Dog Food Comparisons

There are many different dog foods on the market, but which is best for your dog? A proper diet is key to keeping your canine in good health. There a four points we need to consider before picking the right product. These are:

1. Correct amounts of each food type – So you’ve seen nutritional values on food labels right? They help us keep track of the types of nutrients we are taking in, and there are certain ratios of each that we need to maintain if we want a “healthy” diet. So why should it be any different for our dogs? Experts suggest dogs should have around 50% vegetables, 40% meat and 10% carbohydrates per meal. Some other experts even recommend cutting out carbohydrate all together. Studies show that high levels of carbohydrate in a dogs diet can be the cause of diabetes and obesity, so watch these levels when choosing your dog food!

2. Variety – Dogs respond to a change it what they’re eating, and experts suggest changing the type of dog food you give your dog every few months. This is why it is a good idea to research the quality of many brands of dog foods.

3. Watch out for “meal” ingredients – If you see “chicken meal” or “beef meal” in the ingredients list, keep away! These ingredients consist of the processed leftover unwanted parts of meat. Make sure you acknowledge the difference between “chicken” and “chicken meal” for example. Although you may have to pay higher prices for better quality foods, it could save large vet bills in the future.

4. Watch out for preservatives – preservatives are added to foods to preserve the shelf life of the product. Many of these preservatives can have a detrimental effect on your dog’s health, when they aren’t needed. Preservatives such as vitamin C and vitamin E are safe, but shelf life is reduced greatly compared to artificial preservatives, so keep an eye out for these changes when you change your dog’s diet.

So, take a look at your current dog food and decide whether you could do better. I hope this small amount of information has been helpful, but if you are looking for a more in depth look at your dogs nutrition click here.