Because our dogs aren't doing the grocery shopping, thy have to leave it to us to choose the best food for them. That can you just bought may seem like a good deal, but ask yourself: is it good for your dog? If it's junk consider this: would you feed your children junk food, and nothing else, for every day of their lives?" This is why more and more people are turning to natural dog foods.

Recent studies have shown that many of the diseases that beset us - heart problems, diabetes, excessive weight - are directly linked to diets with low nutritive value. This goes the same for dog food: much of what is on the market is heavily processed stuff - designed less for Fido's health than for longer shelf-life and low production costs, with cheap ingredients.

An example that can be found in many ingredient bales is "meat byproducts." These are "clean parts other than meat" that are rendered from "slaughtered animals," the parts being, specifically "lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, stomachs and intestines," according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

Now as if that weren't bad enough, there is currently no strict control over where these by products come from. The AAFCO doesn't specify exactly what animals are used in he extraction process, and there are many horror stories about these sources, most of them documented: roadkill, 4D farm animals (Dead, Diseased, Dying, Disabled), and even euthanized dogs and cats from pounds!

That last ingredient isn't so common these days, thankfully, but there are still places that process them. If you'd really like to avoid that, just avoid meat byproducts altogether by switching to a brand of natural dog food. There are brands out there, such as Flint River dog food and Lifes Abundance dog food, that use only the finest sources for their whole meats: chicken and range-fed lamb, and menhaden pulled from the waters of the North Atlantic.

Natural dog food is healthier, because it contains the ingredients that your dog actually needs for better nutrition. And it's also a good deal: while the price may higher, your dogs needs less of it, so you don't need to feed your dog as much. As an added bonus, this means that you'll have to clean up after them less!

Feed your dog natural dog food so you can avoid feeding him unhealthy ingredients like gluten, which in excess amounts can lead to obesity and health problems. Meat byproducts are also another thing you may wan to avoid, because you don't know what animals were used in the production process.Brands like Lifes Abundance dog food and Flint river dog food insist on using only fresh, "human-grade" meats like lamb, chicken and fish.

- Melinda Smith

Since we choose for our dogs what they get to eat, we should know what exactly is in that can of dog food we bought from the grocery. Since we all believe that the key to a good life is a healthy diet, then that should also go for your dog. And natural dog foods may be the way to ensure their well-being.

Many experts blame the abundance of cheap processed foods for many of the ailments of modern people: heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are directly caused by the overconsumption of low nutrition carbs, sugars, and fats. It's also the same case with dog food: there are a lot of ingredients that serve as filler or preservative that may in fact be harmful for your dog's health.

An example that can be found in many ingredient bales is "meat byproducts." These are "clean parts other than meat" that are rendered from "slaughtered animals," the parts being, specifically "lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, stomachs and intestines," according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

Even worse, there isn't much regulation going on as to what the source of these "parts" is - stories abound, and a lot of them are backed up by evidence, of the dead animals that go into the rendering plants: animals killed on the highways, 4D (Dead, Diseased, Dying, Disabled) animals, and even dogs and cats that were put down in pounds!

Thankfully, public outcry has significantly lowered the processing plants that accept that last ingredient. But if you really want to be sure, get rid of all your dog food that has meat byproduct as an ingredient, and instead, opt for natural dog food. There are varieties, like Lifes Abundance dog food and Flint River dog food, that use only natural ingredients: meat from free-range chicken, or lamb, or fish caught off the North Atlantic coast like menhaden.

Natural dog food is healthier, because it contains the ingredients that your dog actually needs for better nutrition. And it's also a good deal: while the price may higher, your dogs needs less of it, so you don't need to feed your dog as much. As an added bonus, this means that you'll have to clean up after them less!

Feed your dog natural dog food so you can avoid feeding him unhealthy ingredients like gluten, which in excess amounts can lead to obesity and health problems. Meat byproducts are also another thing you may wan to avoid, because you don't know what animals were used in the production process.Brands like Lifes Abundance dog food and Flint river dog food insist on using only fresh, "human-grade" meats like lamb, chicken and fish.

- Melinda Smith