Let me present a scenario to you. One that you may have actually experienced in the past. You have decided to treat your family to dinner at a new establishment that has just opened across town.
You and your wife pile your two small children into the car and off you go. Your appetite is at an all time high, as you enter the restaurant and are shown to your table. The menu looks good, as you and your family place the order anticipating a healthy, nutritional feast.
The dinner soon arrives, looking delicious, as you gulp down the contents to satisfy those hunger pains. As your belly reaches its limit, you pull away from the table to take a big, long breath. Whew, that sure was delicious!
And then it hits! All of a sudden, you are not feeling so well. The wife and kids seem to be doing just fine, but your stomach is in knots, and you find yourself suddenly perspiring as you locate the restroom just across the room. You excuse yourself from the table and off you go. You are one sick puppy!
After returning from the restroom and still not feeling all that well, you start to question your sudden misfortune. You notice that the wife and kids had ordered a different meal than the one that was consumed by yourself, and wonder now if something you ate may have caused these ‘queasy’ symptoms.
Never Again!
You call the waiter over and inform him of your misery and suggest that something you just consumed may be the culprit. The waiter expresses his concern and agrees to remove your meal portion from the bill.
You are thankful that the other members of your family seem to be fine but still vow never to eat at this establishment again. Ever! You have made this decision, well, because you can. You have the freedom to choose where you want to eat. You also have the decision of what to eat.
Our pets are not so lucky. They simply don’t have the freedom to pick and choose their next meal. They rely on us to feed them a wholesome, nutritional diet. Like small children, our pets are dependent on us to keep them safe, healthy and happy.
What are we feeding our pets? Does price actually determine the quality of pet food? The old adage of ‘you get what you pay for,’ may or may not pertain to the nutritional value found within the bags or cans of pet food. Let’s take this concept a bit further.
Bad Dog Food: They Don’t Have A Choice
As a dog owner throughout my lifetime, I have tried and used a variety of dog food products. To be honest, I didn’t spend a lot of time reading through labels or doing extensive research in the selection of these foods. I just assumed that these dog food manufacturers knew what was best for my pets and didn’t question it any further.
My dog(s) had no input in these decisions, and for the most part gulped anything down that was placed in their bowls. Kind of like the gentleman who devoured his meal in the story above. Is there a common thread between this gentleman and our pets? For me, the answer is yes and it comes down to one thing. Trust.
Think about it, when we visit a restaurant to feed our bellies, we believe and trust that the food we are about to receive will provide some form of nutrition without causing us harm. Our pets are the same way. Without a voice, they can only place their trust with us and assume what they are about to consume will prove to be harmless. In essence, they trust us.
Commercial dog food, kibble, canned, raw, frozen, grain-free, all natural, prescription, special recipes. It’s enough to drive any pet owner over the edge! In selecting one of these types of diet really comes down to a personal preference and one that you trust will provide your pet with a healthy, wholesome meal.
Unfortunately, all pet food is not created equal and products are and have been recalled as specific ingredients within these recipes have proven to be harmful if not deadly to our four-legged companions. Here is a list of some of those recalls (2018) provided by Petful regarding dog products.
As you can see, this is quite a list! My point here is not to signal out these products as having bad intentions when it comes to the production of these recipes but rather to illustrate why we must be diligent as pet owners.
Although the regulations are becoming more and more stringent in the production of pet food, it is still not quite up to par with the guidelines and regulations placed on food for human consumption.
Look, there is never going to be a 100 % guarantee that the food we are feeding our pets is not contaminated or harmful in some way. We trust that the recipes being purchased will be safe for our pets, just like we trust that the Wendy’s hamburger is safe for us.
Conclusion
In conclusion, do some research before purchasing your next bag or can of pet food. Read the labels, ask questions and take the time to look over some customer reviews. We love our pets and we want them to live a long, healthy, and happy life. Feed them a nutritional diet. It’s a matter of trust.
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