What is safe to feed your dog

How can we know which one is best for our dog? Reading and understanding the labels is the best way to choose what suits you and your dog. Here are some tips. Ingredients are listed by weight before processing so the first three to five form the bulk of the food. Meat or meal should cite the animal from which it came, as generic meat meal could be anything and may come from the 4D category at slaughter houses (ie that which arrived diseased, disabled, dying or dead). Animal by-products indicate parts that are not considered fit for human consumption and digest indicates a mix of these parts which has been rendered or digested into a meal. Some grain is present in all kibble, semi-moist and many canned foods, not only because many nutritionists feel that a balanced ration for dogs should contain about 50% carbohydrates but also because if the mix is not 40 to 50% starch it will not flow through the extrusion machines that form the stars, squares, chunks etc. Corn and soy are the most commonly used and form the basis of most of the inexpensive chows. Most dogs are fine with this but both can cause allergies and in some foods the grain is present as by products. Much of the nutrition has been lost and often sweetener was added. Brewers rice from the beer industry and Corn gluten from the manufacture of corn starch and syrup are prime examples. All commercial dry or semi moist foods contain preservatives to retain freshness. BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin are efficient and widely used but many natural proponents question their safety. Ethoxiquin, an efficient anti-oxidant, is now banned in Europe. It has been studied by the FDA but no conclusions were drawn. Vitamins C and D, as "Mixed Tocopherols", are now being used in many quality foods instead.