Many people believe that the lifespan of the dog should be considerably more than what we expect. And this is due to the foods that we feed our pets.
The pet foods that we buy from the supermarkets have a high percentage of moisture, which leaves very little room for nutrition in the remaining contents. Some of the ingredients such as sodium are added to the dog food to make it more palatable while adding no nutritional value. In fact excessive sodium can be detrimental to the well being of your dog.
The most popular dog foods often use byproducts with added chemical reservatives and artificial colors. All of which can be potentially harmful to your dog. These byproducts have very little nutritional value and are certainly not helping in the overall health of our animals. Carbohydrate levels are often far too high in most of the brand dog foods and this is why there is an excessive number of overweight dogs and dogs that suffer from diabetes.
Obesity and the associated problems that are present from being overweight is one of the main reasons for the shortened life span. Most dog food manufacturers will also use a high percentage of grains to add bulk to the food while doing nothing for the dog’s health. If you live in a warm climate, don’t leave the dog food out all day in the heat.
While dogs have a short intestinal tract, and are unlikely to have problems with food poisoning they can still suffer from contaminated food. Even dog biscuits should be stored in a cool place and not subject to heat.
If we ensure that our dogs get the optimum nutrition, we can expect their lifespan to be considerably more than current levels. It is not unusual for well cared for and well fed dogs that have had optimum nutrition to live past 20 years.