Today I am featuring a guest post from Justin Poore. He is an avid dog lover, owner of an adorable little black lab named Lexi and a promoter of people helping their dogs live an active and healthy lifestyle. Justin has contributed to several dog blogs and while he does not call himself an expert, he has done a lion’s share of research on what is healthy for pets and how living a healthy lifestyle can improve health for both pets and owners.
Avoid Choosing the Wrong Dog Foods With These 4 Tips!
Walking down the pet food aisle these days can be a scary endeavor. It seems that every month I see another product being recalled for contaminated food, salmonella, or any number of other problems. Products are telling me they are healthy and natural when that’s really not the case. Even packaging that says, “USA” on the front has small print on the back that says, “Made in China”. I don’t know about you, but I was tired of not knowing who to trust and what food were really the best for my little furry companion.
After doing research, talking to my vet and reading from experts, I found some great resources and tips to help you navigate the world of dog foods. The first was I found this great Free eBook from the K9 Wellness Association! The book entitled: The Beginner’s Guide to The Best All-Natural Dog Products , is an easy read that explains what a dog’s diet should look like, where modern dog foods have gone wrong, and how the right foods can keep your dog happy and healthy.
Click here to get the free eBook
Another great tool I found was an article on how to read a pet food label from Paw Nation. This article showed me how read the label and not just the brand name. I learned which ingredients to say yes to, and which to be cautious of Read the Article Here.
The 4 Tips to Choosing the right Food:
After all my research it was pretty clear what was best for my dog, and what to look out for on food labels. So I decided why not share some tips that will help you the next time you’re in the pet food aisle!
Tip #1: Consult Your Vet
Before you make any changes to your pet’s diet, check with the doctor. Your vet is a great resource because he knows what your dog’s special needs are, and can recommend products and ingredients to meet those needs.
Tip #2: Choose Real Meat vs. By-Product
Foods made with any kind of by-product should definitely be avoided. These by-products are cheaper alternatives, and while you might save a few bucks, it could be at the cost of your pet’s health. Always go with high quality products.
Tip #3: Avoid Fillers
“Fillers” are products that do just that, they fill your dog up. However, the problem is that dogs have a hard time digesting these, and they can be a key cause of empty calories and obesity. These include: Grains, Preservatives, Chemicals, Sugars, Artificial ingredients, and more.
Tip #4: Go All-Natural and Human Grade
Choosing certified all-natural and human grade products is one of the best moves you can make for your dog. These products are designed to work with your dog’s body and meet their daily needs for energy, growth, and overall well-being. Plus by being certified human grade, you know it’s not harmful to your pets. One product that the free eBook turned me on to was Bailey’s Blend. They have a touching story on how they got started, and some great testimonials. You really can’t go wrong with all-natural.
If you have some great tips on what healthy products you like, or any tips of your own, please comment and give us your take!
We eat grain free, all natural, human grade. I guess we have all the bases covered.
I think you are covered!
Woof! Woof! choosing the right food is very important and the AMOUNT too. Due to my allergies my dog food is grain free. I only get my grains from treats (homemade by mom). Lots of Golden woofs, Sugar
Lots of my friends have special diets. I eat pretty much anything but stay away from additives and stuff from China when I can.
Great advise! Love you!!
Thanks, Elvis!
Wonderful tips! Finding a good food that fits the needs of your dog can be tough but all the research is so worth it!
I think he did a good job.
Well I think we’re doing good, we love our food, and I’m pretty sure it is healthy!
That is good to hear 🙂
Excellent article! For years, I have been advising my clients to spend the money on good food for their dogs and forego the supermarket aisle. Thanks for bringing even more awareness to this.
I always tell people that they have to feed so much of that bad cheap stuff they come out almost even since you don’t need to feed that much of the good food.
That’s an excellent point as well, Emma!
Great tips and good post!
I think he did a good job.
Interesting. We feed the food that works the best for our dogs and their active lifestyles. 🙂
Everyone has to find the right food for their own dogs!
The hard part if finding one food for three…lol.
We have 2 and different food…not easy! Even the two cats have different food.
We feed “Chicken Soup For The Dog Lover’s Soul” canned for the wet for our PBGV All About Eve. We found it because our former terrier mix got sick, lost a lot of weight and we brought her back for a while by feeding this good stuff. (She was 16 and made it to 17 with lymphoma)
Wow, that is a good age, although it is never long enough. Mom looked it up online, looks like they sell it right up the street from us in dry also. We never have wet food, mom likes dry. We will look into it. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent advice! Buying dog food sure can be a mine-field.
But a tasty mine field!
We have found the right Kibble (yuk ) it makes my coat nice and shiny it has natural ingredients, costs a lot but then I’m worth it 🙂 Have a wonderful Sunday xx00xxx
Mollie and Alfie
My mom says that you don’t save buying cheap bad food because us pets would get sick and have a ton of vet bills!
I have friends that have used Bailey’s Blend for their pets who have had serious chronic illnesses and they have had miracles. Full recovery. That is a great product!
Thank you – great to know!