Why is it so important to give your dog a good diet? Why is it so hard to find dog food that is right for your dog?
I asked that question of the veterinarian who treated our little girl Snowy. Her answer was enlightening and basically said “omega – omega 3 is the primary direction – and essential to dampening the inflammation that is core to many disease processes and central to the good life cycles of both humans and dogs.” Or as my mentor, Dr. Illinois Brown, put it, “What you don’t get is perfect, you get (stuff) and (stuff) and (stuff)…. You get nutrition, that’s what you get!”
So, what do you get and what do you do with it?
So, what about fish oil and what do they do for dogs?
I’ve found over the years that both fish and fish oil come from the same place and the processing of either into the pet food you are eating is the same.
The oil that comes from the oil glands of a whole fish is omega 3 so, as I understand it, the same thing that is made for humans to eat also goes into your dog’s food…just at a different end point.
The dog food manufacturers are masters of creating something ingestible that would taste good and would otherwise kill you and your dog. The problem is they don’t tell us this.
Because the (alleged) cure is so Wonderful and (alleged) beneficial to your dog’s inadequate diet the dog owners swallow this “c miracle” and believe me it does taste good. Now, as you know, there are kings and queens that feed themselves with macadamia nuts and I don’t care how many follicles they have on my body. Just something I have seen you feed your dog and you know what? It tastes good too.
So, you have to ask yourself this. Am I doing everything I can to make sure my dog is getting the best nutritional diet that is out there or am I just feeding him what amounts up to his Let’s Go Diet?
I saw an interview on TV with a Weston locksmith for homes and the man locked her keys and her dog in the house. The man was doing everything he could to get inside his house and his dog, how dirty his hands are with pet hair and how the bugs are living off him at the time.
To him, his job is really quite a honor – and he has a family who shower him with love and affection.
And, if he has a family, and they are nearby and all loving – how many times a year do they visit him to receive this “gift” of cleanliness?
You could of course also ask yourself, does he have access to a decent amount of running room and do his feet need some exercise? Because if he does have access to running room, he will want to exercise his feet and he will want to run and play and have fun.
But it is what he eats that provides the nutrients.
And what you need to consider when making a choice is not just the price of the food but what the ingredients are and whether they are whole proteins, whole grains, or preservatives and artificial chemicals?
You can of course always ask your vet and your dog’s groomer when making your choice. They will have some good advice for you.