Today we’re going to be talking all about how to match your dog with the right food. A lot of dog parents overlook the power of food especially in times when your dog isn’t at their healthiest. And if I’m being real, there’s too many of us who make decisions on what to feed our dogs based on what we think we can afford not even realizing how much money is spent fixing problems that arise from bad food.

So I’m here to give a little tough love and a whole lot of great tips so you can make sure your dog is eating the best food for THEIR needs.

I really want to paint the picture of how important it is to match your dog with the right food so if you haven't already please tune in to today's episode.

DOG FOOD OPTIONS:

1. Dry Food (Kibble)
2. Cooked Food
3. Raw Food 

 For the purpose of this episode, I will only be going into kibble and the ingredients to avoid when feeding dry food. Please see links below for cooked and raw food options.

Four Ingredients to ALWAYS Avoid in Dry Food

Kibble is the most convenient and most affordable option for feeding your dog. However, it’s not the best option and many brands have a whole lot of secrets. Here’s what to avoid when choosing the best food for your dog:

#1- Preservatives hurt digestion by killing off friendly bacteria in the digestive tract making it harder to digest foods.

Health problems: skin and coat issues, weight gain, depression, excessive shedding, irregular pooping

Poor digestion means they aren’t getting the proper nutrients from their food. And dogs can’t tell us they have a tummy ache!!

Pet food companies hide preservatives on the labels by using their technical names so..

Check labels for..

• BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene)
• BHA
• Propylene Glycol

Stay away from foods with any of these ingredients!!

#2 Fillers

Fillers are anything your dog food company puts in the food that doesn’t do good for your dog. They’re cheaper ingredients than meat.

-brown rice and quinoa are okay in small portions but never give barleys, oatmeal and white rice. Or never ever soy, wheat or corn!

• wheat is a leading cause of dog allergies

-small amounts of fruits and veggies are great to mimic a natural diet. Wolves are their closest ancestors and wolves did get a small number of fruits and berries from the animals they were eating.

Fillers to look out for:

• Look out for corn, corn gluten, soy, soybean oil, and heavy grains such as wheat, barley, flour, and white rice.
• No artificial coloring

Canine cancer is increasing at alarming rates and the abundance of low-quality foods makes many think that’s the reason why!

#3 Meat by-products

By-products are nothing but slaughterhouse waste. It’s what leftover after the cuts for humans are removed.

• contains organs, feet, beaks, brains, undeveloped eggs, pieces of tumors, intestines with leftover feces

#4 By-Product Meal

Also, beware of generic meat products that are marked on the labels as “meat meal” or “meat and bone meal”

• these can contain roadkill, dead zoo animals, or dead livestock!

There is almost NO regulation on pet food quality in America and that’s why so many preservatives, by-products and meat meals are food in dog foods. USDA nor FDA monitors pet foods or the quality of nutrients in them. It’s also not taught in veterinary schools so it’s up to us to do our research and look at all of our options.

If avoiding these ingredients seems too overwhelming, I highly suggest you look into feeding a raw diet or cooked diet.

Raw Diet Resources: Raw Feeding University

Cooked Food: Just Food for Dogs, The Farmer's Dog, Ollie

For more info please check out today’s episode :)

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