Organic Pet Food

One of the latest health food crazes is organic food. It used to be only a handful of farmers produced organic products. Even when organics became widespread, only a few different food products were available. Now there’s an organic alternative to almost every product on the market, snack foods, shampoo, and now even pet food. You’re probably thinking “organic pet food, that’s crazy”, but consider this: when national dog shows are sponsored by a dog food company, the winner gets free dog food. Most winners then donate that food to local shelters instead of giving it to their dogs. Why? Because they know traditional dog foods are bad for dogs.

Most pet foods contain the same chemicals as the food we eat: pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, and other dangerous chemicals. In addition, many pet food producers add small amounts of chemicals that are known to be toxic to pets. Most house pets have only recently been domesticated. That means that until recently, dogs and cats ate raw, chemical free meat and fish. Their bodies aren’t adapted to deal with all the chemicals we feed them. Feeding your pet all natural organic foods will help their bodies function more efficiently and keep them from building up toxic chemicals in their systems. This will help your pet have more energy, stay healthy, and live longer.

Unlike food for human consumption, organic pet food is not strictly regulated. This means that if a dog food contains organic vegetables, the producer can then use non organic beef and chicken, add preservatives and other toxic chemicals, and still label their dog food as “organic”. While some certifiers have seals for organic pet foods, that doesn’t mean the food is 100% organic. For example, if there is a USDA seal on a pet food package, that means that 70% (or more) of the ingredients in the food are organically produced.

While there is not certification that can prove a pet food product is entirely organic, there are steps you can take to find the safest food for your pet. First, look for foods that claim to be organic and all natural. Another step you can do is to talk to other dog owners. You can find experts at a local kennel club, or go online to find out what other pet lovers say. Just be sure to verify where you’re getting online info from. It’s very easy for companies to pay someone to say that their food is better than it is. The best way to verify the quality of a pet food is to look at the ingredients list. Words that are not pronounceable are probably not organic or natural. Also be wary of vague terms like “natural flavors”.

While it might take a little time and effort to find a quality organic food for your pet, they’re likely to thank you for it for a long, long time.