Ever since the Menu Foods tainted pet food tragedy of 2007, concerned dog owners have been trying to find safer and healthier food for their dogs. The Menu Foods scare made many pet owners suddenly realize how much blind trust they had putting in the leading manufacturers of commercial dog food. Once they actually began to investigate what went into most brands of dog food, they turned to premium brands such as

Wellness, which also makes Old Mother Hubbard pet food.

All dog foods available in the United States have been scrutinized by The Whole Dog Journal (WDJ), considered the "Consumer Reports" of dog products. Since WDJ does not accept any advertising, they can make the most objective dog food reports available in print or online. Both Wellness and Old Mother Hubbard are recommended dog food brands by WDJ.

Ingredient Advantage

WDJ especially likes the human-grade clearly identifiable ingredients in Wellness and Old Mother Hubbard. If you ever had to live on dog food, this would be a great choice for you. Instead of using meat by-products (which can be anything from meat to internal organ tissue) or meal (ground up entire carcasses - including hair, feathers and any feces in the intestines) Wellness and Old Mother Hubbard use meat, grains and vegetables.

WDJ recommends that pet owners concentrate on the first five ingredients of any pet food listed. These first five ingredients will make up the vast majority of the food content. Wellness Chicken and Sweet Potato canned food does very well with chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, ocean whitefish, barley and sweet potato as the first five ingredients.

Contrast this to a popular store brand for dogs, Alpo. The first five ingredients of Alpo's "chop house filet mignon" are water, meat by-products, chicken, beef, soy flour and natural filet mignon flavour. Whatever natural filet mignon flavour means is anybody's guess. This food goes right through the dog and has very little nutrition in it. This means a dog will poop more when fed cheap food like Alpo than they would a premium brand like Wellness.

Wellness comes in canned food and dry kibble. WDJ especially recommended the Wellness Chicken SuperMix 5 Formula. Wellness also has varieties for puppies and older dogs as well as adult dogs. They also have a line called Wellness Simple that is specifically geared for dogs with food allergies, especially to artificial flavours or preservatives.

The Disadvantages

Wellness and Old Mother Hubbard cost a lot more than brands like Alpo. They are also not available in grocery stores or discount department stores but often through pet stores and feed stores. Some people may not be able to find it in their areas and have to order it by mail. But better nutrition may help keep your dog from visiting the vet so often.

Learn more about this author, Rena Sherwood.
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