Do you eat McDonald’s every day? Of course not! You would be unhealthy and 300 pounds! But if you are feeding your dog regular dog food, you may as well be giving him Big Macs. Pets are getting fatter and fatter everywhere in the world. Official statistics say in excess of 41 percent of the dogs in the USA are overweight and 5.1 percent of them are morbidly obese. Cats are also severely affected by this plague, with 6.4 percent being declared obese. Just like us humans, man’s best friend needs proper nutrition and exercise – both combined will keep Fido fit, not fat. And like human food, it’s all about reading the label. Just a little research online into the dirty world of retail pet foods will have you sick to your stomach. What most consumers don’t know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a convenient way for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered “unfit for human consumption,” and similar waste products to be turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, heads, hooves, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts. Sure, pet food companies have created special formulas for overweight, older, or active dogs; but even these blends do not meet the necessary requirements for your pet’s health. In fact, studies have shown that your dog’s food may cause illnesses such as skin allergies, stomach problems, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The manufacturing processes of rendering and extruding may kill bacteria, but they do nothing to destroy the toxins produced by bacteria. Other toxins that are not necessarily removed during processing include: • Hormones, such as those used to fatten livestock or increase milk production • Insecticide from flea collars on euthanized companion pets and patches from livestock • Condemned and contaminated material from slaughterhouses • Sodium pentobarbital, the drug used to euthanize pets Even the grains used in pet food can be contaminated and may cause sickness and disease. Improper drying techniques or storage methods and low quality grains often result in the growth of mold or fungi. The toxins produced can cause vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, liver damage, lameness, or death. So what’s a dog (or cat) lover to do? There are many organic, holistic brands that are much better than the big name brands on the marketplace. But even better is to skip the processed foods entirely and go for the real stuff, as in real food. Dogs are animals, and in the wild, they weren’t running around looking for kibble. They were eating meat and grasses.  The overall concept is simple — just like us, the more processed foods dogs eat, the worse their health will be. The more natural, the better.