Friday, November 1, 2013

Is Commercial Dog Food Killing Your Dog - Consider the Benefits of Organic Dog Food

Organic foods, whether it is for humans or pets, is talked about everywhere. Organic gardening, organic ingredients, organically grown - why such the hype these days and is the higher price of organic foods really justified? Should I consider organic pet food for my dog? Is store-bought, commercial dog food really that bad? This article starts to shed some light on these questions and shares information that is very important to your dog's health.What is Organic? The government defines organic as all organic food production and processing is monitored by a strict set of rules and adheres to a minimum set of guidelines. This applies to both human and pet food. To be sure the pet food you choose is really organic check the label. Look for some of these of symbols - Organic Food Federation, Certified Organic Ingredients, and in the UK, The Soil Association. If you see these symbols you can be assured the processing and manufacturing of the dog food is tightly controlled and is held to a higher standard than commercially processed dog food.Unfortunately, standard (non-organic) commercially manufactured pet food is not held to these higher standards. Ever wonder what goes into a "by-product" which can be seen on many ingredient lists of commercially processed dog foods. Typically by-products are made up of animal parts that are not fit for human consumption, such as bones, organs, blood, fatty tissues and intestines. It's all the leftover parts processed into what is called dog food - meaning the commercially processed dog food you may be buying at the grocery store. Do you really want to be feeding these leftover parts to your dog?Regulatory Requirements Pet food is not regulated under the same restrictions as people food. Commercial brand dog foods have much more relaxed regulations in order to be considered "legal". Looking for the Organic symbols mentioned above is one great way to feel confident that the food is regulated and safe. These Organic regulatory bodies are an external layer of protection that ensures the dog food is safe and is being processed to a higher set of standards. Seeing these symbols on the organic dog food packaging tells you someone is holding this dog food to a higher standard than our government.Understanding the dog food label ingredients can be tricky at best. Did you know that "Lamb & Rice Dog Food" and "Lamb & Rice Dinner for Dogs" are two completely different ingredient lists and very distinctive applicable regulations pertaining to their ingredients and processing standards? You may have already considered going to the "Premium or Ultra or Gourmet" offerings of your favorite commercially purchased dog food. Well these can be misleading as well since the legal requirements for manufacturing these offerings are no different than what is governed by the lower pet food offerings. Mostly you are being tricked by clever marketing and packaging.In Conclusion Do not be fooled by marketing or packaging or clever catch-phrases on the commercially branded dog foods. Be sure to look for the Organic Food symbols mentioned above, these are your only insurance that a higher level of standards has been imposed on the manufacturing and processing of the dog food. If you are wondering why the price of the organic dog food is higher than store bought dog food, besides a higher level quality of ingredients, there is also a governing body watching over the processing of the food. They are your seal of approval that the food your dog is eating is safe and nutritious. Isn't your dog worth it?