Pet Food - What’s Wrong with a Commercial Diet?
As a pet owner, the most important aspect of your life is keeping your furry, feathery, or scaly friend healthy. One of the easiest ways to do this is with proper nutrition, but unfortunately, many commercial pet foods on the market today are not providing the nutrition your pet deserves. In this article, we'll explore what's wrong with a commercial diet and what steps you can take to ensure your pet is eating a healthy diet.
Lack of Nutritional Diversity
One of the significant problems with commercial pet foods is the lack of nutritional diversity. Most commercial pet foods use a variety of fillers, synthetic vitamins, and minerals that do not provide sufficient nutrition for your pet. These diets are also often lacking in essential fatty acids, which can lead to skin problems, inflammation, and other health issues.
Most commercial pet foods contain ingredients such as corn, wheat, and soy, which are cheap fillers that do not provide any nutritional value to your pet. These fillers can also cause digestive problems, food intolerances, and allergies in your pet.
Lack of Fresh Ingredients
Another issue with commercial pet food is the lack of fresh ingredients. Most commercial pet foods are heavily processed and contain a significant amount of preservatives, which can be harmful to your pet's health. Preservatives are added to extend the shelf life of the food and prevent spoilage, but they also detract from the nutritional value of the food.
When you give your pet fresh ingredients, you are providing them with a diet that is nutrient-dense and will help them maintain a healthy weight. Fresh ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and fruits are high in essential vitamins and minerals. They help to support the immune system, prevent disease, and promote overall health.
Low-Quality Ingredients
Many commercial pet foods contain low-quality ingredients such as meat by-products, animal digest, and even roadkill. While these ingredients might sound gross, they are often included in pet food because they are cheap and readily available.
Meat by-products, for example, are the non-muscle parts of the animal, such as organs, beaks, and feet. These parts are often considered to be of lower quality than muscle meat and contain less protein. Animal digest is a mixture of undiscriminating meat sources that have been broken down, and any processing may strip away vital nutrients or amino acids.
Increased Risk of Digestive Issues
Another significant issue with commercial pet food is that it can cause digestive issues in pets. Since commercial pet foods often contain fillers such as corn and soy, many pets are not able to digest these ingredients properly. In addition, some pets may develop food intolerances or allergies to certain ingredients in the food.
When a pet has digestive issues, they may experience vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, and other gastrointestinal problems. Over time, these issues can lead to more severe health problems, such as pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and obesity.
Lack of Control Over Quality
When you purchase commercial pet food, you have no control over the quality of the ingredients used. Many pet food manufacturers do not use high-quality ingredients, and if a batch of food is contaminated, it can harm your pet's health. In addition, the processing of pet food can strip many essential nutrients and even break down beneficial amino acids. It's important to research pet food brands to make sure you know what you're getting.
What Can You Do To Ensure Your Pet's Nutrition?
If you're concerned about the quality of commercial pet food, there are steps you can take to ensure that your pet is eating a healthy diet. Consider purchasing a higher quality, a species-appropriate diet for your pet, such as raw or home-cooked food. These diets are typically free from fillers, synthetic ingredients, and low-quality animal by-products.
If you don't want to cook your pet's food from scratch, you can also look for premium brands that use high-quality ingredients and do not use fillers or animal by-products. It's essential to read the ingredient labels on pet food to ensure that you know what you're getting.
Conclusion
The nutrition your pet receives is essential for their overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, many commercial pet foods on the market today do not provide sufficient nutrition for your pet. These foods often contain fillers, low-quality ingredients, and synthetic vitamins and minerals that can harm your pet's health. To ensure that your pet is eating a healthy diet, consider feeding them a higher quality, species-appropriate diet, or looking for premium brands that use high-quality ingredients. Taking care of your pet's health is one of the most important things you can do as a pet parent, so choose wisely!