KZN#17.indd

Top 5 Dog Food
Myths Debunked!
The biggest dog food myth of all
time was the belief that dogs
should only be fed cooked,
processed, and preserved dog
food day after day. The truth is,
people made this myth up years and years
ago when dog food was fi rst created so
that money could be earned from the
by-products and other ingredients that
were not fi t for human consumption.
Don’t get me wrong, dog
food is okay for your companion
and great for convenience
sake, in the fact that it takes no
effort whatsoever to feed. However,
I feel that it’s extremely
far from being appropriate
for any breathing, living animal
especially my best friend.
I believe wholeheartedly that
dogs will thrive better if they’re
fed real, fresh, home-prepared
dog food.
This myth was actually only
revealed a short time ago when
all the dog food recalls started
happening. That’s when pet
owners started becoming more
interested in what they were
actually feeding their furry
friends and started looking into
homemade pet foods they could
feed their companions.
Unfortunately, the attention
from the media about the
recalls, has now created different
types of dog food myths.
Not only are people talking
about the recalls, their adding
false warnings about feeding
your pets homemade pet food.
Which is why I’ve decided
today to write my list of the
Top 5 Good And Bad Foods For
Your Dog To Eat.
Garlic Is Toxic To Dogs: It is
true that garlic is toxic to dogs
(some dogs just can’t handle it
especially the Japanese breeds).
However, if garlic’s fed in reasonable
amounts, it’s unlikely
it will cause any serious problems.
Personally, I feed my dog
half a teaspoon of minced garlic
once a week. I believe it’s a
great addition to his diet. Not
only is it an antioxidant and
detoxifying agent for him, it’s
also an excellent natural flea
repellent.
Dogs Should Not Be Fed
Table Scraps: I have to laugh
every time I hear this one
because when I say table scraps
I am referring to healthy left
overs and not talking about the
bad ones - potato chips, jelly
doughnuts, hash browns, or oatmeal.
The fact is, yes, some
dogs will experience runny
stool/s after eating healthy table
scraps. However, it usually happens
to dogs that are limited to
only eating bland, processed,
kibble their entire lives and
their digestive isn’t use to eating
a variety of nutrient-rich foods
such as table scraps.
All Meat Fed To Dogs
Should Be Cooked: This is
another statement I find funny
and usually just laugh at. It
seems like the more feeding raw
becomes popular and more people
who are starting to feed a
nutritional raw diet, the more
it seems like dog food companies
try to convince the public
it’s not good. I am certain we’ll
hear more about this one as time
goes on until they make their
own raw dog food. Personally, I
feel that feeding dogs raw meat
is the best thing for them. However,
remember that pets are
like people and your pet may
prefer to have his or her meat
cooked instead of raw.
Dogs Should Not Eat Grains:
It is definitely true that grains
have gotten a pretty bad reputation
over the last few years and
many of the dog food recalls
were because of tainted wheat
gluten. It doesn’t mean your
cherished companion should
not eat grains. Remember, not
all grains are the same. All-natural,
human quality grains are
actually healthy for your furry
friend because they’re full of
natural nutrients that support
digestion, heart health, and
more.
Dogs Should Live On An
All-Meat Diet: It is true that
animals in the wild does eat
more meat than domesticated
pets, there are a few things that
you should keep in mind. First
of all, domesticated pets are
not exposed to the same level
of environmental elements that
wild animals are. Domesticated
pets spend more time lounging
around in our beds, or on our
couches, and stay more at rest,
which results in less of a need
for meat. Second, in the wild an
animal will first eat the contents
of their prey’s stomach, which
consists mainly of plant-life
and grains. Third, wild animals
actually eat grains and greens in
between feeding on raw meat.
Kzn Lifestyle Magazine • Issue 17
17