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My vet recommended that I remove corn and wheat from my dog’s diet in order to prevent cancer. What dog food do you recommend?

I love your question because four years ago my vet told me to do the same. The first thing you do is read labels. Take your reading glasses with you to the grocery store so that you can read all the small print on the dog food bags and bags of treats/biscuits as well. It is so easy to think that a dog food is wonderful when you see the commercials on television. We also are enchanted with the beautiful artwork on the outside of the dog and cat food bags.

One of my friends asked me if “XYZ” dog food was a good food. I had not heard of the brand. I answered, “What did the list of ingredients say? Especially note the first two or three ingredients because those comprise 90% or more of the total.”

Her reply was, “I didn’t have my reading glasses with me so I couldn’t read it; however, the picture of dogs, flowers and a meadow was very lovely!” Marketing, marketing, marketing sells product! Same as cars, boats, Harleys… bikini clad lovelies are draped all over them… marketing, marketing!

One dog (and cat) food that I love is EVO. The web site is Naturapet.com. Evo is short for evolutionary diet. Evo has no grains. Dogs and cats in the wild do not eat corn, wheat, rice, barley, etc. Before they were invited into our homes they killed something and ate it. They did not cook it. They did not make a casserole with corn, wheat, rice, etc. They ate it raw. The only grains or grasses ingested came from the stomach contents of the carcass. Evo promotes itself as the next best thing to actually serving raw food to your cat or dog. That is a blessing for all of us. Most especially those of us who are vegetarians. Did you know that corn and wheat are so cheap that cat litter is made from them? “Swheatscoop” is wheat and “World’s Best” is corn.

Many groups in this county swear that the only way to achieve excellent health and long lives in our animals is to feed a raw food diet. I have seen evidence that they are correct. Evo has dry and wet dog food and dry and wet cat food. I recommend both; however, puuullllleeesssee, introduce each product into your pet’s diet very, very gradually. For instance, I recommend putting 25% Evo in with the current food you are using and feed that for a period of two weeks. Then I would increase the Evo to 50% along with the old brand of food. Again for two weeks or so. Then increase the Evo to 75% and your old brand 25% for another two weeks and then finally 100% Evo. Introduce the new food gradually. All things new should be gradually introduced, even water!

Without corn, wheat, cellulose, etc. fillers the digestive system has to get used to unadulterated food. Please also read the labels on all the dog and cat treats. Corn, wheat, sugar, coloring agents, etc. All are not — and I repeat not — healthy.

Marketing can do wonders and can bring wonderful things into our lives. I am now seeing new dog and cat foods being introduced. These new foods are promoting the fact that they have no grains! You see, they know informed animal lovers are very happy to feed raw meat to their pets. Pet food manufacturers realize that they are losing a large share of that market. They are trying to win us over. I am sure that we will be seeing much more of this and I am thrilled beyond belief. Finally, healthy foods for our animals.

Think about the average grocery store. All products in there are not healthy for us. They have “health food” sections now as well as “organic.” You make health choices for yourself every time you shop for you and your family. Your beloved pet also needs your informed choices.

© 2006 Francene Mattucci. All Rights Reserved.