Why — and What — Am I Feeding My Pet?
Mark Hunsbedt, Contributing Columnist
It’s a simple question — one that most of us don’t really think about until that first trip to the vet, when the doctor looks up from their notes and asks…
“So, what are you feeding your pet?”
That question always stops me for a second. We love our pets, treat them like family, and want them to be happy and healthy. But do we actually know what’s in the food we’re pouring into their bowls every day?
I started thinking about this one afternoon while watching a sporting event on TV. A pet food commercial came on — happy pets running, playing, and snuggling with their owners. It looked perfect. But as the ad went on, I couldn’t help but wonder about what was really inside that bag. It turns out, the brand being advertised wasn’t exactly known for high-quality ingredients.
They were spending millions on marketing, not on what went into the food. And that’s the problem. Why pay premium prices for something made mostly of corn when you could choose real meat and better nutrition? For many big brands, the priority isn’t the pet’s health — it’s the commercial.
Then I noticed who owned the company: a giant corporation. And that matters. With a large corporation, you’ll never speak to the people making the decisions. With a smaller, family-run company, you often can. That’s true in nearly every business. Family-owned companies tend to care about their products — because they put their names on them. Corporations care about branding and margins.
What fascinates me is how careful people are when it comes to their own food. Walk through any grocery store and you’ll see shoppers turning packages over to read ingredient labels. In restaurants, diners ask about the dishes — is it gluten-free, locally sourced, organic? We do this because we want to be healthy, live longer, and avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor.
So why don’t we do the same for our pets?
When we’re sick, we can tell the doctor what’s wrong. Our pets can’t. By the time they show signs — vomiting, lethargy, scratching, digestive issues — it’s already affecting their health. Imagine if they could tell us, “This food makes me feel sick,” or “I don’t like how this makes me feel.” Since they can’t, it’s our responsibility to pay attention to what we’re feeding them.
Here’s something simple you can do today: go grab your pet’s food bag and read the ingredients list. If there’s something you don’t recognize, look it up. You might be surprised by what you find.
The truth is, what we feed our pets shapes not just their health, but their energy, their coats, their moods — their lives. Feeding them well is one of the most loving things we can do.
Because in the end, our pets rely on us for everything — and that includes knowing what’s in the bowl.
Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com