Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: What Goes Into Pet Food

Does it really matter what goes into pet food, do
you as the owner look at the ingredients ? There
are so many variations on the market, from
standard dry food, wet food to a little more
exotic, organic herbal pet foods. But one thing
is for certain, what you feed your pet is crucial
to their health and wellbeing. Articles like this
can steer you in the right direction but a vet
can advise you on the correct dietary
requirements for you pet

No matter what type of food you choose, whether
it may be organic or standard, it is better that
you know and understand the product ingredients
to make an informed choice. As an owner you
should be aware of the different types of
ingredients listed and the definition of what
they actually mean.

The distinctions between certain ingredients can
make a huge difference in the amount of nutrition
pets are getting from their food. Here is an
alphabetical listing of some of the most common
ingredients in pet food.

1. Animal Fat. Animal fat is usually listed
somewhere in the package ingredients. Animal fat
lacks consistency, and its source is usually not
identified. This ingredient generally indicates
the cheapest pet food ingredients available.

2. Lamb Versus Lamb Meal. Many pet foods contain
lamb or lamb meal as ingredients. Lamb is
measured with its full weight content, which is
about 80 percent water. Lamb meal is dehydrated
before weighing, so much more lamb--up to seven
times more--is used in the product.

3. Meat And Bone. Often listed as an ingredient
on the packaging for pet food is Meat and Bone.
Companies often do this to hide the fact that the
ingredient is mostly bone, with very little meat.
If the package says something like, "meat is not
identified and could change at any time," this
usually indicates cheap meat with a lot of bone.

4. Poultry Meal Versus Poultry By-Products Meal.
Poultry meal offers more product, up to five
times more, than poultry alone. Poultry meal is
preferred to poultry by-products meal.
By-products are leftovers that are not fit for
human consumption. These include beaks, heads,
necks, feet, bones, innards, and feathers--not
much in the way of nutrition for pets, either.

5. Poultry Tallow. Poultry tallow is animal fat
that is more palatable and digestible than other
fats. Poultry tallow is more expensive to use in
pet food, but it provides animals with a better
quality food and better taste.

6. Soybeans. Soybeans are a good source of
protein for humans, but pets cannot easily digest
it. Soybeans are also a very common source of gas.

So we have listed most of the typical
ingredients found in pet food today, but this
does not include fillers or bulking agents, found
typically in lower cost food. These fillers
include grains, such as corn and wheat. Generally
speaking, lower-priced pet foods contain
lower-priced ingredients. They are not good for
the pocketbook, either, since pets require larger
quantities of these foods.

Some food companies that list their food as
natural also add supplements like vitamin C and E
to their pet foods. Food with supplements give
animals additional nutrition. However, most pet
foods contain chemical preservatives, like BHA,
BHT, and ethoxyquin. Unlike a human diet, your
pet will most likely have the same food on a
regular basis. Large quantities of chemical
ingredients can have cumulative, negative effect
on their diet.

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Raw feeding is the practice of feeding domestic
dogs and cats a diet primarily of uncooked meat
and bones. Supporters of raw feeding believe that
the natural diet of an animal in the wild is its
most ideal diet and try to mimic a similar diet
for their domestic companion. They are commonly
opposed to commercial pet foods<br
/>http://www.dodsonandhorrellpetfoods.co.uk<br
/>&nbsp;

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