We begin our second article in this series by asking pet owners and the curious…”confused about what organic pet foods are?” You’re not alone due to the regulations regarding the term “organic” by pet food manufacturers, pet owners have been left baffled. Owners may be unaware that only certified organic pet food claims are regulate and enforced by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control) and other government agencies, where as other non-certified organic pet food claims are left on their own and may not be legitimate.

This confusion over terminology is most unfortunate since organic pet foods have a variety of nutritional advantages compared to their non-organic competitors.  If you wish to maintain the health & longevity of your family pet, you should be aware that certified organic pet foods are significantly healthier and more nutritious than any other available alternative.

Standards for organic pet food ban the use of synthetic chemicals during manufacture for certified organic pet foods and their individual ingredients making them safer than conventional pet foods. Most of these synthetic chemicals, aside from being harmful to the environment, are also known to be toxic to both humans and pets. Also, unlike convention pet foods, certified organic pet foods prohibit highly toxic pesticide residues, which in of its self is a substantial health advantage for your pet.

Unlike the ingredients in conventional pet foods, organically grown ingredients contain higher levels nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants thereby offering a greater health benefit. If you are a pet owner or breeder who has raised a litter of pups solely on organic pet food, then perhaps you and your Vet have noticed these pets have maintained their health throughout their lives; rarely if ever developing any chronic ailments common to most pets. A good benchmark to excellent health is not only a shiny soft coat till old age, but most noticeably is the far fewer development of allergies as well as other diseases i.e. diabetes, obesity and arthritis.

With all that said, you still need to do your homework on organic pet food manufactures. Depending on the process of manufacture, some organic ingredients can lose their nutritional properties. Organic pet foods rely on raw and dehydrated ingredients for their content and the temperatures used during the method of production determine the value of the nutrients. Read the labels to see whether refined sugars and refined flour are listed. These ingredients can cause weight gain as well as the related issues that go along with an overweight pet.

So, what are organic pet foods? For those pet owners that have done their due diligence in investigating quality manufacturers, they are the safest healthiest choice for your family pet, improving their overall wellbeing and longevity.

By Remarkable Dogs