We have always been very careful about what our dog eats. She's 11 now, and we want to make sure she doesn't become overweight and put unnecessary stress on her legs. We don't give her any food or treats that come from overseas (little or no regulation of ingredients), and we are careful about the food we do buy for her.
Dogs love dairy products, but they should be given only in small amounts. Our dog gets a spoonful of plain yogurt on her food each day because it's good for her coat and her digestion. Otherwise human food—an occasional nibble of chicken or cheese, a few licks of vanilla ice cream—is a very rare treat.
Which brings me to this...
If I told you I had no idea how this happened, would you believe me?
How do you know your dog food doesn't have ingredients from overseas? Usually it takes phone calls to the company to be sure. Lots of name-brand supermarket and even the fancier "premium" brands continue to get ingredients from China, for example. And many of the best pet foods come from places like New Zealand, so not all imports are bad. Here's an interesting link about lactose intolerance in dogs, which is very common:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-feeding-tips/dogs-milk-dairy-products/
Here is the safety statement from the producer of the food we feed London:
ReplyDeletehttp://canidae.com/ingredients/canidae-food-safety.html
That is a helpful article, I'm sure that many dog owners are not aware of the differences in lactose amounts among dairy products.
ReplyDeleteGiven her lack of digestive issues, I am confident we have been feeding her properly.
Canidae is very good food, at least for dogs — I paid to join a subscription website that analyzes different brands of foods, so I looked it up and it gets a high rating, although it does contain some questionable form of selenium. Did you know that it's ideal to rotate brands as well as flavors so your dog is getting up to five or six different foods on a regular basis? Different brands have different nutritional balances and types of supplements, and no single one is perfect. Best to use a few different high-quality brands and different protein sources (flavors) for optimal balance. We can't be healthy eating only one food, no matter how nutritious it is, and neither can our animals. Variety is good for everyone, although cats, at least, as so darn fussy about it.
ReplyDelete