Because our dogs depend completely on us for their nutrition, we should be aware of what we're feeding them. After all, in a time where everyone is so conscious about what they put in their mouth, insisting only on "natural" or "organic" foods, shouldn't that kind of concern also extend to the canine members of our family, with natural dog foods?

Recent studies have shown that many of the diseases that beset us - heart problems, diabetes, excessive weight - are directly linked to diets with low nutritive value. This goes the same for dog food: much of what is on the market is heavily processed stuff - designed less for Fido's health than for longer shelf-life and low production costs, with cheap ingredients.

An example that can be found in many ingredient bales is "meat byproducts." These are "clean parts other than meat" that are rendered from "slaughtered animals," the parts being, specifically "lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, stomachs and intestines," according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

If you think that's disgusting, consider this: the AAFCO doesn't closely monitor what animals are used to extract byproducts from. Here are many documented accounts of all sorts for animals contributing to this list: animals killed on roads, 4D (Dead, Diseased, Dying, Disabled) farm animals, and even other cats and dogs from the pound!

That last ingredient isn't so common these days, thankfully, but there are still places that process them. If you'd really like to avoid that, just avoid meat byproducts altogether by switching to a brand of natural dog food. There are brands out there, such as Flint River dog food and Lifes Abundance dog food, that use only the finest sources for their whole meats: chicken and range-fed lamb, and menhaden pulled from the waters of the North Atlantic.

Natural dog food is healthier, because it contains the ingredients that your dog actually needs for better nutrition. And it's also a good deal: while the price may higher, your dogs needs less of it, so you don't need to feed your dog as much. As an added bonus, this means that you'll have to clean up after them less!

Buying natural dog food is an investment in your dog's well-being: brands like Lifes Abundance dog food and Flint river dog food are made of high quality ingredients like meat from chicken, lamb and fish, instead of the highly-dubious "meat byproducts" that cheaper brands use. These premium brands also have only the essential ingredients, not fillers and preservatives that make the common grocery brands so cheap, but also unhealthy.