In 1995 my wife and I adopted a precious little shelter dog named Penny. Her short but troubled life had been a featured story on a local morning television show.
Penny was a small poodle-terrier mix. Her deep brown eyes concealed the more than two years of daily abuse she had suffered under the care of her previous owner.
Penny quickly filled our home with joy and our hearts with love.
A Special Diet Gets Rejected
But sadly, after her adoption, Penny developed a number of health issues. So, at the recommendation of her doctor, she was placed on a “special diet”… a prescription dog food supplied by her veterinarian.
Little did we know her food would eventually contribute to her downfall.
From the very beginning Penny rejected the food.
When we reported the problem to the vet he suggested that we ignore her “attitude”. He assured us she would eventually grow hungry enough to overcome her distaste for the dog food.
We just couldn’t do it.
We just didn’t have the heart to starve our sweet little girl. And yet we innocently trusted this doctor-recommended dog food. After all, the can even looked like medicine… complete with its “scientific” name.
A Sneaky Idea That Works… for a While
So we found a way to disguise the dog food by grinding up our own table meat with the “prescription” dog food.
And that seemed to do the trick.
For years we continued to feed Penny some form (or another) of that same brew of “prescription” dog food mixed with our own table food… chicken, beef or pork… even shrimp!
Penny never really welcomed her dog food concoction. She simply tolerated it. Sometimes she would spend as much as fifteen minutes picking through the mixture trying to avoid the manufactured portion.
Well-Meaning Advice Turns Deadly
Then, early in 2007, things changed. Penny suddenly stopped eating altogether. No matter what we mixed with her food she simply refused to eat.
So, our new vet suggested we temporarily try feeding her canned cat food. She felt the higher meat content would be more appealing to Penny.
And she was right. It worked. Penny began to eat again.
But unfortunately, 2007 was also the year of the U. S. government’s (now infamous) pet food recall.
So, when Penny developed signs of severe weakness and visible weight loss we began to suspect tainted food.
Our worst suspicions were confirmed. Her cat food was on the government’s official list.
We immediately returned to the old combination. But it was too late.
Penny’s condition became noticeably worse. Her chronic ear infections (which she had suffered from for most of her life) intensified wildly.
She lost even more weight.
Then, on December 1, Penny reached the point where she could no longer move. She was euthanized at 9:30 that morning.
The Biggest Mistake You Could Ever Make
When Choosing Commercial Dog Food
As I write this it’s still difficult to choke back the tears.
Because of what happened to Penny that year I became painfully aware of something… something I had ignored over a lifetime of caring for all my family dogs.
I had taken for granted the quality and safety of commercial dog food.
And that was a huge mistake!
You see, in all those years of caring for Penny it never once occurred to me that I might be feeding her anything that could harm her. In fact, quite the opposite… I always thought that because I was paying “extra” for a premium dog food I was surely giving her the very best.
But by feeding Penny what we later discovered to be a nutritionally inadequate product we had unknowingly robbed her for a lifetime of proper nutrition.
We had slowly (yet innocently) “starved” to death a beloved member of our own family.
How You Can Use What I Learned from
Penny’s Story to Add Years to Your Dog’s Life
I know your dog must certainly be a cherished member of your family, too. And I know you would never knowingly do anything to endanger your beloved pet.
But what you don’t know could do just that.
Well, now, I’ve finally discovered a predictable, scientific system for uncovering only the very best commercial pet foods to feed my dog.
That’s why I created The Dog Food Advisor… to share with you what I’ve learned. And to show you how to keep Penny’s tragic story from happening to your dog, too.
So, give your precious pet the best opportunity for living a long and healthy life. Provide her with a safe and nutritious dog food. To do that you must…
- Be aware of the enormous range of dog food quality
- Recognize the truly superior brands
- Avoid choosing an inferior product
Help your dog live a long and healthy life. Get our Dog Food Ratings.
