Information about pet foods and animal nutrition so that pet owners can make an intelligent choice between foods and feed their pet CORRECTLY
Protein is one of the most important parts of dog food, as well as one of the least understood by the average dog owner. Most people have the misconception that the amount of protein the food contains is the important factor. However, the important factor is: How much of the food's protein can be used by the animal consuming it.
Physical Differences = Nutritional Differences
The feeding instructions on most commercial dog food labels tell you to feed their food to a dog (any dog) and just put a different amount into the bowl according to the weight of the animal that may eat it. There are many more differences that should be considered. Check these out.
Is A Raw Food Diet The Answer
Because of the problems associated with commercial kibbled food, many dog owners are now looking at a raw food diet for their companion pet. Is this diet correct for the companion pet you are feeding?
The Correct Water Supply For Your Dog
Should Your Dog Have A Different Water Supply Than The Humans In Your Home?
Supplementing Dog Food With Vitamin C
Supplementing your dog's diet With vitamin C is approved by AAFCO . . . BUT . . . Since your dog's liver can manufacture all the vitamin C it needs why do dog food companies have it in their food . . . and what are the long term effects?
If the Nutritional Needs of Dogs vary among the different breeds - How Can One Food Claim to Be "Complete & Balanced" - For All Dogs?
Research has proven nutritional requirements of dogs are breed specific. The differences are so vast that a dog food good for one breed may be POISON to another (maybe your breed). Yet many pet foods are sold with the claim that they are "complete & balanced" - for all dogs.
Wording of pet food labels (including a handy definition list)
Wording used for the ingredient list needs to be more specific. Current regulations allow ingredients like feathers, sawdust and dehydrated pig excreta to be put in pet food and labeled with wording so you don't know these ingredients are in there. I would like to see all ingredients listed with their International Feed Numbers. This would give us the real identity of all ingredients in a food.
Who regulates the Pet Food Industry?
Which agencies are trying to protect us from: Misleading labeling; Poor manufacturing practices and procedures; Use of harmful additives and ingredients; etc.
AAFCO's "Required testing" of pet foods
Buyer Beware . . . you may be buying a pet food that's claiming it is a nutritionally adequate diet because it passed stringent AAFCO testing . . . yet that test could have been run with only 6 to 8 test animals eating the food for 6 months and able to survive with no more than an "acceptable" 15% loss of body weight.
A Home Health Check For Symptoms of Nutritional Problems
Test you can run at home to see how your companion pet is assimilating the nutrients in it's diet.
AAFCO's "Required testing" of pet foods
Buyer Beware . . . you may be buying a pet food that's claiming it is a nutritionally adequate diet because it passed stringent AAFCO testing . . . yet that test could have been run with only 6 to 8 test animals eating the food for 6 months and able to survive with no more than an "acceptable" 15% loss of body weight.
