I often write about food, but the whole time I never stopped to think about all the other creatures that eat; I only focused on humans. Seems silly, but I never even thought about my bro or what he eats.

By bro, I mean my pooch. The sexy mo-fo above, with them baby blues.

If I am taking steps to eating healthier and living a healthier lifestyle, then I should be passing that to my dog. After all, I want him to be healthy for as long as possible, to live long, and to live happily. A lot of what makes happiness, health and a long life has to do with diet.

So, I contemplated talking about it and was weary at first but there were two things that pushed me to write about this.

One, there has been a market explosion for healthier dog and cat food that is making people wake up to this nutrition knowledge.

Two, in the U.S it's estimated that 70-80 million dogs and 74-96 million cats are owned in the United States. Approximately 37-47 percent of all households in the United States have a dog, and 30-37 percent have a cat.

That is amazing.

So here we go...

Did you know that traditional dog and cat food is made up of tons of grain products, mostly consisting of corn-based products? In many traditional brands, there will be several corn ingredients and not just one. In addition to that, they are typically processed and not "whole", therefore; those grains are stripped of their most beneficial characteristics.

Think about that.

Dogs descend from wolves and cats from, well, bigger cats. Neither species eats a vegetarian diet, let alone designed to eat corn or grains. Especially not in the quantity that infests their food. Yet, for some reason, we feed our loved ones food that nature never intended them to eat. For me, it's like giving my kid a burger and fries twice a day. I would expect severe problems to ensue. But that is exactly what it's like. Feeding your dog or your cat traditional pet food is equivalent to feeding them fast food every day. They experience complications. It always ends poorly.

Whether it's shortened lifespans, bad skin, poor coat, mouth problems, cancer, the development of diseases caused by a weakened immune system, etc., the point is that it's not good. Animals are designed to eat what nature designed them to eat, regardless of domestication.

First we must ask why.

Well, big agribusiness and the corn industry as a whole lobby the government to make political reform so that it benefits them. Meaning it makes them more money in the long run, so they can continue to buy influence and continue to affect reform that benefits them; so as to make even more money. It's really quite simple. Whether or not we're talking about corn products being shoved in all of our foods or our pets food. The people making those decisions and benefiting don't give a rat's ass about our pets, let alone us; only that their wallets get bigger.

Second, we must do research and make informed decisions that benefit us and our pets. Thankfully the new healthy pet food market has been blowing up, so we are offered options. Even grain free options which can be very beneficial. Instead of giving my dog what would be equivalent to a microwave tv dinner every night, I want to give him whole and healthy meals as close to what nature intended. No more of this processed crap. We don't want it. We don't want to give it to our children. Why should we give it to our pets? I found that Pro-Pac makes great food for a decent price. In searching my local areas, they seemed to be the best price to weight ratio.

Also, don't forget, one of the key factors in researching is finding out just exactly what your dog/cat need on a cellular nutritional level. This will help you in your decision.

I know price is always a concern, and you pay for what you get. I get that buying the good stuff can be hard, but the way I look at it is when I am tight on cash, and can't spend a lot, what can I sacrifice to make sure I buy the better food? Not buying booze? Limiting my spending in general? Not going out with friends a couple times? Not buying clothes for a couple months? Possibly give up treats, desserts, or even sell something? Perhaps sell multiple things to make sure that my best friend is eating the best food available. My point is that the worth outweighs the price. Make it happen.

Why would I do that? You might ask. Well, if you have to ask then you have never experienced snuggling with your pet all night, and them keeping you warm when you've been coldest. You have never laughed at them doing something ridiculous, thinking all the while they just want to make you happy. You have never held them when you've had no one else to hold. You have never felt how it is to know they love you no matter what you do, say, or think. That they are excited to see you every time they see you. You have never had the gratification, the fulfillment, or the joy that comes from having a loving pet. And, I can guarantee that you have never looked into their eyes as they look back at you, breaking down all walls, destroying fronts, and piercing your soul; seeing you for you.

My dog is my best friend, yes you can have more than one best friend, and I want to spend as much time as possible with him. I want to do the things that we love to do together like hiking, disc golf, swimming, camping, traveling, playing, cuddling, going on adventures, and overall just enjoying each others company, for as long as we can. I love him, so I want to show it.

Plus, given the choice (and if you don't believe me then try it for yourself), but nine times out of 10 they will always choose the healthier more delicious and wholesome food over the crappy generic corn infested s**t food when presented with the option.

Do some research. Check out your options. Weigh the variables and make your own choice. Not the choice made for you by commercials or big advertising.

Give your pet the best option. You will never regret it.

-JK