The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Best Dog Food for Your Furry Friend
Contents
Consider possible allergies and health conditions
Choosing food for your dogs life stage
Choosing right right ingredients
Types of meat and fish found in pet food
Choosing the right food for your dog can be a daunting task, as there are so many brands out there that all claim to be the best. But with a little research and guidance, you can find the perfect food for your furry friend. Here is an ultimate guide to selecting the best dog food for your pup - from evaluating ingredients to understanding nutritional needs. With this guide, you’ll have no problem finding exactly what your four-legged pal needs in order to stay healthy and active!
1. Consider your dog's breed, activity level, and health condition.
Whether your dog is a small, medium or large breed, you can be sure to find a food that's specially made for them!
2. Consider your dog's possible allergies or health conditions.
It's very common for dogs who have or develop allergies to certain ingredients. This usually occurs in the type of meat used in the food, but in the most severe cases, it can range to many foods that cannot be consumed even in the smallest amounts.
There are some serious health conditions found in dogs, such as diabetes, that require a very particular type of food, for example low fat and low carb content.
We recommend seeking Veterinary advice if your dog might be suffering from a serious health problem
3. Choose a food that is appropriate for your dog's life stage.
Generally there are 3 types of food on the market based on their age;
Puppy food
Adult dog food
Senior dog food
(Some brands also produce Junior dog food, for the middle ground between puppy and adulthood)
It's important to select the right food based on age, as these foods of contain a different balance of ingredients that are beneficial to dogs health. For example, a puppy who's going through a super fast growth stage needs higher protein and calorie levels than an a fully grown adult dog.
4. Select a food that contains high-quality ingredients.
Checking the list of ingredients is very important to give your dog exactly what you need. Unfortunately, some pet food labels aren't so clear to understand and may use confusing or misleading terminology.
By law pet food companies must list their ingredients in order of highest quantity to least.
The best quality foods for dogs are high meat content and the number 1 ingredient should be meat.
Types of meat/fish found in pet food
It's important to look at how the meat/fish is labeled on the recipe. There are 3 common of meat that can be found in dry pet food:
- "Freshly prepared" - This is the best quality meat found in pet food. As the name suggests, the meat is lean and fresh.
- "Dried" - a good source of lean protein, that's been dried of moisture to prevent perishability.
- "Meat meal" - This is a very low quality, cheap ingredient and we recommend avoiding feeding to dogs. The term "meat meal" or "chicken meal", for example, refers to an a protein source which hasn't been deboned, gutted, or even had it's fur or feathers removed. Yucky!
Low quality ingredients to avoid
Some pet food recipes are packed full of cheap foods with little to no nutritional benefit to dogs. Some of them can even be detrimental to a dogs health and happiness, by causing distressing allergies and painful digestive problems.
Ingredients to watch out for, especially in large quantities:
- Barley
- Oats
- Grains
- Wheat
Conclusion
If in doubt, contact your vet or the brand of dog food that look suitable and ask for their advice. Most pet food companies love to talk with other pet owners and are always eager to give advice and share their knowledge!