Responsible Dog Food
So we’re getting a new puppy, and I’ve been boning up on caring for our new family member, including getting him the proper medical care, plus leashes, beds, combs and other various products. Now I’m feeling into feeding him. It’s taking a while, because I don’t want to buy just any readily available dog food. After having watched Food, Inc. several months ago, I’ve made an effort to change my eating habits. I don’t want to add to the agricultural, medical, economic and cultural problems of our nation caused by the large corporate food companies. So we’ve been trying to buy at the Farmer’s Market as much as possible, plus buy organic and other more environmentally friendly items. It’s hard getting started, but we’re feeling more confident as time goes on.
But now we’re going to have to determine how to factor a dog into our new eco-minded ways. I’ve never owned a dog before, so I am starting from scratch regardless of the environmental considerations. Although I guess that could either be a benefit or a curse–a benefit since I have no habits to break, a curse because I have no idea of where to begin. My first thought was to look at some all natural dog food that I saw advertised. But as I researched, I discovered that “all natural” can mean different things according to who uses the phrase. It’s not actually regulated, and therefore can’t be trusted as a label. So now I’m looking for the most part at organic dog food.
There are a fair number of brands available, which surprised me in a very good way. I’m very pleased to find that dog owners think about their pets when thinking about eating healthful foods and being mindful of the environment. I wonder if pet lovers are more likely to also be environmentally conscious? In any case, now I plan to narrow down the choices by examining the individual manufacturers. I don’t want to start using something that’s certified organic, only to find that they mistreat test animals or commit other major offenses. My friend also mentioned today that lots of people are switching to grain free dog food, since dogs in their natural state don’t really eat grains.
Much food for thought when it comes to choosing pet food these days. Though it’s taking a while to get all this research done, in the end I’ll feel better knowing my love for my dog is not hurting the environment or his health.
