When considering a new dog food, there are several items that should be on the list. Your dog’s food should be free of overly processed meats, high levels of plant protein, cheap vegetables, and cancer-causing preservatives. Unfortunately, much of the pet food industry is built on easy profits as a result of compromises in those four areas. In most cases, it’s not a moral issue, but it’s good to consider the company you’re buying your pet food from and what their philosophy is about the products they sell.

First, careful consideration must be given to the type of meat that is included in the product. If the meat is labeled “food” on the side of the package (for example, “chicken meal”), the dog owner should know that this is not the type of chicken that would sit down to eat at the table. . Chicken meal is basically the remains of a chicken that has been separated. The parts of the chicken that we are familiar with (the breast and leg meat) tend to be mostly missing. What remains is a little meat and chicken skin. Lots of skin actually. However, the most disturbing part of a chicken meal has to do with a significant portion of the rest being thrown into the vat and cooked before it is turned into protein-rich granules known as chicken meal.

4-D animals may account for a high percentage of the meat meal in the food you serve your pet. A 4-D animal is an animal that was dead, dying, sick, or disabled. Some feel that if dogs were left to fend for themselves in the wild, that 4-D animal matter is precisely the type of meat they would consume. The answer is debatable. But the question remains, how much does the use of 4-D animals raise the profit margins of corporate pet food companies?

Whether or not pet owners know about meat meal might be irrelevant. The only real problem I see here is the integrity of the pet food companies themselves. If 4-D meats can be purchased for much less than regular meat, then what’s to stop a pet food company from using as much 4-D as possible to keep its margins high? 4-D meats may well be one of the most lucrative aspects of pet food. In short, a pet owner should have a good understanding of the philosophy behind the company that makes the pet food they purchase.

While doing research for this article, I actually contacted the FDA. After a bit of back and forth, I received confirmation of what is said in the previous two paragraphs. The FDA focused a bit more on the definition, citing that these foods should not be in a state of spoilage and should not contain toxins or chemicals. Most interesting was the argument that the FDA allows this use of 4-D animals because they see a benefit in using the meat product, rather than wasting it.

However, there are some pet food companies that make their pet foods with free-range and table poultry. What does this mean? A big part of this (perhaps the biggest part of all) is that chickens are allowed to do what chickens do for most of their lives until they are harvested for pet food. But this is reflected in the cost of pet food. Obviously, if you care about your animal, higher quality and possibly more expensive pet foods shouldn’t be a deterrent. It seems obvious that these foods are better for your pet in the long run anyway.

Another issue to consider when shopping for a new dog food is the carbohydrate ingredients that are included. This is where many dog ​​owners part with various philosophies. Some feel that dogs are technically carnivorous, and should be fed strictly meat-based meals, or very close to a carnivorous diet. Some pet food companies have focused on the protein aspect of this and use cheaper plant proteins (like soy) to make their product’s guaranteed analysis look like there is a lot more meat protein than there actually is. The label on the side of the dog food bag is crucial. Pet food companies have also made their extensive ingredient lists available online, all a potential customer has to do is Google to find the company and the information. This is a good thing and could be a key issue in your dog’s health.

Dog allergies have skyrocketed in recent years, and the inclusion of filler ingredients like corn, soy, and wheat coincides with all the various grain allergies dogs have gotten lately. If you take a cursory look at the pet food ingredients at your local grocery store, you’ll find that some of these pet food companies are so brazen about including these minor grains that these grains are sometimes first on the list of ingredients! Mild allergies in your pet dog, while not life-threatening, can make your life miserable. Some filler ingredients that pet food companies are known to add are corn, wheat, and soy to their dog food products. While these ingredients aren’t bad per se as a regular part of your dog’s diet, they can be problematic. Some of the most common allergic reactions to pet food are nasal congestion, hot spots and rashes, lots of unnecessary scratching and licking, and a general lethargic behavior.

However, the addition of inexpensive grains and vegetables to dog food is not the only culprit in canine allergies. Artificial colors, artificial flavors, and some preservatives can also contribute to your dog’s allergies. Pet foods must use some type of preserving agent to ensure that the product remains relatively fresh during transit and then on the shelf for a considerable period of time. There are some pet food companies that recognize these artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives as potential allergens, and these companies use organic, even holistic alternatives (specifically regarding preservatives) to make sure their customers’ pets don’t have to deal with potentially harmful chemicals and ingredients.

The theory behind the use of unhealthy preservatives in pet food (supposedly) is that these chemicals will not really affect the pet due to their limited quantity. It seems that for some companies, the fact that the food is preserved is much more important than the toxicity that the chemicals may possess. Some of the most dangerous chemicals that can be used as preservatives are BHA and BHT, which are potentially carcinogenic. BHA is known to cause cancer in humans. Also, both condoms are toxic to the liver and kidneys. Even if some of the preservatives aren’t directly cancer-causing agents, chemicals like ethoxyquin (another favorite preservative) can be found in a pet’s liver and tissues months after consumption. Ethoxyquin is technically a pesticide. There has been a general request by the FDA to reduce the amounts of ethoxyquin used in pet food, but the fact is that it still remains and is still used by some. Pet owners should really check the ingredients on the side of the bag of pet food they feed their animal.

There are several natural preservatives that can be used to maintain the freshness of a pet food. Botanicals like fennel, peppermint, fenugreek, vitamin E, and rosemary are used in pet foods that steer clear of chemicals and other man-made processes to preserve food.

Searching for a new dog food for your pet can be difficult, but with a proper understanding of the potential hazards that are packaged, a diligent pet owner can make the right choices. A thinking consumer will pay close attention to the meat product, vegetable protein, vegetables and preservatives. Also, it’s a good idea to research the company you buy from. Sometimes independent businesses are much better and healthier than corporate businesses.