Because we owners - and not the dogs themselves - are the ones choosing what our dogs eat and what kind of nutrition they get, it's up to us to know exactly what we're feeding them, and how it affects their health and well-being.

Dog food and dog treats make feeding our pets easier, but what's really in those cans and plastic bags? In most cases, sad to say, it's some of the worst things you could feed your dog. To know what your dog food is made of, read the label. The components are listed by weight, and the first few ingredients comprise what makes up the majority of the dog food.

Meat and grain by-products are some of the lest-desirable ingredients you may find in your dog food. If you dog food or dog treats list these as main ingredients, find another brand. A lot of grain and grain-related ingredients may increase the amount of carbohydrates in your dog's food, buy up to seventy percent, while your average dog really only needs less than thirty percent carbohydrates. The reasoning behind using these ingredients so much has more to do with the dog food manufacturer's profit margins than any actual concern for pet nutrition. These byproducts are cheap, and they act as extenders for the dog food- thus, the manufacturers get to produce more food, at a fraction of the cost. But it's your dog who pays for it in the end: digestive trouble, and obesity, and all the obesity-related health problems that come with it.

Animal by-products aren't much of an improvement. While they do contribute protein in the diet, this meat is basically parts that are thrown away because they're unfit for human consumption: lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bone, and stomach and intestines. To make things worse, there is little to no regulation for the sources of this meat: it could be from a meat processing plant, but it could also be roadkill, or 4-D (dead, diseased, disabled, dying) livestock.

So read those labels carefully, and get to know what your dog is really eating. There are many premium dog food brands out there that primarily whole foods like meat from chicken or lamb, which are the best sources of nutrition for your dog. Wellness dog food and dog treats are a good example of brands whose ingredients will help your companion along for a healthy, happy life.

Feeding your pet some premium dog food can help you avoid the ingredients that many cheaper brands use as extender. The animal and grain byproducts which these manufacturers use in their food may be a better deal, but it's your dog that ultimately pays the price, with obesity problems and bad digestion. Wellness dog food, along with other brands, can give you the option of buying dog food and dog treats that are made of human-grade ingredients, a suitable diet for a happy, healthy canine companion.