Choosing the Right Dog Food
How to Pick a Healthy and Balanced Food for your Dog
There is a considerable number of different pet food brands available today. So what do our dogs really need? The most important thing to take into consideration is the ingredients used. The first ingredient listed on the bag should be a high quality source of protein such as chicken, beef, or lamb.
Avoid the By-Products
Meat by-products, basically speaking, are the parts that end up on the floor during the butchering process. This is anything left over after the parts used for human consumption have been removed. This most often includes organs, intestines, heads, feet, hair/feathers, etc. It is true that organ meat is a good source of protein and contains a lot of nutrients, but when it is ground up with a mixture containing mostly heads and feet it is much less digestible and the nutrients are not utilized by the body as easily.
Instead, choose a protein that is listed, for example, as deboned chicken or chicken meal. Chicken meal by definition includes muscle tissue free of skin or bone, derived from whole chickens, and excludes feathers, heads, feet, or entrails.
Aim for Pure, Digestible Ingredients
Another important ingredient that should be one of the first few listed on the bag is a good source of carbohydrate such as brown rice or barley. Due to its inexpensive cost, many pet food manufacturers use yellow corn as the main source of carbohydrate.
There is much debate going on about the use of corn. As long it is properly processed this can be used as a source of nutrients and fiber, however; many inexpensive dog foods use corn because it is cheap and not because of the carbohydrate content. Unfortunately when it comes to dog food, you do get what you pay for.
Consider the Dog’s Stage of Life
Just like humans, dogs require varying amounts of energy depending on their age. It is important to choose a dog food variety that reflects this. A puppy should be fed a food designed for puppies up until about a year of age. At this time they are developing muscle and bone and require a greater amount of protein and calcium. Most dog food lines have foods available for large breed puppies as well. Larger dogs, such as mastiffs or great danes, tend to grow very quickly which can put a lot of pressure on the growth plates leading to bone and joint problems. Foods designed for large breeds contain the right proportion of energy and protein so as to make sure they don’t grow fast, but grow properly.
Another important transition is going from an adult food to a senior food. Older animals require less energy because their metabolism is slowing and they usually are not as active. Their food should provide enough calories to maintain ideal body weight, but not too much that they become obese.
Quality dog food will keep your dog healthy.
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