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Dog Nutrition Myths Debunked

May 26, 2017 by Mary Telesz

Dog NutritionThere are massive amounts of misinformation that circulate around the Internet when it comes to what you should be feeding man’s best friend. This is troublesome, because everyone knows what it is like to love a dog, and no one who has felt that bond would want to cause their canine companion any inadvertent health issues. Yet, this is exactly what can happen if you follow some of the pseudo-scientific advice that is floating around the Internet. Today, we’re aiming to dispel dog nutrition myths. In the process, the hope is that a picture will be provided that makes it much more clear exactly what should, and shouldn’t, be going in Fido’s bowl.

Trust Your Veterinarian

This can’t be stated loudly enough. If you find a high quality veterinarian who gets to know your pet and understands their dietary requirements, you should trust their advice. Just like in humans, if your pet has a specific health condition such as a weight problem, diabetes or an allergy, it may be vital to feed them a highly specific type of food. In this case, take your vet’s recommendation and feed your pet the right type of diet for their condition.

Myth #1: “Organic” is Better

Organic is one of the terms that is applied to both human and pet foods and yet is very poorly understood. First of all, the jury is still out as to the health benefits of eating organic in any population, but when it comes to pet food, the waters are even muddier.

This is because there is no official legislation that governs exactly what does or does not qualify as organic pet food. There are a variety of existing organizations that may or may not provide a certification that companies can place on their products, but it is important to recognize that anyone can slap a label that says ‘organic’ on their pet food. Because there is no regulation of this term in the industry, a package that says organic is no guarantee that the food is really organic by the definitions of the term that are applied to foods fit for human consumption. On top of that, there isn’t any solid scientific evidence to show that dog food based on organic ingredients would provide any health benefits for your pet.

Myth #2: Avoid Grains and Corn in Dog Food

Dog NutritionThis is a myth perpetuated by companies who enjoy charging their customers a lot more money for dog foods that don’t contain these more affordable ingredients. Oddly enough, there is no real scientific backing that suggests that grains and corn are in any way harmful to your dog. Often this myth centers around the concept of allergies.

There is a certain amount of circuitous justification for this. A dog can absolutely be allergic to corn, or to any of the grains that might be used in pet food. What you’re not often told however, is that there is just as much of a chance that your pooch is allergic to any of the meats used in dog food. Allergies can also crop up towards any of the other innumerable ingredients that often end up being used by pet food companies – it is not something corn and grains have a monopoly on.

Myth #3: Premium is Always Better

This is a myth that dog food companies are always happy to sell you, because it means more money in their pockets. There is a large marketing trend used by these companies to convince potential customers that the more they pay for a given dog food, the better it is for their pets. There is an entire industry of ‘premium’ pet foods that has cropped up, where customers may pay 50% or more on top of the regular price of pet food. This would be acceptable to some people if they were truly getting a product with increased nutritional or health properties. However, that isn’t the case. While some premium brands may be very healthy dog foods, there is certainly no category of ‘premium’ pet food that is better than all the rest. Price is no indication of quality, and the only way to be sure if a given brand is good for your dog is to just read the ingredient label.

Myth #4: Feeding Your Pet Natural Food is Better

There are a number of people putting forward the view that you should try and feed your pet ‘raw’ or ‘natural’ food only. There is a certain appealing logic that your dog would want to eat the food that it’s ancestors would have eaten in the wild when they were running free on the plains. However, evolution has changed our furry friends a great deal since those days, and the domesticated house dog of today is not ideally suited for a raw diet.

First of all, raw foods and meats may contain a number of pathogens in the forms of parasites and bacteria that could be very harmful to your pet. Because most of our pets haven’t had ongoing exposure to these particular pathogens, they may have had not opportunity to build up any immunity to them. As a result, a raw diet can actually make your pet sick. Couple that with the hazards posed by bones and you’ll see why you might want to think twice about this type of diet. Finally, it is important to note that dogs that are brought up on pet food don’t have a high supply of the enzymes needed to happily digest raw meat. A little treat of meat won’t hurt them from time to time, but the switch to a raw meat diet could cause serious gastrointestinal distress.

Myth #5: Meat Meal is a Bad Thing

Meal is one of those dirty words that people think is harmful for your pet, but the reality couldn’t’ be further from the truth. Meat meal still comes from a high quality protein source and is processed with the same attention to detail that is used when making pet foods that are based on ‘meat’. The protein quality is the same regardless of the source, and there is no reason to think there are any health detriments that will occur from feeding meat meal.

The Reality of Dog Nutrition

Most pets are pretty rugged eaters. Unless otherwise identified by your vet, they typically don’t need a specialized diet that is formulated for their age or any of the many various goals of speciality dog foods. For instance, when you see products marketed to improve a dog’s coat or a similar goal, there is very little evidence that most of these products are actually healthier for your pet.

The best advice we can give you when it comes to dog food is to remember that the pet food companies are in the industry to make money. Like any other company that is pursuing their own agenda, you need to process all of their marketing information with a careful filter.

You’ll notice a trend in many of these myths that are frequently employed by pet food companies. If a product makes high promises about the health benefits it offers your pets, especially if it is only offered at a premium price, it can pay to be skeptical. Save your money and buy a healthy, nutritious dog food brand at a reasonable price, and spend the money you’ve saved on buying your dog a new toy instead.

Filed Under: Pet Care

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
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Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
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