I'm wearing my consumer watchdog hat and giving you fair warning: this month's topic makes me one cranky little dog. I'm sure you've noticed the considerable shift towards natural, healthy food. This movement is happening in the pet food industry as well as the people food industry, and it looks like it is here to stay. That, of course, is wonderful news for dogs and cats who have long been victimized by companies more interested in financial gain than the well-being of animals. Last year's pet food recall put those unethical companies in the spotlight and many of them responded. Unfortunately, too many companies have responded in infuriating ways. There are a lot of lies on the shelves, in magazines and on television these days. Now, more than ever, pet owners need to be educated consumers. In some unfortunate instances, last year's food scare has been exploited as this year's opportunity to play on the emotions of loving pet parents.

I'll start with my beef about packaging. Simply put, wrapping a pretty package around something intrinsically ugly does not make it new and natural! Reassuring earth tones and compelling photographs of vegetables and meat in their whole forms do not guarantee nutritious contents. It's a lot easier to repackage an existing brand than to manufacture an entirely new one. Buyers beware!

If the ingredient list includes by-products, digest, BHA, BHT or ethoxyquin, put the product back on the shelf pronto. If the ingredients are generic, like "animal fat" or "meat protein", run and run fast. If the main ingredient is corn, you can bet the contents are sub-par. I don't care how many words on the front of the package promise that you are feeding the best food ever, ever, ever made in the history of the world. Read the fine print on the real ingredient label no matter how tiny it is or how hard it is to find on the package.

Likewise, just because a pet food company chooses to have an adoption drive and run endless commercials showing pitiful dogs behind bars does not mean the food is healthy. Even if that same company declares that the food is wonderful, it is not. A sample popular food from one company taking this approach has an ingredient list with corn as the primary ingredient, followed by by-product meal, animal fat, and corn gluten, not to mention BHA and BHT. Folks, this is deception at its ugliest. Yes, I love the idea of food dollars going to save pets in need. Do yourselves a favor, though: Feed your pets a truly healthy diet and donate directly to the shelter of your choice.

And finally, irresistible puppies holding cute toys in their mouths have nothing to do with good food. Even if (especially if) that puppy is eating food that looks like stew that people could eat, do your homework. What happened was that a few responsible food companies began creating food that actually was good enough for owners to eat. Dogs loved it and people loved giving it to their dogs. Less scrupulous companies caught on and began making products that look similar, but trust me, they are not. Again, the proof is in the ingredient list.

I am saddened by the number of people who still think feeding good pet food means paying high prices or pampering their pets with "gourmet" meals. If someone chooses to feed a child broccoli instead of potato chips, does that mean the child is getting a gourmet meal? Feeding us food every day that is full of dangerous preservatives and comprised primarily of corn or by-products is the same as feeding junk food as a maintenance diet. We will eventually get sick and we will not thrive. This is true even if the package is appealing, the food is associated with an adoption drive or the food looks wholesome.

Please, please be your pet's best friend. We are what we eat and that means we are what you decide to feed us. Don't let big corporations with deep marketing pockets and shallow consciences determine your pet's well-being.

Thank you and I promise to work on my cranky-pants attitude.

Albert, a Jack Russell Terrier, is Chairman of the Board of Wylie Wagg, a shop for dogs, cats, and their people, in Middleburg and Fairfax. Email him at albertspawpals@gmail.com.