What is the Best Food to Feed my Dog?

Choosing the Right Diet for Your Dog can be Confusing

Jun 11, 2009

There are all kinds of dog food on the market today, and deciding which one is best for your dog can be tricky. Here are some guidelines to help with this choice.

In North America, the second fastest growing industry is pets. Accordingly, new dog foods hit the market everyday, and each one has claims as to why it is the best. There is no concrete answer, but factors such as cost, ingredients, age, breed, and health of the dog, as well as convenience to you, the owner, should be considered when deciding which food is best for your dog.

Cost

Very cheap and discount dog foods tend to be of low quality, and end up costing the pet owner more money in the long run. Cheap foods are mostly filler (which will be dealt with in the next section). A dog has to eat much more of these foods to feel full, and though the initial price may be cheaper, more of the food will have to be fed.

Pay attention to the feeding guides on the labels of the dog food. The cost per day of feeding a low quality dog food is often not that much less than feeding a food of a higher quality.

Low quality foods often pose health risks, such as allergic reactions, poor dental health, and obesity. What you save on the food may be later spent at the vet to correct these health problems.

Price may not always be indicative of quality, though. If a food is constantly advertised on television, the costs of these advertisements are worked into the sticker price of the food. One of equal, or even better quality, may be purchased for less.

Ingredients

Low quality dog foods are usually grain based, and contain more fillers, such as wheat and corn, than actual meat. Pay attention to the first three ingredients of a pet food to see if it is meat or grain based. Read the label, and do not just look at the pictures on the bag. Dog food with pictures of steak and fresh chicken on its packaging may be nothing but by-products and fillers.

Age, Breed, and Health of the Dog

Some dog foods are formulated to meet the needs of dogs throughout the course of their lives.

More common though, are foods that address the needs of dogs throughout different stages of their lives. Puppy foods, fed for the first year of a dogs life, are higher in calories, and contain ingredients such as DHA for optimal brain development. Senior dog foods, fed after the age of seven, are lower in calories, to account for a less active lifestyle, and may have added glucosamine and chondroitin for joints.

Some foods even address issues such as dental health, sensitive skin, and digestive problems.

Many dog foods are formulated for small or large breed dogs, and even for specific breeds.

Convenience

Some diets, such as raw diets, though providing excellent nutrition, can be time consuming to prepare. Many people enjoy the ease of simply pouring a bag of dog food into a bowl or opening a can.

Some dog foods are only available at specific stores, or in certain geographical locations. It can be inconvenient and costly to drive great distances to pick up a bag of dog food, especially if the store has run out. Often times, a similar food can be found at a location that is close to home, and can be found at a variety of locations.

When choosing a food for you dog, pick the one that has the best nutrition and quality of ingredients for your budget, addresses the life stage, size, and health requirements of your pet, and can be purchased and fed in a way that is convenient to your lifestyle.

The copyright of the article What is the Best Food to Feed my Dog? in Dog Care is owned by Ian Shoust. Permission to republish What is the Best Food to Feed my Dog? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.