Organic Puppy Food

Pros and Cons by DVM Per Schonbeck

Is Organic Puppy Food the Right Choice? Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons.

After a lengthy search, you and the perfect puppy finally found each other. It's a sweet, playful little thing, and it's affectionate and eager to please you. Now that you've brought your puppy home, it's only natural that you want to do the best you can for it.

One of the things you'd like to do is feed your puppy the best food possible.

You've heard a lot about organic puppy food but you're wondering if it's really as good for your puppy as some people claim. You know it's more expensive than ordinary puppy food, but you'd be happy to pay the extra cost if it's as good as they say.

Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons of organic puppy food to help you decide whether it would be best for that puppy you've fallen in love with.

What is It?

Let's address one issue regarding organic puppy food right off the bat.

You're probably aware that strict USDA and FDA standards govern organic food intended for human consumption. You might even be assuming that the same types of standards would apply to dog food.

Unfortunately, they do not. No government agency currently regulates the ingredients of puppy food that can be advertised as being organic.

In other words, a puppy food might claim to be organic, but some or all of its ingredients might not be. This means that the term "organic puppy food" can be confusing or misleading, to say the least.

Fortunately, some private organizations have adopted standards and guidelines that owners can use to ensure the truthfulness of a puppy food's claim to be organic.

Guidelines established by groups such as the Center for Veterinary Medicine and the Oregon Tilth Certified Organic Program can help you determine whether a specific puppy food is truly organic.

Examine the puppy food's list of ingredients carefully. No pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, artificial colors, preservatives, additives, other chemicals or fillers such as corn syrups or sugars should be mentioned. If none of those ingredients are listed, there's an excellent chance the puppy food you're considering really is organic.

Is it Worth It?

Assuming the puppy food you're considering truly is organic, is it worth the additional expense that's involved?

The popularity of organic human and pet foods is skyrocketing. The demand for higher quality foods is increasing, and organic producers have ramped up their production to meet this demand.

This means this type of puppy food, while still more costly than ordinary puppy foods, are no longer prohibitively expensive.

Photo courtesy of Mike Baird

Are Organic Puppy Foods Better For Your Puppy Health?

Many commercially available standard foods contain poor-quality ingredients. Like animal waste products that remain after the best part of the meat has been stripped away for use as human food.

Do you really want to feed your puppy ground-up animal carcasses?

If you wouldn't eat it yourself, you shouldn't feed it to your puppy, either.

Meat from diseased animals might also be included in standard puppy food. This is a frightening thought when you care for your puppy.

Puppy foods of organic quality, on the other hand, typically contain human-grade ingredients.

Standard puppy food can also contain a variety of substances such as hormones, antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides, preservatives and other chemicals. These substances may become toxic if they accumulate in your puppy's system.

Some claims diarrhea, allergic reactions, hair loss or dull coat, metabolic stress and even liver damage can be some of the possible effects these substances can have on your puppy.

Organic puppy foods don't contain any of these potentially harmful substances.

Chances are - Your puppy's immune system, and in fact its entire body, will be allowed to develop in a much more natural and healthy way when you use organic puppy food instead of ordinary puppy food. You don't need to be an expert to realize that the chemicals and low-quality ingredients found in standard commercial puppy foods just can't be good for your pup.

Here's the bottom line about organic puppy food: yes, it does cost more, but it's worth it. That adorable puppy is a beloved member of your family and deserves the best food you can afford.

Dogs have been close to humans for many many years. How humans have lived, have always influenced the way we kept them, also regarding nutrition. Humans today focus more and more on organic natural living, so it is natural for us to involve our dogs.

Buying organic dog food still leaves you with some other nutritional questions. Grain or no grain, dry or fresh dog food, frozen or dehydrated, important also for you to decide which one to choose.

If you want as few chemicals as possible, organic puppy food is absolutely superior.

Just be sensible before you buy. Assure yourself that the puppy food you're considering is truly organic.

If it is, your puppy will get the best possible start in life.

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