|
|
Nutrition is the first step in preventative health care. "You are what you eat" is as true for our fur-children as it is for us. What we choose to feed our fur-children will be a major factor in their health, happiness & well-being. Nutritious diets provide our fur-children with the energy needed to run their bodies & the nutrients necessary to maintain their health, repair damaged cells, & help them fight disease & illness. Our fur-children will be more resistant to infections & will recover more quickly if they become ill or injured when fed a healthy, natural or archetypical diet.
Most of us like the convenience of dry or kibbled pet foods. The best dry foods invest
invest in all-natural ingredients which rival human food in quality, nutrition & the cooking
process. They don't waste financial resources on expensive mass marketing & advertising.
When choosing a dry/kibbled food, look for these ingredients:
Whole meat protein - These must be identified, &, this bears repeating, they are never meat by-products. Whole meat proteins are the natural protein sources for our carnivorous fur-children. Meat proteins contain amino acids, the building blocks of life. Proteins are broken down into separate amino acids in the digestive tract by the action of enzymes. Then they are reconstructed by the liver into the proteins that the body needs. The right amino acids must be consumed in order for the required proteins to be reconstructed. There are between 9 & 12 amino acids that are essential to life. Essential meaning that these amino acids can only be obtained through what the dog eats. Their bodies cannot produce them on their own. Non-essential amino acids are also vital for life, but are called 'non-essential' because the canine's body can manufacture them, IF adequate sources of the essential amino acids are included in the diet. NOTE: Kibbled diets are often measured by the percentage of protein in the food. While important, the source of the protein is of greater importance. Protein percentage combines animal (meat, by-products, cheese, milk) & grain (soy, corn, wheat, rice & oatmeal) sources. The sum of these proteins appears on dog food packages as crude protein. Many amino acids are available only from animal protein sources, and if plant/vegetable/cereal/grain are the main protein sources, a dog may develop an animal protein deficiency.
Whole grains - These should read; oatmeal, brown rice, barley, rye, quinoa, amaranth, (though never wheat or soy) sometimes preceded by ground, but never preceded by brewers, & never followed by flour, bran, gluten, grits, or hulls, & does not appear in any form more than once (This is called splitting. It is done to mislead consumers by forcing meat into the first ingredient position.)
Whole fruits & vegetables - These are natural sources for vitamins, minerals, fiber, & antioxidants. Some may contain antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral & antiseptic properties & help support the immune system function.
Digestive enzymes, probiotics & prebiotics - These are supplements that aid in digestion. When added to a kibble, after it is cooled, they will assist in the assimilation of the food. Each has a slightly different role, so all are necessary.
Chelated minerals - Chelation is a process by which mineral substances are changed into their digestible form. Amino acid bound chelated minerals provide three to ten times greater assimilation than common minerals do.
Natural preservatives -Vitamins such as E (mixed tocopherols), & C (citric acid), & herbal extracts such as rosemary, sage, & clove are safe alternatives to toxic chemical preservatives.
Of course, there are the ingredients to avoid. These ingredients can be as benign as non-nutritional or as toxic as carcinogens Furthermore, our canine & feline fur-children tend to eat the same products regularly. Therefore, the large quantity of chemicals ingested will have a cumulative effect.
By-products - A cheap, hard to utilize source of protein unfit for human consumption.
Soy - Used to increase protein content. At best, it is known to cause gas build-up in the digestive tract & has been directly linked to bloat. At worst, it contains naturally occurring toxins such as protease inhibitors, phytic acid, soy lectins (or haemagglutins), manganese concentrations & the mysterious Soya toxin. Nitrosamines are also present, formed during the processing of soy products such as isolated soy protein (ISP).
Digest - Insoluble animal tissues hydrolyzed chemically or enzymatically for assimilation. The chemicals used for this processing do not have to be included in the ingredient label.
BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin - These preservatives have been linked to autoimmune illnesses & cancers of the spleen, stomach & liver. The increase of cancer in our fur-children parallels the increased use of chemical preservatives used in our pet's foods
Beet Pulp - Fibrous filler. Foods use beet pulp to prevent constant diarrhea. These manufactured stools are hard, and uncomfortable. A natural stool is small, soft, and formed.
Glutens - Inexpensive sources of protein. These "glues" adhere to the villi of the duodenum & induce villous atrophy, manifesting in gas, atopy, malabsorotion, inflammatory bowel, for starters. (Glutens come from all grains, but wheat & soy are the biggest culprits.)
Meat & Bone Meal - Generic ingredient. Usually listed as a single ingredient at the top of the ingredient list. Used to hide the fact that it is mostly bone with little (if any) meat. The meat source can be changed at any time, & you cannot know what kind of meat you are getting. Does the manufacturer even know? Or, do they not want to tell you what they are using as their meat source?
Animal Fat - Again, a generic ingredient used to hide the source. The source can change with each batch of food made, & is the cheapest available at the time of
Propylene Glycol - Primarily used as a preservative & to make foods "chewy". They inhibit bacterial growth, including the growth of friendly flora in the digestive tract. It also decreases the amount of moisture in the digestive tract, which has led to intestinal blockage & a host of serious digestive tract problems such as cancerous intestinal lesions.
Artificial Colors - Often coal-tar derivative dyes, they are often known carcinogens & immune system suppressors.
Artificial Sweeteners - Sweeteners produce the same highs & lows as table sugar & have been linked to behavioral problems such as aggression & hyperactivity. Providing empty calories devoid of vitamins, minerals, proteins or fats, they can over stimulate the production of insulin & acidic digestive juices, & interfere with absorbing proteins, calcium & other minerals in the food. They put a great deal of stress on the pancreas & adrenals, which may result in diabetes.
|
|
|
|
