What is in your pet’s food?
Unlike humans, most pets eat the same food, day after day after day. When you acknowledge this fact, it seems quite apparent that the cat food or dog food we’re feeding out pets is either helping them live a long, healthy life or contributing to their demise.
Similar to many pet owners, we thought that feeding our cats a certain premium brand of food was providing them with the healthiest choice. After all, it was one of the most expensive pet foods on the market so it had to be the best, right?
Wrong!
The truth is, cost is only one tiny indication of quality. In fact, some of the healthiest pet food is extremely moderately priced. To figure out if the food that you are feeding your pets is actually good for them, you have to understand which ingredients are healthy and which ingredients are just ‘fillers’, or, as I like to call them – junk!
So go and get a bag of the pet food you’re currently giving to your pet and compare and contrast it with this list of what is good for your pet and what is not:
- Protein: the primary source should come from quality animal protein, not a vegetable or grain. Are there animal by-products used in the formula? If so, they might be inferior sources of protein which makes it difficult to digest.
- Grains: grains such as soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten may be difficult to digest and can also be allergenic. Rice has the tendency to be the most digestible, least allergy-inducing grain.
- Fats: Animal, not vegetable, fats tend to be easiest for your pets to metabolize and absorb.
- Health-promoting ingredients: Vegetables, fiber, probiotics and minerals are all important ingredients that help keep your pet healthy and strong. Does your current brand of pet food contain any of them?
If your pet is experiencing any health problems – from energy loss and vitality, to respiratory issues, to joint aches and pains or any other symptoms – DO NOT discredit the possibility that it may be caused by his food. Just like a modification to your diet can improve your health, so can an adjustment to your pet’s food! But please don’t take my word for it…do your own research, educate yourself and try out different brands (we use Life’s Abundance which has certainly helped our pets look and feel great).
The point is, your pet can’t go to the grocery or pet store to buy his own food…he depends on you! Allow your pet to live his or her best life by picking out the right food and you will both be so much richer for it!