Organic Dog Food:
Is It Really Better?

Are you considering organic dog food for your dog? Are you considering because you think it’s the best dog food for your baby? Let’s take a look at that theory and see if it’s true.

By law, organic products do not have to be 100% organic to  bear the name. They do have to contain a significant amount of organic ingredients, however.

What Does "Organic" Mean, Anyway?

Organic foods are foods that have been produced and processed without the use of commercial chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, or synthetic substances of any kind.

Organic foods must meet regulated production standards of the country in order to use the term “organic.” In the United States, a food can only carry the label if it contains 95% organic ingredients.

Any product labeled with “Made with Organic ingredients” must contain at 70% organic ingredients and three of those ingredients must be listed on the package.

Unless a product is labeled as “100% Organic,” it may still contain ingredients grown conventionally with antibiotics, hormones, synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, etc.

Reasons for Going Organic

People choose to buy organic products for different reasons. For some, it’s because of their concern for the environment. Conventional farming is tough on the environment...the pesticides, soil depletion, pollution by commercial fertilizers. They all take their toll.

Others turn to organic products for health reasons. They want to limit their exposure to those same pesticides that are used in conventional farming methods.

Still others have gone organic because they believe that organic food has higher nutritional value than conventionally grown food. But is this really true? Is the nutrition in organic food higher or better than the nutrition in “regular” food?

Health Benefits of an Organic Diet

So far, there have not been any long-term studies on the effects of an organic diet on human populations or on their pets. Some proponents of organic living, however, assume that there is a  health benefit to eating organic food.

Because of this assumption, they are willing to pay more money for organic food for themselves. And, this extends to their pets. While it may seem reasonable to expect a health benefit from feeding an organic pet food to your dog, it has not yet been proven.

So, you really can’t assume that organic pet food is better for your dog than conventional pet food.

Organic is Only One Piece of the Puzzle

Still, many people think that organic always means healthy. And if you're talking about a particular ingredient, you may be right. For instance, it's probably true that an organic apple is better for you than an apple grown using conventional farming methods.

But when you're talking about something like dog food, that includes numerous ingredients, you cannot simply say that the organic dog food is healthier than its conventional counterpart. You must also consider other factors.

• The most important factor is the formula used...in other words, the recipe (the sum total of all the ingredients used).

• The second most important factor is the care used in the production of the food. Were fresh ingredients selected; were high standard used to ensure the safety of the end result; was the finished product delivered to you in a manner that preserved the nutritional value of the food?

The brands of organic dog food that I've seen, fail these tests. And, I believe they fail them for one reason...cost. The makers of organic dog food must spend more money for the organic ingredients...or they have to buy poor quality (perhaps less fresh) organic ingredients.

If they want to keep their food affordable, they are forced to cut corners somewhere. Often you may see only one source of meat protein...such as chicken (and the meat ingredient is likely not organic). It would be better to see several protein sources...such as chicken meal, catfish meal and eggs.

You may also see a lot of different types of grains, and few vegetables. I think it would be better to see a bit fewer grains and a bit more vegetables.

Organic Dog Food is Not Bad

Many dogs may do okay on a diet of organic dog food...even with a less than ideal formula. Just as many dogs do okay on a diet of conventional dog food. The big question is...do you really only want your dogs to do okay?

Wouldn't you rather have them doing fantastic by giving them the BEST nutrition available? Wouldn't you like to give your dogs the best chance of living a long and healthy life?

In our article on Premium Dog Food, I talk about the only brand of dog food that I’m comfortable recommending. While it is not an organic pet food, it does use incredible ingredients grown by select farmers.  

I recommend it because of the care that goes into making it. The formulator is a holistic veterinarian who has been formulating pet food for more than 25 years.

The company is committed to making the best pet products on the market...and the safest. They only use the freshest ingredients available and the products are shipped to their customers usually within 4 to 6 weeks.

Any organic dog food that you’d get at the store could be up to or more than a year old. That's not what I call fresh. You have to wonder how much of the original nutrition is left after that length of time.

Organic Dog Food vs. Life's Abundance

There are some people who will only buy organic dog food, no matter what...its just a principle with them. I totally understand the desire to be as "green" as possible. As far as ingredients go, I will also normally choose organic over conventionally grown produce.

But when it comes to dog food, I have to choose what is nutritionally best and safest for my dogs. And, for my money that's Life's Abundance. I suggest that you take a look at our article on Premium Dog Food...watch those short videos...then decide for yourself.

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