Pet food companies have some of the cutest commercials I have ever seen.

I was looking at an old kibbles and bits commercial and I couldn't help but smile the whole way through. Unfortunately that commercial had nothing to do with the food but everything to do with the cuteness of dogs' noses.

So if these commercials have nothing to do with the food then we can't depend on them to provide us with the best and healthiest choice of food for our dog.

I know many people that go to the local department store and buy the cheapest dog food they can find. These people are not even reading the labels on the pet food. They have no clue what the ingredients are but they believe that because it says 'pet food' on the outside it is good enough for their dogs.

I don't understand those people, some have been close friends. Their only argument they have when I tell them their dog food is not that good for their dog is, "it's just a dog".

Then there are other people who look at their dog as an actual living being who need proper nutrition to stay alive. These people tend to think they are doing the best for their dog by listening to their vet's advice, the pet stores advice, or even those cute commercials that they get sucked into.

Unfortunately the vet, pet store, and commercials are not always right. A lot of these foods can make your pet unhealthy. Actually a lot of these foods don't offer very good nutrition for your dog at all. But you can't understand that unless you read the ingredients and understand what they are and what they do for your pet.

There are also the people that do read the ingredients while choosing a dog food. Some people know what these ingredients are and what they mean but there are also some people who know what most of the ingredients are but don't understand what they offer their dog in the way of nutrition.

For instance corn is a big ingredient in a lot of dog food but does corn offer your pet actual nutrition or is it just filler that's used to save the pet company money?

The first ingredient is the biggest part of your dogs pet food. Is corn the first ingredient on or is it meat?

The following piece of information is taken straight off of the fda.gov site in the animal and veterinary news and events section.

'The low levels of sodium pentobarbital that dogs might receive through their food are unlikely to cause any health problems, according to an FDA study.

Pentobarbital is an anesthetizing drug used for dogs and other animals, such as horses and cattle. Because it is also widely used for humane euthanasia of dogs, cats and other animals, the most likely way that pentobarbital could get into dog food would be in rendered animal products. Rendered products come from a process that converts animal tissues to feed ingredients.'

This is just one of the many things that you may or may not be aware of. But either way it's crazy to even think about.

So start researching your dogs food and encourage others to do the same. Our pets are suffering from more disease than ever and it's time we put our foot down and start taking action when it comes to their nutrition.

There's tons of information out there to help you make the decision about the best food to feed your dog.