How Are You Treating Your Pet?

Can you comprehend a time when dog food, cat food, or pet treats did not even exist?

The very first commercial dog food was a product produced in the year 1860. James Pratt, an American, was visiting England from the US when he saw dogs surviving off left-over biscuits from ships. So he prepared a dog biscuit product consisting of wheat meal, vegetable, beetroot and meat, and began selling them entirely to British rural gentlemen who owned sporting dogs.

Much has changed since then....... as our ideas of nutrition have advanced, so have our pets' foods.

New products such as dry kibble, canned foods, and moist products have varied our choices substantially.

For many dog and cat owners, the food that we give our animals means a great deal, while the treats we give them are merely an afterthought. Even the most health-conscious pet owners who purchase expensive cat and dog food often go to the supermarket and buy the least expensive treats. Why is it that so many of us have a habit of feeding our pets top shelf foods and then give them relatively poor treats with the nutritional value of paper? We ask a lot of our pets' foods. Even the healthiest cat or dog food does not have everything. Each pet has specific needs. Because we only feed our pets around 2 times a day or so, treats are a superb supplement to their diets. Even 2 or 3 treats a day really adds up in the long haul. If we are going to add calories, they really should be healthy ones.

Your supermarket is filled with treats that are full of poor ingredients. Here are a few things you will definately want to look out for: Soybean meal, wheat, wheat meal, corn gluten meal, corn meal, whole/crushed corn, and maize are very frequently used for their protein. They cost far less to include in a treat than the superior quality carbohydrates or meat protein such as chicken or fish. In addition to this, soybean meal as well as ground corn and wheat are common pet allergens. Also keep this in mind when choosing a cat food or a dog food.

Artificial food coloring is widely used even though they are completely unnecessary and have even been linked to medical issues. It is believed by some in the medical field that if an ingredient is foreign to the body the body reacts to it and can cause numerous health issues. Pets care more about taste than color. By-products are an easy way for dog food or cat food and treat firms to keep costs down. Instead of using whole meats, they use by-products. These are obviously the less desirable parts of animals.

Essentially, by-products are all of the items that you would not willingly feed to your pet. Stawa away from them if possible.

There are a number of other items that the labels do not always reveal to us. For example, condemned parts of animals not good enough for human injestion are sometimes rerouted into commercial treats. These parts may be the parts of animals who are dead, dying, decayed or even diseased

In addition, certain meats, grains and other ingredients cannot be sold for use by people. They are either damaged or else the meat does not have the look that the US Dept. of Agriculture officials want. Sadly, we cannot always decipher this from the label. This goes for treats, dog food as well as cat food.

Furthermore, some companies have lower standards pertaining to the freshness of the ingredients they use. Though there should be a "use by" date or code on most packages. We would not eat stale cookies so why would we want to give anything but fresh ingredients to our pets? Again this applies to dog food and treats and cat products.

For additional information go to Dog Food, Premium, from Life's Abundance and find out about premium dog food and healthy pet products.

Ryan Joseph is a writer and researcher. For more info. go to http://www.premium4pets.com and http://www.premium-cat-food.com/

---

How to Housebreak Your Dog or Puppy

Dogs are creatures of habit; and once they develop a... Read More

Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know... Part 2

Cryptorchidism is peculiar to male dogs and a condition present... Read More

Pet Ear Infections

Is your dog or cat tormented by ear infections? Do... Read More

Worms in Your Dog... Gross!

Of all the parasites a dog can catch, worms take... Read More

Training Your Dog For A Happy Healthy Life

Adopting a dog is a lot of fun, but it... Read More

The 5 Things You Should Know Before Breeding Cats

The cat population is astronomical. Most experts agree that average... Read More

Media Influence on Public Perception of Exotic Cat Ownership

What makes something news? The fact that you take good... Read More

Clipper Experiments: A Tail in Two Parts

Poor Dog. Subjected to my most ambitious experiments, she still... Read More

Pros and Cons of Buying Pet Medicine Online

Pets are many things in many ways but they are... Read More

How to Increase Your Fishkeeping Fun

Do you really get the fullest amount of enjoyment out... Read More

Seven Ways to Boxer-Proof Your House

You are ready to bring your Boxer home? First, you... Read More

The Joy Of Having Puppies!

One of the greatest thrills for a little boy or... Read More

Mabeke: Gorilla Teacher

Mabeke is a young gorilla who was born in captivity... Read More

Can Cats And Dogs Live Together As Friends?

Can cats and dogs live together without constantly being at... Read More

Ensure a Good Relationship Between Your Cat and Your Kids

Many parents know that the best way for children to... Read More

Parvo in Dogs

What Is ParvoParvo is a serious viral disease that can... Read More

Training Collars: Teaching Your Dog Basic Obedience and Breaking Bad Habits

Training CollarsTraining collars are a tool many pet owners utilize... Read More

Afraid To Buy A Horse At Public Auction?

Here are 5 things to do to put the odds... Read More

Bringing Home a Puppy ? Be Prepared!

So you just loved that sweet little puppy that you... Read More

Secrets of Kitty Body Language

Kittens communicate in a very distinct way. Did you know... Read More

How To Setup A Freshwater Tropical Fish Tank

This is an 11 step guide to setting up a... Read More

Tips that May Help Your Arthritic Dog

Arthritis refers to inflammation or swelling in a joint. The... Read More

Protecting The Family Pet

Ever since the beginning of time there has always been... Read More

West Highland White Terrier ? How To Capture the Best Pictures of Your Westies

For most West Highland White Terrier owners, the dog is... Read More

Dog Beds for Larger Dogs

Large dogs and extra large dogs require more thought and... Read More

Adopting A Dog

You know what it's like. You see a cute curly... Read More

Is Pet Insurance Right For Your Pet?

Trying to decide if you should get insurance on your... Read More

Do They Really Need a Dog Bed?

When Lucky was starting to show signs of aging, we... Read More

Telepathic Communication With Animals

Animal Communication, or telepathy with animals, is as common an... Read More

Proper Diet For the Discus Fish

The Discus fish has its habitat in the South American... Read More

Dog Supplies: Whats Needed Versus What Might Be Fun to Have

Buying a new dog is more than simply finding the... Read More

Is Pet Insurance Worth It?

Many pet owners often wonder if it's worth it to... Read More

Breeding Clownfish

Thanks to Disney's Motion Picture 'Finding Nemo,' almost everybody is... Read More