There are so many choices when feeding our dogs today, and everyone has a different opinion about what is best, what is safest, what is right to feed. One source will tell you that commercial pet food is the only safe way to feed your dog. Another source will tell you that only premium high-end foods should be fed. Others insist a home-cooked diet or raw diet is the way to go. Some opt for pre-packaged diets that simulate raw or home-cooked without your actually having to prepare food for your dog. Who do you trust when you hear horror stories and miracles about the same things?

I read two books that I recommend to everyone who has dogs and/or cats. The first is Feed Your Pet Right: The Authoritative Guide to Feeding Your Dog and Cat by Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim. If you want to know more about how the pet food industry operates, how well (or not!) it's regulated, what we know about nutrition for dogs and cats, the impact of the pet food industry on veterinarians, and other topics related to feeding our pets, you need to read this book.

The second book is Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food by Ann Martin. This book also looks into the pet food industry. Though there are some similarities, you will get a very different view from that of the Nestle/Nesheim book.

The Nestle/Nesheim book seems to take a much more conservative approach. They bring up some things we should all be concerned about, but they draw some conclusions that are much more conservative than the conclusions drawn by Martin in her book. My guess is that the truth lies somewhere between the two, which is why I highly recommend reading BOTH of these books.

I will discuss some of the topics of these books in more detail in upcoming posts. Stay tuned!

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