Canned dog food is not healthy for pets. It is an offshoot of the food industry and contains waste products from the slaughterhouse. These waste products include intestines, udders, heads and hooves, which may be diseased and cancerous. Is it any wonder that dogs die earlier than they should with cancers, growths and other ‘human’ illnesses not seen in the wild?

Cooking for your dog is not as expensive or time consuming as it sounds. Meat such as minced beef can be bought cheaply, cooked, then mixed with brown rice and some vegetables (tinned if you like!). This will last a few days and costs perhaps less than twice the amount of tinned dog food. Your dog will not need so much in his bowl, as, unlike tinned dog food it is not pumped up with large amounts of water.

The difference in your dogs health and happiness will be evident after only a week. His fur will be shinier and softer and his breath will not smell (That alone is worth the small increase in the price and preparation time of his food!). He will have more energy and be more satisfied after a meal, not begging for scraps or wanting sugary treats.

To begin with your dog will be adjusting to the change in diet and there may be more wetness in his stools. This should not last long, and is just the dogs digestive system having to work a bit harder to deal with the increase in protein. If diarrhea is bad then you are probably feeding your dog too much in his bowl at a time. Please persevere to get the amounts and ingredients that are suitable for your dog. It will save money in the long term on trips to the vets, and give him a happier life. There is also no need to buy expensive dog supplements as he will be getting all the nutrition he needs from his food.

We are falsely given the idea that for our pets to be looked after well they should be fed on the commercially prepared food that is ‘specially made for them’. This has everything to do with profit and nothing to do with what is best for the health of our much loved dogs.