Copyright (c) 2010 Nick Travis

For people who consider their dos as family members, the temptation to feed their pet from the table is hard to resist. Animals will eat just about anything offered them but veterinarians will universally decry table scraps as proper pet food. Most canine health experts recommend a high quality dry dog food. When fed in appropriate amounts dry food has advantages over the other options.

The content of canned pet food is very similar to dry food. Moisture content is the main difference. Nutritionally, canned food has no advantage over dry. Dry food is less susceptible to spoilage if left in a food dish and has some teeth-cleaning properties and satisfaction of chewing behavior. Pet food is available in a wide range of quality and price. Quality is based on the protein source and the filler content. Low cost options can include questionable fillers and undesirable protein sources.

Canines are primarily carnivores. In the wild, original canine species feed on fresh-killed meat or carrion. Modern domestic canines still need the high-protein content of meat. This protein content in dry food is provided by processed animal protein from many sources. The volume of the food is increased with fillers that generally offer little nutritional value but help the animal feel sated. Filler content can include such things as peanut hulls, straw, feathers or corncobs. Higher quality foods contain only rice or wheat-based fillers. The fillers in dog food are responsible for many allergic reactions.

Except for vegetarian recipes, the protein in pet food comes from one or more of several animal sources. Meat by-product is a general term describing the left-overs from production of meat for human consumption. Beef, chicken or fish operations produce a lot of leftovers. There are some slaughterhouses that provide meat specifically for pet food but these are generally small custom brands.

Animal protein from all sources is processed (or rendered) into a form that is easily blended with the fillers to become pet food. The processed protein is not recognizable as meat or meat-based. To make food more palatable to pets various flavors are added to the mix or sprayed onto the product in later stages of production. The products on the low-cost end achieve low cost by exercising minimal control over the protein sources, fillers and additives in their product. High-end products are generally smaller operations with animal well-being having a priority over cost.

Concerned pet owners who do some research into the subject of pet food can become concerned over what they are feeding their pets. Some concern is valid but several government agencies exist to police the content and production of pet foods. These agencies also enforce standards for labeling. Mid-priced and high-end pet foods are generally healthy for animals. It is the low-end of the price spectrum that has questionable quality. Concerned pet owners should research the terms used to describe the ingredients on the labels and use this information to select the food they provide for their pets.

Pets are generally healthier and happier with a stable diet. Frequent changes in dry dog food brands can cause digestive issues. If a dog is healthy and happy eating a particular food, there is no reason to change. The same thing applies to the treats given to animals.