Your pet is important to you and you hope your pet will be a member of your family for a long time. But, are you sure that you are meeting your pet’s unique needs? Selecting the right diet is up to you.

You are probably cautious about what you eat and how you live your life. You make changes that will improve your well-being. Proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are just as important for your dog or cat.

Your pet deserves a healthy diet that is going to help, rather than harm. But, how can you be sure your pet’s diet contains the proper nutrients? Unfortunately, many of the products that are readily available are not the right ones for your pet.

Poor nutrition is a direct cause of many major and minor diseases. Therefore, a commitment to optimum health and longevity for your pet must include a high-quality diet.

In their natural state, animals obtained all of the nutrients needed to exist from hunting and scavenging. Everything they ate was complete and the animals’ lives were as nature intended. Now that we have domesticated animals, it has changed both how they eat and how they live. Domestic pets eat what we feed them — in most cases dry or canned food. Unfortunately, these foods, don’t always contain what we think.

Many people are fooled by marketing that entices owners through fancy packaging and clever advertising. Other owners can be persuaded to buy a particular food because it is less expensive or because it is advertised as a “premium” brand and it costs more than other foods. Often people make their selection because TV commercials swayed them. Unfortunately, many of these foods are manufactured and fed at the expense of our pet’s health. Most foods contain a high percentage of artificial flavorings, preservatives, and sugars, where the protein is of low quality and difficult to digest.

The Pet Food Institute states that, “Forty percent of many pet foods consist of meat by-products and offal (wastes). The other sixty percent is grain and soy meal not used for human consumption because of foreign odors, debris, germs, etc.” Many foods contain unnatural preservatives, coloring, sugar, and salt. When you see “poultry by-products” listed on your cat or dog food bag, this does not mean your pet is getting meat. It may mean it is getting feet, feathers, heads, and eyes.

To sum up what is wrong with pet foods today is to look at the whole picture. The majority of foods are produced to appeal to the public for sales purposes and not for our pet’s optimum health. Quality control of ingredients is not always maintained, and added nutrients are not always digestible. Generally, the higher quality the ingredients, the more usable they are by the pet’s body, requiring less food and producing fewer stools.

Fortunately, there are natural pet food manufacturers that use high-quality meats, grains, vegetables, fruits, and natural preservatives. Natural foods contain wholesome ingredients your pet’s body organs and structures are best equipped to utilize. You probably know that everything you take into your body affects your cells in one way or another. When your pet takes in the right foods, these foods will set up healthy biochemical reactions; when your pet takes in the wrong foods, they will set up destructive biochemical reactions in the body. It is that simple. Therefore, healthy foods — meaning fresh meat, vegetables, grains, and fruits — set up a healthy immune system that fights off bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

Research has shown that a low-quality diet — meaning a diet loaded with chemicals, fillers, stabilizers, coloring agents, and by-products — can lead to allergies, nervousness, hypertension, diabetes, weight problems, dry skin, and many other common ailments.

Dogs and cats sometimes strip wallpaper off the walls in a desperate attempt to get some of the minerals and trace elements that are lacking in today’s pet foods. If your dog eats his own feces, he may not be a “bad dog”; he may simply be trying to obtain some nutrients missing from his so-called “nutritionally complete” commercial dog food. You will save money purchasing these low-quality foods, but years down the road you will make up for it with a sick pet and costly veterinarian bills.

So why a natural diet? Feed your pet a natural diet, and you will immediately see results — a shiny coat, glossy eyes, little body and mouth odor, less fleas, less shedding, and lastly, fewer visits to the veterinarian.

Purely Pets recommends a homemade diet, however, we realize that this does not fit into everyone’s lifestyle. Therefore, if a homemade diet is not possible, it is important to choose high-quality dry food.

Because of what goes into pet foods today and what does not, it is important to know how to read labels, and know the history of the company manufacturing the pet food. We have done extensive research on many of the pet food companies and their products. The “top of the line” companies are the best. For a list of the Best & Worst Dog and Cats foods, please email corinne@purelypets.com.

Purely Pets recommends and provides the best — and healthiest — products for your pet’s specific needs. Because pet care product companies grow and change, we continually evaluate the products to make certain that our information remains accurate.

We can help you find the right diet for your unique pet, and answer questions on other pet-related problems. If you have further questions regarding a natural diet, we urge you to contact us at Purely Pets today!

A high-quality diet is the most crucial ingredient to your pet’s health.

IMPORTANT!  The recommendations in this article are general suggestions for treating your pet naturally.  It is important to look at each pet individually and determine what works best for YOUR pet. 

I would highly consider a phone consultation.  A consultation will include a personalized diet and holistic program suggestions, all custom-tailored to your pet’s personal needs. This is particularly imperative in pets with complicated health issues, or if you’ve done outside reading and have conflicting information. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Purely Pets today!