Is your dog or cat suffering from unexplained health issues? We recommend you consider looking at their diet.
As a caring pet parent, your role is important to make sure your pets get the best of everything.
Not every pet food manufacturer uses the best and healthiest ingredients.
PetMD recently took a survey. They found that nearly 80% of pet owners recognize the importance of a balanced diet. However, almost half of these owners have never checked if their pet’s food meets AAFCO standards. These standards are set to make sure the food provides everything your pet needs to stay healthy.
What ingredients should you look out for? Here are a few unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients in your pet’s food.
Animal By-Products
Per dogadvisor.com, “Animal by-products are simply cheaper… notably cheaper than most other comparable meat products. They’re used for making dog food because they save money. Not because they’re more nutritious.”
Which parts of the animal are by-products, you ask?
By-products are parts of an animal that are unfit for people to eat. Here are a few examples:
Some may even use other parts of an animal you wouldn’t expect to find in dog or cat food, such as:
Per akc.org, your pet’s body digests less protein when there is a higher grain level in their food.
Starches like corn are cheap and often used to add bulk to food. Too many fillers can cause gas, bloating, digestive issues, and constipation or diarrhea.
Dogs and cats can develop allergies to foods that have corn in them.
Some symptoms of a corn allergy in dogs and cats include:
Here are some synthetic vitamins and minerals that may be in your furry baby’s food, per dogsnaturallymagazine.com