We have been hearing a lot in the news and on the web about dog food ingredients that are potentially harmful.

While I do realize that much of this is hype, I have looked into these claims to see if there is any grain of truth. You can never be too careful, right?

Take a look at the ingredients on your pet food package. Humans get food poisoning from dining out occasionally… and pets can get food poisoning from dining in. Food preservatives can contaminate a small puppy. Even in adult dogs many pet owners find that once they switch to a healthier brand of dog food many health problems disappear.

I know you wouldn’t want to hurt your pets either. How do you know where to draw the line between healthy choices and paranoia? I wonder the same thing myself. I think that increased health conscientiousness can’t hurt anyone, and hopefully we are concerned about our own health…and why not our dogs? We wouldn’t want their precious life spans to be shortened because we fed them harmful pet food without even knowing it!

Just as we must watch our weight it is also harmful for pets to carry excess weight. Its good to choose low fat pet food for such pets. This may sound like quite a specialty item but I promise you any grocery store carries it, and it even sits right next to the regular dog food! Its really not as much trouble as it seems, and its definitely worth it to keep our pets happy and healthy.

HealthWise carries varieties of foods for many pets that is low not only in fat but also in cholesterol. This food will give your pet plenty of energy and strength to be a great companion to you, and your pet won’t carry excess weight that increases risks of health problems. Remember, pets can get high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes just like any of us can.

Pets will benefit just as we do from whole grains. Hopefully your pet’s food already has plenty of fiber. Go ahead and check- and if not its time to switch brands! Your pet needs fiber for colon and digestive health just as we do. Fiber will even prevent heart disease in pets.

Gluten is an ingredient that you won’t want to see in your pet’s food. Preservatives aren’t good for pets either, so check for ingredients like benzoate and sulfite and avoid these brands.

You may want to take your pet the the veterinarian to be tested for food allergies as well, so that you will know which pet food ingredients are safe for your pet to eat. This will help you to keep your pet healthy, but you’ll also want to monitor your cat or dog’s eating habits to make sure they are not eating foods from other sources (i.e. garden plants, scraps from garbage).

If you don’t see the foods you want for your pet at your local health food or grocery store, you can visit www.naturapet.com to order unique and organic foods that your pet will love. You can also check out www.supermarketguru.com to find great information on the best food for your pet.