Shopping for pet food can be overwhelming with so many different kinds available. I used to rely on television commercials when choosing our pet food. Sad but true. While I read the ingredients carefully when buying food for the people in our family, I chose food for our dogs without even checking the label. Sure, I read the front the front of the bag. The pet food company included eye-catching illustrations and some great blurbs about how their food could provide your dog with “all he needs” to be healthy. It wasn’t until last year that I really questioned the pet food industry and took a critical look at what we were feeding our dogs each day.

We have a lab mix, Mandy, who had some serious behavior problems when she came to us. After she had been with us for more than a year, we were extremely frustrated with the hyperactive behavior she exhibited and the constant shedding. This sweet yellow lab was exhausting. We were about to enroll her in obedience school when someone in an online support group mentioned that she could be suffering from food allergies.

As the mom of a child with some food issues, I was surprised I hadn’t looked into it earlier. I started doing some research on pet food and realized that I was feeding my dogs the equivalent of fast food on a daily basis. The turning point for me was when I read See Spot Live Longer by Steve Brown and Beth Taylor. The book was extremely powerful. I wept for dogs I had lost over the years, wishing I had known then what I know now. The book moved me and I vowed to provide our dogs with a fresher, more natural diet.

While I felt that “The Barf Diet“ was the absolute best choice for our dogs, providing raw food for all meals wasn’t doable for us. Therefore, I chose the middle ground. We bought our dogs a natural dry dog food and supplemented their diet with raw meat and eggs. To my surprise, my dog’s behavior and shedding problems improved within a few weeks of starting her on the natural food. It was amazing! Our older dog, a Dachshund mix, had been fighting a weight problem for years, and our vet had recommended more exercise and a special food for overweight dogs. Nothing worked until we made the switch to natural kibble. Now he’s slim and looks like he did when he was a year old. This at age 9! After reading See Spot Live Longer, I believe it was one or more of the ingredients (probably corn) in the original dog food that caused his weight problem.

We’ve had great luck with Nutro brand dog food so far. I can find it at my local Petsmart and Pet Supermarket. Of course, there are more natural foods available now than ever before. You can even buy raw meat for your dog in prepackaged meals! I recommend making the switch to a natural kibble because conventional dog foods are made with fillers, additives, artificial dyes, meat by-products and other harmful ingredients. Feeding your dog conventional dog food day after day is like feeding your family TV dinners every night. (See Brown’s book for detailed information.) The authors of See Spot Live Longer argue that the food so many well-meaning pet owners feed their four-legged friends is causing the multiple health problems older dogs experience today. Much like how the Standard American Diet is having a negative impact on the health of Americans, conventional dog food is playing a large role in the downward spiral of canine health.

You may find that improving your dog’s diet doesn't cost that much more than what you‘re already spending. Some popular conventional brands are a bit pricey, with many of the natural foods being comparable to those in terms of cost. And remember that spending a bit more on dog food now will save you money on vet bills in the long run. It will all even out and you’ll end up with a healthier dog who will live a longer and happier life.