The ingredients you find listed on a can of pet food may appear quite harmless, and even quite wholesome. But this could not be farther from the truth for a good percentage of canned food on the shelves today. In fact, the risk of your dog dying prematurely is a real possibility if you don't learn more about the best food for dogs.

If you really want to know the truth about commercial dog food, continue reading to find out all the dirty little secrets that we don't often hear about. If you become informed and act now, you will be rewarded with a very healthy and happy dog that could live up to 8.3 years longer than what you would otherwise expect.

The majority of store-bought dog food contains at least six chemicals that have been banned from human food. The reason they have been prohibited is because they can cause many deadly diseases, such as a variety of cancers, liver dysfunction, major organ failure, and intestinal problems.

If you think you can pick out the best food for dogs by reading the labels, you need to think again. Dog food manufacturers sometimes state right on their product that their food is chemical- and preservative-free. This is a lie that they can get away with because they do not have to list preservatives they don't add themselves.

Often before the meat is sent to the manufacturer, additives have already been put in the food.

The most powerful, and possibly the most toxic, preservative which is used in maintaining the shelf life of most dry pet food is called ethoxyquin (EQ). Even workers in the manufacturing plants have been known to exhibit health problems such as liver or kidney damage, leukemia, and other fatal diseases.

Another shocking fact is that a lot of commercial dog food contains dead animals. A vast number of these animals are euthanized cats, dogs, and zoo animals that contain sodium pentobarbital. This drug is used to kill strays and abandoned animals and is still present in your dog's food when you buy it.

You man think that is bad enough but you will also be alarmed to hear that pet collars, flea collars, ID tags and plastic bags are not removed when the food is being processed. They all remain in the end product which they call "meat meal."

Is it acceptable for your pet to eat food that is of this caliber? It is understandable that many people have not heard what goes on in the manufacturing of pet food - it is kept well hidden by the pet food industry. Some professional experts have spoken out about it but, on the whole, it is not widely known.

There are 3 steps you can do to extend your dog's life, such as:

  • Stop using commercial dog food as the main source of food.
  • Learn how to read the labels.
  • Introduce some healthy, well-balanced, home-made food recipes into your pet's diet.

Get informed and feed your dog the best food you can to increase his lifespan and save yourself money in the process.

Foods Not To Give To Your Dog

The following listed below are some of the foods you should avoid giving to your dogs;

Baby Food

Many people try to give baby foods especially to pups when they are not feeling well. Baby foods are not bad in general. However, you should make sure the baby food you are giving does not contain any onion powder. Also, baby foods do not contain all the necessary nutrients for a healthy dog.

Cooking dough

Raw bread dough made with live yeast can be hazardous if ingested by dogs. When raw dough is swallowed, the warm, moist environment of the stomach provides an ideal environment for the yeast to multiply, resulting in an expanding mass of dough in the stomach. Expansion of the stomach may be severe enough to decrease blood flow to the stomach wall, resulting in the death of tissue.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are tricky. While some types of Mushrooms are fine, others can be toxic for dogs. Some types of mushrooms can cause serious stomach issues for dogs. As a cautious dog owner, you should try to avoid giving mushrooms to your dog.

Alcohol

You should not even let your dog taste any kind of alcohol, let alone consume it in large quantity. The main ingredients used in beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages are toxics and dangerous for dogs. Alcohol can cause poor breathing, abnormal acidity, intoxication, lack of coordination and even coma and/or death for a dog.

Tomato Leaves

The leaves of a tomato plant contain the glycoalkaloids alpha-tomatine and dehydrotomatine which are toxic for dogs. Some of the symptoms of eating tomato leaves include; drooling, stomach upset, diarrhea, vomiting and changes in his behavior. Tremors or seizures could also occur if your pup has consumed too much tomato leaves.

Tobacco

Never give tobacco to your dog. The effects of nicotine on dogs are much more worse than humans. The toxic level of nicotine in dogs is 5 milligrams of nicotine per pound of body weight. In dogs, 10 mg/kg is potentially lethal.

Chocolate

Chocolates are considered poisonous for dogs. Chocolates contain caffeine and theobromine which can be toxic for your dog. Chocolates can cause panting, vomiting, and diarrhea, and damage your dog's heart and nervous systems.