“Gone are the days when puppies were happy with the crumbs,” thought Royal to herself as she pawed the crumbs that Junior had just sprinkled bountifully off his highchair. “Today’s canines are far more sophisticated,” and with that thought, and a huff to go along with it, she pointed her nose towards the ceiling, turned heels, and left the unworthy breakfast scene far behind her.
...Perhaps a little too vivid, but this is the usual scene these days. The truth is, some puppies and even full grown canines are just as food-picky as toddlers are! I still remember my two year old nephew sitting in his highchair and demanding, in his limited vocabulary, what was in his cereal bowl, before he ate the contents thereof. Kids and puppies ARE very much the same. While it’s pretty easy to sum up the nutritional value of what I put into the toddler’s cereal, I’m sure pet owners have asked themselves: What goes into making Pet food? What are the key ingredients to fulfilling our four pawed family member’s dietary needs? Let’s try to “paw” under the rubble and find out.
Marking
the Trail of Where Puppy Food Began
“I’m
not satisfied with just anything...” thought Royal to herself. “Puppy food has
got to be authentic—starting from where it began, and then only getting
better!”
Somewhere in the midst of 1860, the concept
of making dog food “on purpose” came into being. Previous to that, pet food was
neither hype nor necessity, but rather the leftover family dinner that mother
had made too much of. The trend was begun by a gentleman named James Spratt.
After seeing a sailor throwing hardtack biscuits to the dogs on the dock, he
was inspired to make a similar biscuit with more canine appropriate ingredients
like vegetables, beef blood, wheat, and beetroot. They were a success! But the
concept wasn’t on an up rise till post WW2, when businesses saw it as a
profitable way to use their by products. Today, puppy food brands have big competitors
like Hills Prescription Diet,
Royal Canine, Pedigree, Arden Grange, Whiskas, Felix, and IAMS. Pet food is one
of the largest packed food categories, and this year Americans have spent
$50.84 billion on pet food alone.
Sniffing
for Secrets...
“I
know real dog food when I smell it and that...sure was NOT it!” thought Royal
shaking her head, as if to exhale the smell, and sneezed, “I’m a thoroughbred
Chihuahua! I was named after pedigree class, puppy food Royal Canine, and I know what it should smell like—Definitely not Junior’s leftover
slobber crackers,” sulked Royal in the corner of the hall.
While we know that the first canned canine
and kitten food was James Spratt’s biscuits, what do canines and cats have in
the can these days? Caned pet food generally consists of meat, meat by
products, cereals, grain, vitamins, and minerals. The meats used in pet food
usually are the leftover bones, cheek meat, kidneys, liver, and lungs etc. Soybean
meal, corn, cracked wheat, and barely are the cereals grains that are added to
improve the consistency. And lastly, water and meat broth or beef blood are
used as liquids. Salt, fats, protein sweeteners and other preservatives are
sprayed over the food after it has been baked to make the dish more palatable
for pets.
Pet
owners have a variety to choose from on the “pet menu”, ranging from dry food,
canned food (which contains fresh meat products), semi-moist food, snacks,
biscuits, kibbles—or biscuit bits, and other pet friendly treats.
“Finally!
Food at last!” thought Royal in relief, as Junior’s mother placed an
overflowing bowl with little bits of Royal Canine Chihuahua food rolling
delicately off the sides. “I knew she’d get it right!” With that thought, and
the last lick of food, Royal went out to play. She scampered over the hills,
and lived happily ever after.
Author Bio: Smith Jones owns 2 dogs and he
regularly feeds them with Hills Prescription Diet and Royal Canine. He says that those produces
best food and medicine for your pets as well as it provides a high protein diet
which is perfect for keeping your pet healthy.
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