When thinking about your life, your own diet, your busy schedule, and the abundance of commercial pet foods, you may sometimes ask, “Why does your dog’s food matter?”
I could try to answer this question writing a long, drawn out speech…. but instead, I will share a brief summary and some bullet points.
Our food choices are deeply rooted in culture, personal preferences, lifelong habits and perceptions about food.
Changing what we eat is often difficult, and extending that to dogs can be equally challenging.
However:
- Diet is a fundamental aspect of how our bodies perform, and how our dogs’ bodies perform
- Offering our dogs a high quality diet is a central way to care for them
Feeding whole foods is ancient and natural — kibble is modern and often artificial.
- For centuries, dogs have co-evolved with humans as friends, protectors, co-workers and companions
- The proverbial “man’s best friend” has an ancient history of working, lounging, and dining, alongside humans
- They only began eating commercial pet foods around the beginning of the 20th century
- Before the pet food industry developed, canines ate meats, organs, bones, plant matter and more
- These long-time human companions ate items local humans consumed, including different varieties of meats, vegetables and more
Kibble can carry risks and questionable ingredients.
- Nutrients are often stripped off, and sprayed back on in artificial versions
- Artificial colors and flavors are added to increase flavor
- Ingredients not permitted in the human food supply can be added to pet foods
- Pet foods can contain chemicals, by-products and drugs – see my article, “History of Trouble – Commercial Dog Food Risks“
Feeding better quality food can help reduce emotional and financial turmoil of a sick pet.
Feeding better quality food can help your dog thrive, not just survive.
- As with humans, dogs may either thrive or languish as a result of the food they eat
- There is a difference between subsisting on a baseline diet and thriving on foods that maximize health
- Even arriving at a goal somewhere in between – eating relatively healthy foods most of the time – is a good start
So why does your dog’s food matter? For all of these reasons and more.
When you are ready to shift to a truly nourishing diet for your dog, visit my Services page to choose an option that works best for you.
Thank you!
Sarah
PS – Do you have a golden retriever? Visit my other website, GoldenRetrieverDiet.com