Animals

How to shop for healthy pet food

Consumers can't always go by flashy advertising and labels indicating food is "all-natural" or "healthy", says thixton. Take these tips to help you choose the best foods for your four-legged friends:

• Ignore fancy advertising. Go to the truthful source—the ingredient label on the product.

• Watch out for negative terms such as "animal digest", which can contain pentobarbital, a euthanization anesthetic used to kill animals.

• Stay away from "by-products" or "by-product meal", which may include internal organs like intestines, claws, and beaks.

• Minerals sourced from china may contain melamine, an ingredient added to increase protein and which, in 2007, caused the deadliest pet food recall in history.

• Look for whole foods such as chicken, chicken meal, turkey, and other names you know and recognize.