Is there even such a thing as the best dog food anymore? If you find yourself wondering about that, you are not alone. In light of recent events and exposés in the controversial pet food industry, you can hardly be blamed for asking. But fear not; read on to find out more about choosing the best dog food for your best buddy.

First of all, keep in mind that it isn’t just humans who have a right to fresh food. All living creatures have just as much claim to it; and in fact, dogs have thrived for centuries on natural food—until pet food came along.

Back in the 1930s, cereal companies and meat industries came up with the idea to combine their rejected products and sell them off to the unsuspecting public for added profit. These rejects were moldy grains and diseased offal, respectively, deemed unfit for human consumption by the US Department of Agriculture, but which these companies decided to pass off as ‘pet food’ anyway.

Of all the world’s consumables, pet food is perhaps the most unnatural. If you take the time to stop and read the list of ingredients printed on their labels, you’d be shocked. Most of it doesn’t even sound like food. And if you knew what it is that’s actually in your dog’s diet that you feed him unknowingly, you would no doubt be sickened.

Oftentimes, dog food labels are deliberately misleading. The term ‘meat by-products’ is generic and may not only include poultry and farm animals but may very well encompass wild zoo animals, diseased carcasses, and even euthanized cats and dogs!

And by saying ‘by-products,’ it means all of the healthy consumable meat has already been stripped off for human use, so that what your dog actually gets are bones, blood, feathers, pus, and who knows what other unmentionable body parts are there.

The best solution for this is to simply stop buying into this atrocious excuse for pet food and start cooking homemade recipes for your canine loved one. But not everyone has the time and means to do so.

Fortunately, there’s a handful of quality dog food out there that’s slowly gaining popularity thanks to the recent mass pet food recalls that’s gotten every pet lover paranoid. They’re a bit pricier than the low-quality kind, but they last longer as dogs eat more of the cheaper brands in one sitting. So you end up saving more in the long run, and that includes veterinary bills for treatments since your pet stays healthy and happy.

You can tell which is the best dog food for your pet by looking at the first two or three ingredients listed on the label. At the top of the list should be a specific type of meat, since dogs need protein more than any other nutrient. Meat meal is even better. This means that the water has been removed from the meat and what you are left with is a more concentrated protein source. Look for ingredients like chicken, chicken meal, turkey, turkey meal, lamb, lamb meal, fish, or fish meal. Eggs are also an excellent source of protein. Again, do not fall for ‘meat by-products,’ ‘poultry by-products,’ or ‘fish by-products’ as you never know exactly what these by-products are.

Secondary to protein, dogs need carbohydrates. Look for easily digestible grains like rice, or other sources such as potatoes. Avoid dog food that lists corn, soy, wheat, or gluten as the number one ingredient as most dogs are allergic and can have digestive problems once these grains are ingested.

The best dog food uses only wholesome ingredients, uses natural preservatives like vitamins C and E (ascorbate and tocopherols) instead of the carcinogenic chemicals BHT/BHA and Ethoxyquin, and needs no artificial colors or flavors to make it palatable. Indeed, if the ingredients seem good enough for you to eat, then you can be sure your dog will appreciate it, too.