Kevin & Heather Green pictured with Bella, Remington, and Jaidyn
"Our dogs are spoiled-rotten children with fur; however, the best thing about them is the way they make us laugh. Even though we would love for them to do some chores around the house, the only duties they are charged with are lying in the sun, alerting us to visitors, eating (of course), and keeping our spirits high. Our lives would be quite empty without them."
By Jamie Downey Photo by Shannon Worgan
As a parent, you are continually bombarded with advertisements on television appealing to you to buy unhealthy food loaded with chemicals, additives, preservatives, sodium, sugar, fat, and calories. Many of these catchy commercials advertise fast-food restaurants and are targeted towards children, which - as many consumers rightly suspect"”contributes to childhood obesity. Being overweight as a child can lead to a myriad of health problems including diabetes, bronchial asthma, sleep apnea, and chronic pain. As a parent it is your responsibility to not only buy wholesome, nutritious food for your child, but to make eating healthy part of your lifestyle. Children learn by example, and it's much easier for a child to develop good eating habits if taught at a young age.
The same parental obligation applies for your dog too. Since dogs can't read labels, they depend on you to choose fresh, all-natural, or organic cuisine which will keep them healthy, fit, and strong. Pet food advertisements and TV commercials, like the ones targeted at kids, can also be misleading and exaggerated, so it's up to you, as your dog's guardian, to provide and care for Fido's dietary and nutritional needs.
The problem with many of the commercial dog foods on the market is that they contain the same bad chemicals, preservatives, and fat in human food that can lead to all types of cancers in dogs. As the dog parent, you need to educate yourself about the good ingredients in dog food and avoid the bad stuff some manufacturers use as fillers. With a proper combination of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, fats, essential amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, you can design the best diet for your dog's health, to ensure he lives the longest, happiest life possible.
