Pet Food: What’s the best?
You undoubtedly know that it’s best to stick to a diet that emphasizes whole, natural foods like grass-fed meats, vegetables, fruits, and the like. Likewise, the current movement toward “humanized” pet diets is something for which we can all be grateful.
Meat by-products, moldy grains, synthetic vitamins, fillers, and chemical additives squeezed into bite-size bits (using harmful processing processes) and thrown into a can is not necessary for your pet to survive. Just like you, your pet requires food that is authentic, contemporary, and untainted.
About a century ago, the first “pet food” came in a can. Before that, canines and felines subsisted on self-provisioning, scavenging, or the generosity of humans who shared their leftovers.
A farm dog’s diet would consist primarily of rabbit litters, as well as berries, grass, seeds, nuts, poop, carrion (dead things), and various plants, supplemented by whatever she managed to hunt or scavenge (such as a fresh placenta, trimmed horse hooves, etc.).
Vermin on farms may be kept in check by barn cats long before the introduction of “cat food” to stores a century ago. Mice, moles, voles, and other tiny prey were no match for these cats, who took their tasks seriously and spent active lives, patrolling barns and clearing out storage houses.
They prepared their own meals every day, but they were grateful for the fresh cow’s milk and table scraps the farmer occasionally left out for them.
In an effort to save time, many of us now feed our pets pre-packaged, “scoop and dump” pellets. This “food on the go” notion originated for people with increasingly hectic schedules, but has now been applied to pets as well.
Having ready-to-feed pelleted food to provide dogs and cats would make life so much simpler; after all, it was annoying that the farm dog occasionally hunted his own food. Time, money, and effort were all required to prepare nutritious meals.
What a relief it would be if we didn’t have to feed our pets or go out and get food for them. The pet food market was thus established.
To the detriment of animal health, “pet food” was created as a time-saving measure for today’s busy adults (as well as an excellent spot to repurpose human food scraps). Fresh, natural foods are optimal for all animals.
So What’s the best?
Choosing to give commercially available raw food that has already been balanced is an excellent option if you don’t want to deal with balancing meals at home. Feeding your pet raw or lightly cooked frozen foods made from human-grade ingredients by reputable local businesses is now an option. In addition to fresh food, a freeze-dried or dehydrated diet is acceptable.
Premium canned food is the best option, followed by the more difficult-to-find human-grade canned food. Because of their biological inadequacy, dry foods, even those of higher quality and intended for human consumption, are not advised for dogs and cats.
My current recommendations for good and bad pet food are in the video down below. This is the video to watch if you have any doubts regarding what is and is not good for your pet. The goal is simple: feed your dog or cat items that are most similar to their natural, carnivorous diet.
Make little adjustments at first, such as giving your pet complete meals as treats. Fresh, cubed meats and berries are great options. You can also give your pet raw cheese and other fruits like melons and apples in little amounts (no more than an eighth of an inch square for a cat or small dog, and a quarter of an inch square for larger dogs).
Pieces of cantaloupe or zucchini are a popular treat for cats. Free-range quail or rabbit meat, or sardines packed in water, are also good options for your cat’s diet. Dogs can also enjoy raw almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts (but NEVER macadamia nuts), as well as fresh or frozen peas.
Improve your pet’s health and longevity by gradually transitioning him to a healthier diet, including healthier treats. The good news is that an increasing number of pet owners are taking this approach, and we can only hope that this trend encourages other pet-food companies to expand their product lines to include high-quality, human-grade, non-GMO real-food options.