There is currently considerable debate going on as far as nutrition. In this regard, your companion animal's dietary information is as confusing as your own. There is a wide range of opinion on the subject, with little tolerance for those who differ.

In its essence, food is a drug. "We are what we eat," could have also been stated as "We are because of what we don't eat." We have been conditioned to think of food in basic terms such as carbohydrate, protein, fat and probably foremost, taste. There is minimal effort to promote the vitamin and mineral content in our food, as we have come to rely on our vitamin supplements for that task. The problem are the literally thousands of micro-nutrients in food that is critical to our health in ways we are only beginning to understand. 1000 mg of Vitamin C daily has been shown to reduce the risk of stomach cancer. A small glass of fresh orange juice containing just 37 mg of Vitamin C doubles that protection against stomach cancer.

Lycopene is an example of a phyto-nutrient (nutrients that are not standard vitamins and minerals found in plants) that has recently been promoted by the vitamin industry for prostrate health. Lycopene is one of thousands of phyto-nutrients found in a tomato. It is one of the first to be studied is all. It seems fair to assume that there are many other valuable phyto-nutrients in a tomato making it the better choice.

There is a growing number of people in the companion animal community that promote the "raw food" or "natural" approach. They work to replicate the diet that the animal has naturally eaten through the ages. This includes the most controversial part of the diet, raw meat. The belief is that the digestive tract of these animals is designed to handle bacteria that would be harmful to us. Besides raw meat, the diet includes bone meal, vegetables, oils, egg yolks and vitamin supplements. It is their natural diet with high quality ingredients and a few modern supplements for good measure. Proponents of this diet include many highly respected veterinarians such as Richard Pitcairn and Allen M. Schoen.

On the other side of the aisle are those who argue that what is in the bag or can are just fine to suit your cat or dog's dietary requirements. They argue that the pet food companies have spent a lot of time and money researching and developing their products and there is no reason to switch from them. The biggest disagreement is in the use of raw meat. They argue that salmonella is a real risk, if not to your dog, then to those who come in contact with their feces, which can contain the bacteria. The veterinary university's and associations are more or less are in this camp.

The "natural" food proponents also point to the good health of their animals and the fact that veterinarians such as Dr. Richard Pitcairn have never encountered bacterial issues. The Pottenger Cat Study is also cited as proof of the validity of a "natural" diet. This study, carried out with many generations of cats, fed one group raw food only. The other group was fed the diet that had been cooked. What he found were that the raw food cats lived their lives with virtually no chronic health conditions, while the cooked food group had many of the chronic conditions common in today's cats, such as mouth and gum disorders, thyroid problems, and bladder inflammation problems.

Nutritionists call canned food meant for human consumption "dead food." What this means is that in order to kill the bad bacteria that might be present as it is processed, the good bacteria and other micro-nutrients are also destroyed. Enzymes critical for digestion are also destroyed which also places strain on the pancreas. While the pancreas normally supplies enzymes to help disgestion, it is forced to supply additional enzymes to make up for the shortfall from the diet. Studies are finding in humans and animals that the more a diet contains processed foods, the more enlarged the pancreas is. This holds true for food canned or bagged for animal consumption.

My 13-year-old German Shepherd suffered from chronic gas until he switched to a "natural" diet. Almost overnight it disappeared. His general health appears better to those who know him, including his coat which draws a lot of attention from those who think he just came from the groomer. Two of my cats had blood panels after a year on the diet. The results showed everything was within an optimal range.

There are many excellent books on the subject and holistic veterinarians and those who incorporate holistic disciplines into their practice who can help you make an informed decision.