[PennysMum]

Feral dogs live 4-6 years. I don't think any of us want that our dogs to live only that long...

Food matters. I'm a nurse at a veterinary hospital and have been doing this for most of a decade now, and I have literally seen animals who showed symptoms of malnutrition from being fed lower-quality brands of dog food, included a dog who almost STARVED TO DEATH while being fed "Ol' Roy". All that dog's owner needed to do was to switch him from that bargain-basement food to a higher quality food, and all of his ailments vanished. I've seen animals who were diabetic go from needing insulin injections to being completely normal or dramatically reducing their insulin doses with diet changes to higher protein diets. I've seen animals tearing themselves to pieces become perfectly normal pets with beautiful coats after changing off foods that contain corn. It has reached the point where, when an owner comes in complaining that their dog has loose stools all the time, I'm completely expecting them to say that they feed "Beneful" or "Kibbles and Bits"-- it's honestly THAT common.

A quality diet fed in appropriate amounts is the easiest way for an owner to keep their pet healthy. People complain about the cost, but honestly-- I pay $12 for a 6-pound bag of high quality, grain-free food for Penny. It lasts her about a month, so that comes to $144 a year. A medical problem requiring vet care could cost that much in a single visit pretty easily.