MYTH: By-products are used as filler, and have no nutritional value.

A by-product is simply something produced while making something else.  For example vitamin E is a by-product of soybean production.  High-quality meat meal by-products and by-product meals composed of internal organs are highly digestible and full of nutrients.  Just because an ingredient is a by-product meal does not mean that it’s composed of beaks and feathers as some would have you believe.

MYTH: Corn is just a filler.

Humans cannot digest corn, but the corn in pet foods is an excellent source of highly digestible carbohydrates for energy, essential fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, and beta-carotene and vitamin E – nature’s antioxidants.  Also corn is full of quality proteins needed to muscle and tissue growth.

MYTH: Raw foods help pets live longer.

Feeding raw meat, eggs, and bones can be dangerous for your pet because of the excessive levels of nutrients such as protein, calcium and phosphorous.  Pets eating these foods are also at an increased risk of broken teeth, damage to the stomach and intestines, and exposure to bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella.

MYTH: Pet foods contain dangerous preservatives.

All pet foods need to contain preservatives or else they would spoil and rot.  Most companies these days use natural preservatives such as vitamin E, citric acid, beta-carotene, and rosemary extract.

MYTH: Dogs are carnivores.

Dogs are omnivores, which means that they eat both meat and plant matter.  When a wolf or other dog-like animal eats its prey, it will consume the intestines, which contain plant material.  In fact, many dogs will pick all the choice berries off a bush as they go past.

MYTH: Large breed puppies need extra supplements because they grow faster.

If you choose a high-quality food that is specifically for large breed puppies, you should not need any supplements.  In fact, these dogs need to be fed controlled amounts of protein, calcium and phosphorous so that they do not grow too fast.