How Important is My Dog’s Diet in the Grand Scheme of Things?
About a year ago I posted a blog – The Importance Of Pet Nutrition and addressed some of the common misconceptions that pet owners have when it comes to feeding their dog or cat. Today I am going to offer some more specific information regarding the importance of the nutrition level in your dog’s diet, but this goes for cats as well. Within this article, I will hit a few main points:
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- Whatever is good for your dog should be good for you.
- Know how to read pet food ingredient lists.
- Understand what “processed food” means.
Review some Major Considerations with your Dog and His or Her Diet
How important? Realizing the importance of your dog’s diet is the first step in keeping him happy and healthy.
Just yesterday I read a short article about a Washington pet store owner who has decided to only eat dog and cat food for one month…to make a point. By only eating the pet food on her shelves for 30 days, this woman is proving two things to the public: 1. She only sells the highest quality pet foods and 2. Healthy pet foods should consist of ingredients that are just as good for humans as they are for pets.
Now I am not sure that I would go this far, but I certainly applaud her fortitude. This concept is actually not that foreign in places like Washington, Oregon, California, and other “evolved” states in this country (at least in terms of nutrition). If I were to present this idea to anyone from my small home town in Tennessee, however, I would likely get the response of, “Dim dare crazy folks! I ain’t ne’er heard sumpin’ so silly. We kin smell dim dog food plants ever-day N we watch dim pickin’ up that road kill for dat food.” And they wouldn’t be lying. You’d be surprised to learn what gruesome stuff goes into many commercial dog foods…even the ones sold at your local vet’s office. It’s a sad reality.
The pet store owner is right. We should not feed our dogs anything that we, ourselves, would not eat. Which leads me to the next point…
Know what ingredients go into your dog’s diet.
Commercials and other advertisements promoting dog foods today are rather deceptive because the “rules of advertising” in this field are broad. Words like “healthy” and “nutritious” can be used without any proof and pictures of vegetables and fresh meat can be put on the bags of dog food without actually containing those specific ingredients. To be a responsible pet owner, we must look past the paid advertisements and into the ingredient list. I won’t give a full lesson on how to read your pet food ingredient list here, but I will tell you that the first 7-10 ingredients are the most important….and you should be able to understand what nutritional value those ingredients hold. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to get it. To learn more about the ingredients in dog foods and what Premium Dog Foods are available, read: Pet Foods Recommended. In addition to understanding the ingredients in your dog’s diet, you should also understand how the food is prepared.
Understand how your dog’s diet is being processed.
The definition of processing is “to perform a series of mechanical or chemical operations on (something) in order to change or preserve it.” [Google] Most foods that we eat are processed in some way. We slice up an orange, we grind meat through a machine, we put our basil in a food processor to create a pesto. But realize that there is a difference between mechanical processing and chemically processing foods. If it is a single ingredient with no added chemicals (or several) and we grind it up, mix it together, or put it in a jar…..it is still real food. We have merely changed the format of it, not the composition of it. However, most commercial pet foods that you will find at large chain stores are chemically processed and made solely of refined ingredients and artificial substances. These have NO nutritional value WHATSOEVER. The Super Premium and Holistic dog foods on the market will still be processed….just not chemically. Let me reiterate here that if you don’t have a clue as to what the ingredients are on your dog food bag, it’s probably because it is not real food. Artificial chemicals are added for many different purposes.
There is one thing that all dog owners need to realize about the processed foods that they feed: All cooked food is missing a key component to health and vitality. Once you heat food to 118 degrees – this key nutrient is killed. Our animals are suffering the most from lack of this nutrient. As Dr. Hiromi Shinya, MD says, “That key, the key to a long and healthy life, can be summed up in one word: ENzymes.” (From his book, The Enzyme Factor). “An enzyme is a generic term for a protein catalyst that is made within the cells of living things. Wherever there is life, be it in plants or animals, enzymes always exist. Enzymes take part in all actions necessary to maintain life, such as synthesis and decomposition, transportation, excretion, detoxification and supply of energy. Living things would not be able to sustain life without enzymes.”
This Key Healthy Ingredient Can Be Added To Your Dog’s Diet With A Simple Treat
Nzymes specializes in pet nutrition by replacing the missing ingredients into their daily diets. In addition to taking deep consideration of the points above, I’m asking you to start adding these enzymes into your dog’s diet. To tell you that this is important would be an understatement. As Dr. Shinya said….it is KEY.
Product Recommended to Complete what is Lacking in Your Dog’s Diet
