Keeping our canines here

The hundreds of thousands of Arkansas families (and readers) with dogs as pets know how their adoring furry canines have become beloved members of their family.

Their unconditional love and acceptance for their masters can’t help but draw our hearts and minds ever closer to the trusting and loving four-legged companions. (Yeah, I could have said fur-babies, but it’s so overused.)

I know, after nine years with our friendly, fun, loving and wise little 12-pound taco terrier Benji, how indispensable he’s become for Jeanetta and me from our arising till lights out. The deep attachment we’ve formed has made us want to keep him around for as long as possible, knowing his lifespan averages only about 15 years, and the clock is ticking.

We’ve learned, just as with humans, the kind of food we provide the little boy can go a long way in expanding his lifespan. So we pay close attention to that and try to continue learning all we can to make certain we’re doing our part by reading advice from credible places like the The Whole Dog Journal with headquarters in Big Sandy, Texas, and its website whole-dog-journal. com.

In the process we’ve realized how much we’ve actually needed to learn on how best to care for and what to feed Benji to keep him thriving alongside us for as long as possible.

For example, the Journal’s latest print edition story headlined “Three Foods You Don’t Want to Feed Your Dog” explains, “you already know dogs shouldn’t have chocolate. You may even have heard onions, grapes and raisins aren’t good for your pups. But did you know there are common things you should question before feeding your dog?”

We had no idea, but the list of nonos surprisingly included dried jerky treats. “As early as 2006, reports were coming in that linked dried chicken jerky to illnesses and even fatalities in dogs. Most cases are linked to chicken jerky treats, but recently duck and sweet potato treats also have caused health problems.”

The cause behind those health threats largely remains a mystery. “But the solution is simple. Don’t feed jerky treats made or sourced in China.”

“Here’s another shocker,” the Journal continues. “Dry foods that are ‘meat only’ may not be the best for your dog. The ingredient labels on a food’s formula are listed in order of pre-processing weight. Since meat is about 70 percent heavy moisture, it’s also listed in heavy enough quantity to make it the first or second ingredient listed although it it isn’t supplying the the majority of the product’s protein.”

It seems much of the dog food meat we’ve used to feed beloved Benji have contents that also raised my eyebrows such as the considerable amount of skin, fat or connective tissue containing no more than 8 percent protein.

“A healthier food,” the article continues, “will be one that lists meat and ‘meat meal’ high on the ingredients, the meat meal being the ingredient that supplies most of the protein.”

“Lacking meat meal in a dry dog food means it must contain the lesser nourishing plant protein. And don’t make the same mistake we have in assuming the more we pay, the better quality the dog food. Poor quality foods (and they’re not always cheap) have been linked to everything from persistent licking and scratching to ear infection, red goopy eyes, lackluster fur and even cancer.”

You’ll likely be as stunned as I was to discover many of today’s top dog food brands “may not contain the wholesome, healthy ingredients you want for your dog,” the Journal’s author writes, continuing: “Take Kibbles ‘n Bits Original Savory Beef and Chicken Flavor where the package makes it look like manna from heaven with a healthy dog, fresh veggies and what looks like delicious chunks of roasted meat. …

“The reality is this stuff is AWFUL for your dog. Its first two ingredients are corn and soybean meal. It also contains artificially preserved animal fat … along with a number of artificial colors. There are green beans and carrots in the food, but listed lower on the ingredients than the vitamin and mineral supplements, indicating they’re present in insignificant, minute quantities.”

The Journal also advises owners to switch foods every few months, which can help prevent food allergies and nutrient toxicity, deficiency and imbalance.

Finally the Journal informs readers to be aware of their findings that reveal whenever manufacturers add low-quality ingredients from places without adequate safety oversights (use your imagination, valued readers) and low-cost ingredients, it’s a simple process for those to become rancid, which means the rancid fats can destroy the nutritive value enough to cause nutrient deficiencies as well as diarrhea, liver problems, arthritis, heart problems and cancer.

It appears, fellow dog lovers, that for years we’ve had far more to learn as canine caretakers than we ever realized. And I imagine pretty much the same nutrition facts hold true for those who love their cats. It’s clearly important to pay close attention to the labels and take the effort to understand what they mean since we are the sole gatekeepers for our pets’ health and longevity.

NOTE OF GRATITUDE

Many thanks for readers statewide who regularly send messages with opinions and information about everything from large-dog attacks in local communities to personal GodNod events they’ve experienced. I try to make sure to respond to each one who takes their valuable time and effort to do so. I encourage you to continue providing feedback containing your accounts and ideas. Readers and their interests (along with established credibility) are without question the crucial lifeblood of any news operation.

Now go out into the world and treat everyone you meet exactly like you want them to treat you.