The commercial pet food industry rakes huge profits as more and more people keep pets in their homes. Commercial foods are those that are sold and are packaged in bags and cans. It is not necessary to buy these foods as some people have been able to bringing up their dogs solely with homemade foods.

It is difficult to trust these foods which are made in an industry that is out to make as much profit as it can. Some of them keep their prices competitive by using cheap ingredients. To make the food look more appealing both to the pet owners and the pet themselves, they add artificial colors and flavors. This way the consumers end up buying food that are of low quality and those that may pose dangerous to their pets. Some of them have ended up paying high veterinary bills to treat problems that would have been avoided by giving dogs proper nutrition.

Some of the nutrients detailed on the labels do not exist and instead some of the foods contain high levels of toxic hormones, antibiotics and pesticides. The percentage of proteins, fats and carbohydrates are less than the recommended quantities and they are not useful to the animal.

In some rare cases, some companies have recalled their foods that had already been released into the market. Some of it has been sold and consumed by the animals. That directly means that the food is dangerous and the companies realize that too. It might take years to develop cancer and other dangerous diseases but care needs to be observed from the time the animal is born.

Some of the basic facts about food ingredients and labeling are:

1. Rendered products – This is a slow cooking method that produces animal fat and processed meat products. These mainly come from animals that are almost dying while being taken to the slaughter house and some of the parts may not be condemned. These are the parts that are rendered.

2. Additives and preservatives – Almost all commercial foods contain these items. These improve the color, shape and texture of the foods.

3. By-products – These are mostly used in canned foods. These are additions to the main products. Some of them are parts that are not consumed by humans.

4. Complete and balanced – Most of the foods as labeled as such though the standards are minimum or maximum. These levels are not good enough and only the optimal levels are recommended.