Healthy Treats and Quality Food for Pets

Vail Daily.com published an article asking owners, "What are you really feeding your pet?" Most pet owners would like to find the answers to this question. With the numerous food types from different manufacturers, each having their own ingredients and special mix, pet owners must be careful in choosing what they feed to pets.

It is important to check the food label, especially the ingredients before feeding anything to pets. From the article in Vail Pets, here are some important ingredients to look out for to help owners determine the nutritional and health value of their preffered pet food.

1. Corn, wheat and soy: Many animals have allergies to these ingredients. They are not necessary to your pet's health. Corn and soy are not easily digested.

2. Animal by-products. These are unspecific and unidentified parts of the animal and can be the scraps off the floor of a factory. These fats can contain heavy preservatives and are difficult to digest.

3. Food coloring. These are not necessary to your pet's health.

4. Sugar, corn syrup or other sweeteners. These can cause highs and lows in animals just like people and interfere with an animal's ability to absorb other needed nutrients. Sweeteners have been linked to changes in an animal's behavior and onset of diabetes.

5. Salt. This is used to make foods more palatable to animals. Consuming too much salt can cause numerous health issues. Some foods use small amounts of sea salt, a healthier alternative.

6. Meat or meat meal. When the meat is unidentified it calls into question the quality. Be sure the meat is defined like whether it is lamb, beef or chicken.

7. There are many more things to be aware of, and it is easy to do research online if you are concerned about certain ingredients.

Pet owners should also have in mind that an expensive brand will always be organic, healthy and nutritional. A good, healthy and nutritional food does not have to be expensive. There are numerous healthy dog gourmets, patisseries and snacks that are affordable but offers great nutritional value. If you want to have an idea of the brands and stores offering this type of food, you may want to checkout the Healthy Food and Gourmet Treats resources from America Outdoor, a premier site providing Petsafe products and other pet care and training supplies. There you can find pet bakeries, food stores, and other pet treat places you might want to check out. Always remember that your pets deserve only healthy treats and quality food.

 

(above is a dog feeder available at America Outdoor)