year to advertise their dog food. The amount of money they are spending on marketing has no relationship to the quality of the dog food. This is unfortunate for you as some of the best advertised dog food is inferior.

There is one way for you to guess the quality of dog food however it is not fool proof. You can normally use the price of the food as an indicator as to the quality. Low priced foods are not always, but most often, the lowest quality foods on the market and likewise the more expensive are normally better quality.

When feeding your dog you want to make sure that the adult dog food you are feeding is 22-25% protein and 15-19% fat. The protein should come from a good quality source. Some dogs such as puppies, large breeds, and active breeds have different protein and fat requirements so make sure to discuss this with your vet to ensure proper feeding of your dog.

When making an informed decision, you must know which ingredients are better than others. When you look at the dog food label, the following are the kinds of ingredients that you are looking for:

- Human Grade Ingredients Chicken meal

- Turkey meal

- Fish meal

- Rice

- Potatoes

- Lamb meal

- Potatoes

- Rice

- Sunflower Oil

- Vegetables and others.

For a good dog food, the first four ingredients on the dog food label should not be grains. Instead they should consist of things like meat and proteins.

You also want to make sure it says chicken meal and not chicken as the primary ingredient. If it says chicken only, this means that the manufacturers are counting the entire chicken toward protein value. This includes all of the pieces they have probably scraped of the ground such as beaks, feathers, and feet. With chicken meal, they are only counting the cooked down version of the protein. This will ensure that your dog is getting the appropriate kind of protein and not by products.

Vitamins and fatty acids are also good ingredients in dog foods. Some examples include Vitamin E, Omega 3 and 6, etc. These are very important for a healthy looking skin and coat.

Make sure your dog food is not laden with preservatives. Some of the ingredients that you don't want to see on your dog food label are the inferior protein's which consists of but are not limited to variations of the following: Wheat, Corn, Chicken by-products, Soy, Gluten.

These ingredients are hard to digest and can cause health problems later on if used for a long period of time. Sugar is another ingredient that you want to stay away from.

You are always better off making your own dog food and dog treats from recipes such as those you can find at my blog however if you are purchasing dog food you really should only purchase from a company that spends time and money field testing their products.

You can always be sure that companies such as Purina, the Iams Company (which also includes Eukanuba), Royal Canin, Nutro, Diamond, and Hill's Science Diet are constantly testing their foods to provide the optimum quality ingredients. These companies offer different grades of food, however, from lower quality to premium quality so make sure that you always read the labels.

These are not the only companies by any means who make good quality dog food. The important thing is to read the label, do your research, ask questions of your veterinarians and pet professionals and always be informed. People who work at feed stores are usually a good resource and can help you find good quality pet food. Breeders can also be a good source for finding a quality food for your dog. Dog trainers will also often have a good knowledge of proper nutrition.

You should always follow your veterinarian's recommendation on food as well. Many times dogs of certain ages or with certain health conditions need to be on a prescription diet. While these diets are often expensive, they do contain the proper nutrients that dogs in these categories need. Many times owners will switch to a commercial food because of cost or palatability concerns and the dog's health will go in to a decline. Your veterinary staff know what is best for your particular dog.

Dog Food - Are You Getting It Right?

Before the advent of ready made dog food, when humans first domesticated dogs, we fed them scraps from our meals. Those early dogs did just fine on that type of dog food. As our affection for dogs has grown over the centuries, so has our understanding of what our canine companions need to eat as food, to live long healthy lives. Research conducted by veterinarians and dog food manufacturers over the last decade have revealed more specific details about what a dog's diet should contain.

Your dog food must be appropriate for her size, age, state of health and activity level. As you stroll the isles of pet supply stores or grocery stores, you'll find a variety of dog food brands in a wide range of prices. A good basic rule of thumb is to buy the highest quality dog food you can afford. If you buy the cheapest food because you have a big dog that eats a lot, you must understand that what you save in food will affect your pet's health.

It is important that your dog always eats some dry dog food. The crunchy pieces help keep her teeth clean and her gums healthy, and provide necessary fiber. If you choose to give your dog moist dog food in addition to dry, use it sparingly; a small spoonful mixed with warm water makes a good gravy over dry kibble. Some devoted dog lovers feed their pets home-cooked food. Dog-specific recipes can be found on the Internet and in books, but understand that this is not just giving your dog leftovers from your own meals. Homemade dog food is designed to meet the nutritional and digestive needs of dogs. Spices, fats, and fillers in human food often makes dogs ill.

Adult dogs should be fed two meals each day. Puppies need to eat more often. They should be fed puppy food three to four meals daily until they are 12 weeks old, then three meals daily until they are six months old. Many dog trainers advise against leaving dog food or puppy food available all day, to prevent dogs developing picky eating habits. They suggest you allow 20 minutes for each meal. After this time, whatever has not been eaten should be picked up. Dry dog food can be held until the next meal, but moist food should be thrown away. It is very important to make sure your dog has plenty of clean water available at a all times.

The amount of dog food you feed your dog depends on her age, weight and activity level. Check the back of food or with your veterinarian to get an idea of how much your dog should be eating. Monitor your dog's weight by running your hands along the sides of her body. If she is at the right weight, you will be able to feel her ribs without pressing. If you can't feel her ribs, she is gaining weight and you should either slightly decrease the amount of food or increase the amount of exercise she gets. If you can easily see your dog's ribs, she is underweight (except in certain breeds).

Is Your Dog at Risk For Potential Kidney Failure? The Importance of a Quality Dog Food Diet

Your dog's potential for developing kidney failure or other serious illnesses is directly related to a quality dog food diet or the absence of one. With ongoing occurrences of dog food recalls, sick pets and unfortunately the deaths of many animals, the importance of feeding a quality dog food diet becomes clearer.

What exactly is kidney failure? The kidneys are organs that filter and clean the blood. They also return salts to the bloodstream and remove excess water from your dog's urine. When your dog's kidneys fail, they lose the ability to remove waste products from the blood. This leads to a buildup of toxins and the onset of kidney failure symptoms.

Symptoms can appear suddenly or gradually become apparent over a few months. Most incidents of of kidney failure occur over time and are the result of an ongoing disease but a sudden onset of kidney failure is more likely caused by a severe infectious disease or a poisoning.

Your dog's kidneys can continue to function even with some serious tissue damage which is why symptoms are often slow to appear or become noticeable. Failure symptoms generally begin as a need for excessive water intake, frequent need to urinate and light colored urine. As the disease becomes more severe, it's likely that you'll actually see a decrease in urination, diarrhea, vomiting, poor appetite, weakness and fatigue. All are brought on by the increase of the toxins in the bloodstream.

So how do you prevent kidney disease in your own precious pooch. The answer is simple, only feed a quality food to your dog. Although kidney infection is caused by an ongoing infection or blockage in the urinary tract it can also be brought on by an injury or poisoning. Recurring infections are also a precursor to kidney failure.

By feeding a poor quality food that is highly processed with large amounts of fillers like corn, preservatives and chemicals, you are only aggravating an already existing condition. A poor quality dog food diet does not support your dog's overall health and body functions. The inability of a poor food to support your dog's kidney health can potentially lead to kidney failure.

Most dog foods are high in protein content and this protein breaks down into amino acids. Amino acids are used by your dog's body to build and replace tissue cells. They also create urea which is a waste by-product. In a healthy dog, their kidneys and the process of urination would simply remove the urea from the blood. However, in a dog that is already suffering from kidney failure or damage, the urea will just build up in their bloodstream and literally poison your dog to death.

This is why it's so important to begin feeding a quality diet as soon as possible. Because even though you can feed specific dog foods that are designed for dog's suffering from kidney failure, they will not cure your dog once the disease has started. However, by beginning a quality dog food now, you will be giving your dog the valuable nutrition they need to fight kidney failure.

If your dog is already suffering from kidney failure, a prescription dog food that is designed with low protein content, will at least give your dog some comfort for the rest of their life. These dog foods are designed specifically to help replace missing nutritional content which is caused from the damaged kidneys. By lowering the protein content, you lower the amount of urea produced which allows for the amino acids to repair tissue cells.

The food is not only low in protein content but includes calcium, vitamin D3 and increased availability of these same nutrients. They also cut out high amounts of carbohydrates which only increase waste production in the urine. These special dog foods also show their quality by leaving out preservatives, chemicals and fillers, unlike the commercial dog foods.

Now that you understand the need for a high quality dog food diet for your dog's kidney health, what should you look for in a quality food? For a healthy dog, use your dog's individual needs and qualities to help you make a choice, including the following:

• Age
• Weight
• Breed
• Genetics
• Activity Level
• Energy Requirements

After evaluating each of the above factors, use the information to start narrowing down your quality food choices. Remember that commercial foods that are found in supermarkets should not be among your choices. These foods are almost always very low quality and will NOT provide your dog with the nutrition they need and are full of fillers and by-products.

It's also vital that you learn to read and understand the label ingredients. The laws regulating the pet food industry are unfortunately still lacking, the ability of these food companies to manipulate the wording on their labels could be fooling you into thinking you are getting a quality product when you are not. It's also important to consider using a dog food comparison chart once you have a few selections to make sure the foods you pick stack up.

If your dog already has kidney problems, they you definitely need to make the switch to the prescription dog foods that are made specifically for a dog with potential kidney failure and damage. The following are what some of the characteristics of a prescription kidney disease dog food:

• Increased availability of nutritional ingredients.
• Supplements of Vitamin D3 which your dog's body will no longer produce.
• Increased Calcium for better absorption rates.
• Low amounts of Phosphorus to equal out Potassium levels.
• Consider adding a wet dog food mixed with the diet to increase moisture content.

Be sure to always provide plenty of fresh water for your dog. This is important so that your dog doesn't become dehydrated due to the large urine output. You should also feed your dog in limited amounts throughout the day instead of one large portion.

If your dog has a mild kidney failure and it's caught early and treated appropriately by a veterinarian, it is possible that your dog could completely recover. Unfortunately most dogs will never recovery fully and will live out their lives with some level of kidney failure that will eventually lead to their death.

Although dialysis is a possibility for a short term kidney problem, it is not a practical long term solution. Kidney transplants are slowly becoming available at a few vet medical centers but your dog would be on expensive transplant drugs to prevent rejection.

So save your precious pooch from a life ridden with health problems and find a quality dog food that is right for your them. The few extra dollars that you spend on a quality dog food will more than pay for itself in potential medical bills and medications. A quality dog food, means a happy, healthy and prolonged lifespan for your dog and that means more quality time for you to spend with your furry friend.

A few months ago I left the business world to pursue my passion of working with animals while trying to improve my health. To do this, I am using my 20+ years experience as a dog breeder and pet owner. I also worked for a well known veterinarian and national vet supply company for several years. I have a B.S. In Agriculture with an emphasis in Animal Science and Ag Business and I worked in the Agriculture Business Industry for over twenty years. So if you are interested in the details of how the right dog food, dog care and just good old fashioned love and affection can help your dog live a healthier and longer life, please join us at: [http://www.love-your-dog-food.com]
With the newly released E-book "Solve the Dog Food Puzzle" you can improve your dog's health simply by learning how to choose a quality dog food with our simple tools & information.
"Solve the Dog Food Puzzle" is all-in-one resource that will help you choose the best dog food for your unique dog with 50 pages of quality filled, detailed information. In a step by step process, we will show you how to interpret misleading dog food labels and hidden ingredient meanings so that you can become an informed pet parent and choose a quality dog food for your precious pup.

The Dirtiest Secrets of the Dog Food Ingredients Industry - You Need to Protect Your Dog

I need to prepare you for the dog food ingredients information you are about to receive. What I'm going to tell you is really going to gross you out. It is going to make you not want to buy any more commercial dog food, or at least not buy 99% of all the dog food brands out there. You are going to be shocked and disgusted. You are going to get angry that it can actually happen. You are going to wonder why the government isn't protecting you and your dog. You are going to wonder how this could happen without more people knowing about it. You are going to want to take immediate action to protect your dog. It is disturbing information and yes, before you even ask, these facts are 100% true.

Dead Dogs Are Included In Dog Food Ingredients

When dogs don't get adopted at dog shelters, they usually get euthanized. It is very expensive to bury these euthanized dogs so they often get picked up by rendering companies and used to make dog food and other animal feed. They get "rendered" by throwing them into huge vats along with other ingredients at very high temperatures and then chopped up and melted down into one big conglomerate rendered soup. So, dead dogs get "recycled" back into dog food. The term "recycled" is an industry term. When you feed your dog commercial dog food, you may very well be feeding dog to your dog, although "dog" or "canine" will never be listed specifically in the ingredients. At one point, the city of Los Angeles alone was sending 400,000 pounds of euthanized dogs and cats to rendering factories. The $2.4 billion dollar per year rendering business doesn't mention these figures anywhere on their websites that tout "recycling" and the multi-billion dollar pet food industry (more than $13 billion per year in the United States alone) keeps this a hush hush secret.

When treasured family pets get terminally ill and the family decides to euthanize them or when pet dogs die on the operating table, the bereft family often leaves the dead dog with the vet. However, most of these dogs do not get buried or honored in any special way. Just like the fate of the unwanted shelter dogs, euthanized pet dogs at the vet's office often get sent to rendering plants to be turned into dog food. That's right... beloved family pets get turned into dog food. Never leave your pet dog at the vet's office no matter what.

Believe it or not, it gets even worse. The barbiturate that is used to euthanize dogs (and other animals included in dog food such as zoo animals), sodium pentobarbital, does not fully break down in the rendering process. In other words, high temperature does not break down sodium pentobarbital. So, when you feed your dog, there is a very high likelihood it is laced with a residue of the chemical used to euthanize dogs!

If the dead dogs included in dog food had cancerous tumors or contagious diseases, it doesn't matter. They are still sent to the rendering factory. If the dead dogs had been treated with powerful antibiodics and other strong medications, these are included in the vat at the rendering plant. If the dog was wearing a chain around its neck, had surgical pins containing heavy metals inserted, had a flea collar on, it doesn't matter. Nothing is removed. It is all just dumped in with the rest, mechanically chopped up, heated to very high temperatures, and turned into dog food and other products like cosmetics. If the dog died of mad cow disease, the dog would still be picked up by the rendering plants because vets don't even call it mad cow disease. Instead, they euphemistically call it "Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS)." The FDA is in complete denial on this subject.

Diseased and Dying Animals Are Intentionally Included As Dog Food Ingredients

Farm animals so sick they can't stand up are often picked up for the rendering plants without even being tested to see what is making them so sick. Often the animal will lay there until half rotten before it is picked up and taken to the rendering plant. Zoo animals that die of mysterious causes are often taken to the rendering plant. If you feed your dog commercial dog food, you may very well be feeding them diseased cattle, diseased horses, diseased giraffe, diseased hippopotamus, diseased lions, etc, etc. Diseased animals are fair game for the pet food industry and rendering plants will gladly accept the carcasses no matter the condition. There is no law against it so they do it because it is profitable to them to do so.

Road Kill Is Included In Dog Food Ingredients

Raccoons, skunks, snakes, rats, birds, possums, armadillos, you name it, if it is killed by a car on a highway, it has probably found its way into dog food via the rendering plants. Road crews come by and pick up the animals and then give them to the rendering plants. However, they often don't get to the animals until they've been laying there for a few days or even weeks. The dead animals may have already be half eaten by maggots but off to the rendering plant they will go. The dead animals may be diseased but they are still taken to the rendering plants. None of these animals are tested before they are turned into food for dogs and other products.

Rotten Grocery Store Meat Gets Included In Dog Food

Did you think they threw the rotten meat away at the grocery store? No, of course not. After they mark it down, "reduced for quick sale," if it rots beyond the point they can sale it, they give it to the rendering plants. But here's the real clencher... the rendering plants don't even take off the plastic wrapping or Styrofoam containers before they throw it into the rendering vat. Removing the packaging would take time and therefore make it less profitable for them.

Warning: The Dog Food You Are Buying Can Be Killing Your Dog!

In this article I will be exploring the world of commercial dog foods and explaining just how dangerous they can be. Feeding your dog commercial dog food can be just about the same as feeding your dog poison. You could be feeding your dog toxic dog food and killing your dog at the same time without even knowing it. In this article I will give you the information you need to know about commercial dog foods, so you could avoid doing such a terrible thing to your dog.

What would you say if I told you that the deaths of thousands of dogs each day in the United States are caused by the commercial dog food which they are eating? You probably would not want to believe it. The sad part is, it's true. Another sad thing is that these dogs are dying a very painful death. There are very few commercial dog foods which are actually healthy for your dog. A lot of people believe if the dog food package promotes that the dog food is nutritionally complete and balanced, that it is. This is not true most of the time. If your dog does not seem like his or herself and seems to be lazy all the time there is a good chance this is because of the dog food you are feeding your dog. The preservatives in commercial dog foods can cause your dog's organs to fail, especially it's kidneys.

The reason why most major dog food companies use preservatives in their dog food products is because the preservatives increase the self life of the dog food which in turn maximizes the dog food companies' profits. Another scary thing is that a lot of these dog foods contain at least six deadly chemicals that have been banned from human foods. They were banned from human foods because they are known to cause the following health problems: skin cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, spleen cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, liver dysfunction, birth defects, immune system collapse, leukemia, severe allergic reactions, blindness, hair loss, chronic diarrhea, major organ failure, and behavioral problems. Labels on dog food packages which say either "preservative-free", "chemical-free", or "all-natural ingredients" are not always telling the truth. Most major dog food companies have found loop-holes which allow them to print these false claims on their dog food product's packaging. ethoxyquin, which is the most powerful of all the preservatives, is found in most dry pet foods. It also may be the most toxic of the preservatives which cause health problems in dogs. Like most preservatives ethoxyquin will probably not even be printed under the ingredients on the dog food package. I would strongly recommend that anyone who loves their dog should stop feeding them commercial dog food unless they are 100% sure that the dog food they are buying is healthy for their dog.

I learned about which commercial dog food products are healthy through a course called "Dog Food Secrets". Dog Food Secrets gives you a list of healthy commercial dog foods. They also give you a huge collection of healthy, well-balanced dog food recipes. They explain how the dog's age, size, and breed matters when it comes to nutrition. The amount of calories which are consumed by your dog each day is also important to your dog's health. Basically, the Dog Food Secrets course is a step-by-step survival guide which helps your dog to live a longer and healthier life. The Dog Food Secrets course is great because not only does it show you all negative things that could harm your dog, but it also shows you all the positive things you can do to make sure your dog lives a long and healthy life.

In conclusion I think it would be safe to say that the dog food you are buying can be killing your dog. Reading through the Dog Food Secrets course is the first and most important step you should take to start improving the well-being of your dog. Educating other people who love their dogs is also very important because the majority of people do not know of the dangers of most commercial dog foods. Proper knowledge of nutritional facts can make a huge difference in how long your dog can live. I would definitely recommend the Dog Food Secrets course to anyone who loves their dog. I would also recommend asking your veterinarian a lot of questions about how you can improve your dogs health.