Are You Buying Your Dog Worse Treats Than Sidewalk Scraps?
Written by Dylan K.
Are you buying your dog paleo diet organic gluten free chow? Are all of their chew toys BPA free? Have you had them tested for food allergies?
These things might sound ridiculous to some, but its become the norm for many of us, with plenty of others considering following suit, as the health food awareness movement spreads from humans to our extended canine families.
 | Remember in the late 90s how there seemed to be a salmonella scare in the news every few months? Well, there have been at least three incidents of salmonella in dog toys or treats already in 2015. Here is a story CNN covered just last month: Dog Chews Put Puppies at Risk |
Dogs become our family members and its easy to impose our values onto them. Large numbers of vegetarians and vegans are raising their pups with similar dietary restrictions. While its a relatively new practice, it seems dogs, just like humans, can live a healthy lifestyle on a plant based diet. However we need to remember that humans and dogs don't process foods in entirely the same ways. If you're going to raise a veg-head dog, you have to take the right precautions. Here are some important facts to remember from WebMD: Should Your Pet Go Vegetarian | |
 Your dog likely doesn't need a dietitian, mans best friend has been living pretty well off of kibble and milk bones for generations. Of course we only want the best for our furry friends, so here's a quick list of fetch it or leave it recommendations to consider the next time you’re out shopping:  | |
Fetch it: | Leave it: | |
| Organic: We weren't made to eat pesticides, neither are dogs. | Diet gimmicks and fads: Your dog doesn't need gluten free biscuits or energy bar dog treats. They aren't training for a cross-fit comp are they? | |
Corn free: Corn isn't harmful but look at the ingredients on pet food labels. Dogs need protein, vitamins, fiber, etc, just like people. Too many dog products are predominantly corn. |
High protein chow: Dogs need protein, sure, but the normal amounts we've fed them for generations is plenty. No need for them to eat like body builders. Protein can be hard on the body to digest when its in super high amounts and can lead to health issues. | |
Non-GMO: The less processed the better, this rule holds equally true for humans and dogs. |
Science experiments: "Evolutionary adaptations" and "biologically appropriate" are actual terms used on popular dog food labels. Don't believe the hype, its either clever marketing or its way too processed. Read the ingredients, if there's a bunch of words that you have trouble pronouncing, don't buy it. | |
