The pet and dog food industry tells us that vets say our dogs are now living healthier, longer lives thanks to feeding commercial dog foods. This news comes in response to testimony from recent hearings held in the United States Senate regarding the recall of more than 100 brands of pet and dog food that have caused kidney failure and death in dogs.
Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM, a renowned veterinarian, disagrees with the pet food industry’s health and longevity claims. Dr. Hodgkins says that, in fact, veterinarians disagree on this issue. The reason she informs us is that such a claim cannot be proven.
Our dogs are living longer, healthier lives, but not for the reason dog food manufacturers and the pet food industry should believe. An important factor, according to the good Dr., is that living indoors provides our dogs and pets with a better and safer quality of life than the dogs of the 20th century experienced.
Dr. lists some reasons in support of this. He explained that indoor dogs and pets are less likely to be hit by a car, attacked by other animals or people, are safer from many diseases and receive regular veterinary care more often.
The claim that commercial dog food would be a factor in our dogs living longer, healthier lives as a result of using these products is baseless. Let’s extrapolate a little from the analysis of this esteemed veterinarian. The pet and dog food industry is feeding us nonsense, what they make us feed our dogs is another problem.
Like our dogs, we are living longer than ever, but our diets are worse than ever. Cheeseburgers, ice cream, candy, high-fat processed foods, and snack foods have all contributed to health problems for people everywhere. However, we live longer. Why? Because we have better health care, a lower infant mortality rate, and other factors that are unrelated to our diets.
So dogs and dog owners live longer despite their diet. The question for dog owners is whether their dog’s life could be shortened by the consumption of commercial processed dog food. These products can be full of industrial waste, toxins, and carcinogens.
Many dog owners unknowingly feed dog foods that include euthanized dogs and cats, grains and cereal fillers, preservatives, by-products, additives, dead, dying and diseased animal parts, undeveloped eggs, blood, feathers, hooves, skin and bone fragments. .
Despite this “diet” our dogs live to be twenty years old.
One wonders how long that little dog sitting at your feet or on your lap would live if he ate a truly healthy and nutritious diet that supported and enhanced his immune system and longevity.
Dog food sold in supermarkets and big box stores is often packed with the nasty ingredients listed above. Make sure your dog isn’t being fed a diet that is little more than junk food and potentially a health disaster in waiting.
High-quality dog food is found in smaller independent stores. Make sure meat is the first and main ingredient. Many people are also turning to homemade, raw dog diets to escape the clutches of the dog food industry altogether. Your dog will thank you if you do too.