Which Food Is Best For Your Pet?

Pet owners are required to take proper care of their fluffy little friends, which means grooming them, providing shelter, playing with them, and perhaps most importantly giving them a healthy diet.

There are many options at the pet store when it comes to selecting food, and simultaneously many factors to consider.

Mainstream pet food labels are usually the first choice for most people because they're cheap and available anywhere. However, they contain many potentially dangerous ingredients. Before you select food for your kitty or puppy, consider the following: 

Know the food descriptions - As a pet owner it's important to be familiar with the terms used to describe the kinds of cat and dog food, which are: dinner, formula, feast, flavor, and mix. They are not all interchangeable or even the same. For the foods described as formula/dinner/mix, they usually have the least amount of meat and are a combination of various ground up by-products, vegetables, and flavorings. 

Read the ingredients - The first ingredient on the list is always the main ingredient, as manufacturers are required to list contents according to weight.

Buy the most meat portions - Animals are naturally inclined to eat meat so select food that lists meat as the sole or predominant ingredient such as chicken, beef, or fish.

Avoid by-products - Steer clear of by-product content which can be identified by 'meal'. This is left over animal parts in the slaughter houses like bones and tendons that have no nutritional value. They are highly processed and the equivalent of fast food for your pet.

Consult your vet - Your cat or dog may have dietary needs that you are unaware of. A visit to the vet will clarify what you should be feeding your pet.

Courtney Gilmour
		About the author:
		Courtney is a published writer, stand-up comic, and shameless Internet enthusiast. She holds a double bachelors degree in English Literature and Communication Media Studies, specializing in semiotic theory, however she doesn't get Shakespeare and has never won a game of Scrabble. Currently she lives in Toronto and works as a writer for WOMAN.CA.
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