With so many varieties of dog food on the market, how do you know what food is best for your pup?
First we need to understand what the nutritional needs for dogs are and then we need knowledge regarding the ingredients found in dog food.
I recommend the Dog Food Analysis website to learn about more about ingredients in dog food. Visit www.dogfoodanalysis.com/how-do-you-rate-the-foods.html. This website provides information on what is found in dog food, how the food is rated and the actual ratings.
The pet food industry is huge and the commercials are cute. My goal is to provide you with information and choices. Then you decide what you think is best for your dog.
There are some basic food types:
• Dry kibble
• Canned food
• Raw diets
• Homemade diets
Dogs are carnivores, not grainivoires. Therefore high quality meat should be the focus and should be the primary ingredient. Fresh vegetables should also be included. Many brands of dry kibble are very heavy in corn and other cheap grains. I often say this is the equivalent of you eating a hotdog three times and day and expecting to be healthy.
I highly recommend checking out the Dog Food Analysis website at www.dogfoodanalysis.com. This website is great and provides rating on both dry food and canned food. The foods are rated from 1 to 6 and list the pros and cons of each food. I recommend looking for a 5 or 6 star food. Also check out the FAQ section where you will find great information. You will be surprised with the rating for many foods that are marketed as premium or vet recommended. Type your brand into the search box to see where it stands.
Remembering that dogs are carnivores, I think a high quality prepared raw diet is extremely beneficial. There are many choices available now for raw diets. Many times when I first recommend a raw diet… the first thing my client asks is…should I feed him hamburger? I do not recommend feeding hamburger. It is high in fat and is low quality meat. The website I really love for raw diets is www.aplaceforpaws.com. They offer a wide variety of quality foods at reasonable prices. Typically I like to use raw food in combination with a high quality dry kibble. Try rotating between meat and bone blends with organ blends, dogs need both.
Another very informative site is www.barfworld.com. Switching to a raw diet has been associated with helping and preventing food allergies. If your dog suffers from reoccurring ear or skin infections, this may be something worth trying.
Homemade diets can be great. But care must be placed in the balance and variety of food. No one thing should be fed daily. Most people get into a particular recipe and provide no variety. Dogs require muscle meats, bones, organs and fresh veggies.
Most importantly, research shows a high quality protein diet with fresh vegetables and low or no grains is best for the overall health of your pup.
When you eat better, you feel better.
Bon Appétit!
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