Chicken Dog Food
When you stop by the pet store to pick out a food for your dog, what do you see? In many cases you will see a variety of formulas that are based on one of a few protein sources. The most common source of protein that you will see in dog food is chicken. Formulas such as chicken and rice, chicken and peas, roasted chicken dinner and chicken with fish are commonly seen in the dog food aisle. However, is all of this chicken really good for your dog? Why do so many dogs develop allergies to proteins such as chicken? Here is a bit more information to help you to familiarize you with chicken dog food formulas.
Hormones and Antibiotics
Much of the chicken that is used in commercial dog food formulas may contain artificial hormones or antibiotics. Artificial hormones may be used to make chickens mature faster, or to modify their body structure so that they grow larger, which in turn increases profits. Because many farm chickens are raised in dirty, disease-ridden conditions, they are often given many antibiotics to keep them from getting sick. This is why many premium dog food formulas advertise that their chicken is free from artificial hormones or antibiotics. If you do choose to feed your dog a diet that includes a chicken dog food formula, try to avoid any formulas that do not state that their chicken is free of hormones and antibiotics.
Why Are Chicken Formulas So Common?
Most every company that produces pet food has at least one chicken based formula for dogs. In fact, many pet food companies use chicken as their primary source of meat-based protein for all of their formulas. This isn’t just true for dogs – chickens are mass-farmed in order to provide food for humans as well. Some less expensive dog food formulas use the “waste” products from chicken manufacturing plants in order to make dog food. This may include chicken digest and chicken by-products. This is how many of the budget dog food formulas keep their prices low.
Should I Feed My Dog Chicken Dog Food?
The best diet for your dog should include variety. While feeding your dog a chicken-based formula may not have an immediate negative impact on your dog’s health, it may cause your dog to become allergic to chicken. For optimum nutrition, switch your dog between several different protein sources, such as buffalo, salmon, lamb and duck.