The various dog food recalls have caused most dog lovers to look closely at what they have been feeding their much loved pets. Vets normally recommend that you give your dog a recognised brand of dog food, and all of their dietary needs will be met. Most dog food labels say they are formulated by veterinarians, and contain all the crucial nutrients for health and well being. We have all discovered this is not true.

The publicity surrounding the pet food recall has let us in on the dirty little secrets of the dog food industry. It is all made in the same place, and the difference in price is due to marketing. The ingredients are bought in foreign countries, and there are obviously no quality checks for the imported ingredients.

The federal regulations about labelling dog food are a different standard than for human food. Pet foods that are labelled as premium, gourmet, or super premium are not required to contain any higher quality ingredients, or have any higher nutritional standards that any other complete product.

Many high-priced dog foods available use the term natural recipe dog food. The catch here is that the word natural does not have an official definition. You might think that giving your dog a product labelled all natural recipe means that you are feeding your pet less artificial colourings, flavours and preservatives, but this is not the truth. Rather, you are paying for expensive marketing that misleads you, and could harm the health of your dog.

So that leaves dog lovers with a big question: What do we feed our dogs to keep them fit and well? Do we really have to start cooking for the dog, especially when we don’t have time to cook for the family? The good news is that there are great dog food products available that will keep your pet healthy. And the other good news is that dogs require the same basic nutrients as humans- so if you decide to follow all natural dog food recipes, you will be able to use the same ingredients you have in your kitchen, without buying expensive or exotic ingredients.