How to Choose the Best Food for Your Dog

Whether you’re bringing home a new puppy or an older dog from the shelter, or your current pup is simply in need of a change in diet, it’s important that you spend some time researching available dog food options so you can choose one that will be the best fit for your dog.

You should always start by getting recommendations for the best dog food from a veterinarian in Henderson, NV. They will almost certainly be able to provide you with a list of excellent brands and specific recommendations for your dog’s needs. But if you’re interested in doing your own research, here are some of the factors you’ll need to consider as you search for the best dog food for your furry friend.

Consider the dog

Some of the most important characteristics to consider include your dog’s age, physical traits, its general demeanor and behavior and its current overall health. Puppies and lactating mothers need more calories every day, and senior dogs need fewer calories. Dogs with higher activity levels will need more calories than dogs that tend to just sit around most of the day.

Choosing the proper food based on your dog’s characteristics will help your pet avoid obesity and other health issues.

Check the ingredients

The labels on dog food will list ingredients based on weight. You’ll want foods that have meat or meat meals as the top ingredient, because this will indicate the food is primarily meat rather than artificial substances and fillers. Meat can feature skeletal muscle or tissues from various organs, as well as fat and gristle. Meat byproduct can include lungs, brain, blood, bone, kidneys and more, but should never include hair, hooves, teeth or horns.

As long as the first ingredient is not a vegetable, grain or tuber, you’re off to a good start in your search.

Know how to read the labels

There’s a lot of jargon that gets placed on dog food packaging. You’ll frequently see labels that say something like “chicken dog food” with an indicator that the chicken comprises 95 percent of the total product not including water content. With water added, that might only be about 70 percent.

If you see “chicken dinner” or “beef dinner,” that word “dinner” indicates the protein is an even smaller portion of the food, meaning it’s not going to be as high of quality. You should be similarly suspicious of words like “platter,” “formula,” “entrée” or “nuggets.”

Finally, definitely avoid food labeled “beef flavor” or “chicken flavor,” as the amount of actual protein in those foods will be negligible.

Do some research

Before making a purchase, make sure you do some research online about the quality of the food and the way the ingredients are sourced. Again, you should also seek the advice of a veterinarian, who will have a much greater understanding of the various dog foods on the market and which ones are the healthiest options.

For more information about choosing the right dog food for your pet in Henderson, NV, contact The Soggy Dog today.

Categorised in: Dog Food

This post was written by Writer