What's really in your dog's food?

So with the recent issues with my little Yorkie getting sick, I've been doing my research on natural & holistic medicines and practices. Somehow I stumbled upon what is really in dry dog food. I've watched documentaries before on how mass produced dry dog food is really no good for your dogs, but I didn't know details. First off, did you know that a regular bag of big name dog food will normally sit an a warehouse for A YEAR before it is shipped to a big name store, to sit on their shelves? Not exactly fresh. But that is not even the worst part.

Most big name chain dog food contains "animal by products", which, ok maybe doesn't sound TERRIBLE. But that basically means it's the part of the horse, chicken, cow, etc. that is unfit for human's to eat (ok, obviously not of horse meat.) But you get the gist, it's the crap that's left over. Not to mention it's usually chock full of corn, soy, and other grains that are not natural to dog's digestion and development. Have you ever seen Food Inc. ? It's a fantastic documentary on the US Agriculture industry, and what really happens to our meat and veggies before they go into our mouths. (Pretty disturbing.) In this documentary, you see one very small, local farmer who discusses the fact that pigs, chickens, and cows are fed corn and other products that they normally wouldn't eat. These things are not NATURAL, so of course the animal's digestive tracts and bodies don't do well on these substances. Same thing with dogs, they weren't intended to eat things like this. Read more here: http://www.aplus-flint-river-ranch.com/define-animal-byproducts.php

The worst thing I've found that dog food can contain so far, EUTHANIZED DOGS. That's right, there's a plant in L.A. that takes hundreds of euthanized dogs from a shelter and grinds them up into Puppy chow. UM, GROSS. and not anywhere near natural. And you would never know, because it's labeled "animal byproduct", and we have no clue what that means.

Here's a few great articles to read about what dog food really contains:

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?more=1&p=359

http://www.dogs-4life.com/does-your-dog-food-include-euthanized-dog-.html

http://www.crpf.org.uk/index.php?section=537

And there's a ton more. Just search google for "what is really in dog food." You may be shocked. I switched both my dogs upon reading this, because it just makes sense. The crap that is in this dog food is a huge factor in why dogs get kidney disease, liver disease, heart problems, joint issues, etc. It's not natural.

Sure paying $30 for a bag of dog food versus the original $11 is a big jump, but if it will keep my pooches alive it's worth it to me.

What to look for: Steer clear of dog foods containing:
-soy
-animal byproduct
-corn
-grains: these are tricky. some grains are good for dogs, some are not. A lot of grain/oat diets are given to dogs with special allergies. Ask a vet. Or ask the people at your local dog food store.

You want to know what meats are in your dog's food, and it should say it on the label. Some will say "chicken Meal", here's an article you can read more about "meal versus meat". http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=meat-meal

Cheers-to happy, healthy pups