Is pet food making your dog sick? Frankly, it’s more likely than you think. Popular pet food brands trick millions of dog parents every year. The industry has very little regulation — no national standard for what goes into dog food. So, what pet food brands put on the label is rarely what’s inside. If you’ve noticed unusual behaviour in your dog, his poor diet might start catching up with him.

Here are the 10 top symptoms indicating your dog desperately needs better food in his bowl.

Signs of digestive upset include vomiting, diarrhoea or loose stools, and gas. Surprise, surprise, these symptoms are directly linked to the diet. That’s because most commercial dog food brands don't bother using quality (or even real) meats.

So, what do they use instead? Cheap meat meals and meat by-products. They're also known as 4-D meats in the industry. 4-D stands for “dead, dying, diseased, or disabled.” It's alarming how they don't even bother hiding it. They trick us into feeding our dogs diseased or fake meat.

Naturally, dogs can’t digest these fake meat products easily. So, they can’t absorb the vital vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy. That's why switching to a diet with real food is crucial.

Take a close look at your dog. Does his fur look dull, dry, or more brittle than usual? This is a sign your dog is not getting enough nutrients. When untreated, these symptoms can turn into severe yeast infections and other painful diseases, resulting in hair loss and thinning of the coat.

Before it's too late, you must treat the root cause — poor nutrition. Fur mirrors your pet’s internal health. If you don’t switch his diet to real food, your dog will continue to suffer in silence.

Is your dog itching and frequently scratching? That points to a problem with his diet. The most common causes are allergic reactions to soy, gluten, wheat, rice, potatoes, peas, and lentils.

If you’re feeding your dog dry food, you should know most pet food brands use grain as their main ingredient. No wonder your dog’s immune system is acting up!

If your dog has a sensitive digestive system, it's essential to be extra careful in selecting a diet that meets his specific needs. This could be a key step in addressing his itching and scratching issues.

Your pet can suddenly become allergic to something he's been eating for years. Allergies are only a result of inflammation. You can stop inflammation and prevent allergies by feeding healthy foods without gluten, soy, additives, or preservatives.

Kibble and wet dog food can upset your dog’s immune system. Why? Because they’re overly processed, loaded with preservatives and additives, and ultra-high in carbs. Very close to zero in nutritional value.

Feeding your dog these types of food can lead to a range of physical symptoms.  Its immune system may react with histamines and inflammation, causing it to scratch, gnaw, lick, develop sores and hot spots, and even suffer from painful ear infections.

It’s unthinkable, but it’s not your fault. You didn’t know the truth. But just as clearly, your dog deserves better.

Wheat, gluten, and sugar cannot easily be removed from a dog’s gut. This causes complications like tear staining.

Put simply, when the body rejects the food, it sends immune system antibodies to defend itself. In this way, the body removes the build-up of toxins through the eyes.

Let’s be clear about this. Wheat, gluten, and sugar-based pet foods are actively poisoning our dogs. We can’t turn our heads in the other direction.

Switching to a toxin-free real-food diet is imperative.

We can’t expect our dogs to have a minty-fresh breath. But when the smell becomes heavy, it signals disease.

Unfortunately, the invention of kibble has doomed their health. Dry, high-carb kibbles are linked to plaque build-up.

Dogs evolved from wolves. They’re hunters. That’s why they thrive on raw meat. Recent studies show that raw diets are perfect for keeping a pup's mouth clean and teeth strong.

Is your dog growling and looking for a fight? Or maybe he's unable to keep still when seeing another dog? It might be because he’s overeating protein. Dog food brands put “high in protein” badges on their labels, but what they hide is this...

If your dog overeats protein in relation to their activity level, they will develop anxiety and become more aggressive. Every dog’s needs are unique. Finding the right amount of (high-quality) protein is crucial for your dog to feel and behave well.

Chubby dogs are cute, but did you know they live 2-3 years less? Nowadays, obesity is one of the most common health problems. For example, it is estimated that around 45% of dogs in the UK are overweight. And that number is rising each year. Obesity is the breeding ground for problems such as diabetes and heart disease. And it all comes down to overfeeding our dogs with poor-quality nutrition. Avoiding the consequences is as simple as committing (starting today) to make better choices for your dog’s diet.

IN THE UK ARE OVERWEIGHT!

How do you know if your dog is packing too much weight?

No matter your dog's breed, you should be able to feel all of your dog's ribs without a thick layer of fat over them. An overweight dog will generally have no waist and no distinction between chest and stomach.

When you feel ill, you don't burst with energy. Neither does your pet. Fatigue or lethargy can be symptoms of some severe diseases such as pancreatitis, diabetes, heart and kidney issues. The root cause of them is a poor or unbalanced diet. That’s true even when pet parents prepare a homemade raw diet. Eating raw is wonderful for dogs’ health, but balancing the ingredients and sourcing high-quality products is tricky. Most people lack the knowledge to make this work. And they certainly don’t have the time to put hundreds of hours into research.

Would you eat the meat of a sick animal? Fake “meat” manufactured in a lab? Of course not. Then stop feeding that to your dog. No excuses. Our dog’s diet shouldn’t be different from ours. It should be loaded with fresh vegetables, superfoods, and natural meat we’re able (even happy) to eat ourselves.

Diabetes in dogs is often associated with a poor diet. And guess what? Since 2011, diabetes in dogs has risen by over 900%

A dog with diabetes will require treatment for the rest of his life, including the provision of insulin. This illness will drain the life of your best friend by making it shorter and more miserable.

Prevention is always the best medicine. A natural and balanced raw diet will help control your dog’s blood sugar levels. This is a key factor in preventing diabetes.