Picking the right food for your dog can be almost as complicated as picking out your own meals. At least the same thought process goes into it.
The food needs to be affordable, as healthy as possible without sacrificing key ingredients, and above all, taste great. So what brands fall into that class? Well, in order to find the best dog food for your pet you have to break down the choices into different categories.
Before you jump out there planning doggie dinners, you need to realize that this is one area that should not be determined by price. In other words, just because a certain brand of food is more expensive does not necessarily mean that it is automatically better for your pet.
It has to come down to a comparison of ingredients and how they compare in price. We all want what is best for our pets, but at the same time it shouldn’t mean taking out a second mortgage in order to keep them fed.
The question always comes up: is dry food better than moist? Actually, it is a personal preference. For you, it comes down to cost and convenience: for your pet, it comes down to taste. Some dogs simply like some varieties better than others. So break out the taste test.
So are more expensive dog foods worth the extra money? Sometimes they are. Comparing what you get with what you pay is a good rule of thumb. But at the same time, it also comes down to what you animal likes to eat. Certain dogs will turn their noses up at more pricey products.
The best thing to do is start with a small bag of whatever you decide to go with and try them out. If they like the taste, their body seems to be digesting it well, and it falls within your budget, then go for it.
Since taste has been brought up, this is an important factor. Whether the dog enjoys eating it is only part of the consideration here. It also comes down to what is actually in the food that is also vital to know.
Some foods will contain scraps and excess parts left over from processing certain foods. Things that we would never consider intentionally giving our pet is ground up and mixed with other ingredients and bagged for distribution.
Take the time to read the label and identify what is in your choice. Like humans, dogs need an ample supply of vitamins, nutrients, and above all, protein in order to stay fit, lean and healthy. It not only gives them the energy that they need, but it helps them to age at the appropriate speed, not to mention helping to deter a plethora of diseases and ailments.
Reading a label on a bag of dog food can be an eye opening experience. Chances are, you’ll never look at your pooch’s cuisine the same way again.
One concern that always comes up is which is better: traditional, holistic or organic? This can be a very gray area since these terms don’t’ really fit into pet food like they might for human food. In fact, they don’t even carry a real definition in canine food.
For all practical purposes, they are a way for companies to play off of the sympathy of pet owners by trying to convince you that your pet is worth the extra money to feed them something with these titles.
Even though your pet is worth it, that doesn’t mean that these are any better for them. Again, it comes down to ingredients. The one thing that you can be certain of is if a label contains the term “natural”. This means that it does not carry synthetic materials, which you wouldn’t want your dog consuming anyway.
Read the label and decide what they should have. If necessary, consult your veterinarian to decide if extra ingredients and fancy terms are worth the extra cost.
What are important to stay away from are excess fats, oils, empty calories and items that hold no nutritional value. These are common in the pet food market.
A good indication is to inspect the inside of the bag of food. If it has a greasy, slimy film on it, then it is probably full of things that your dog would be better off without. The best dog food bags will be cleaner to the touch.
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