Getting the Right Dog Food
Just as the FDA mandates that food manufactured for human consumption must be labeled properly, the Association of American Feed Control (AAFCO) supervises pet food.
Labels must include nutritional information and meet certain standards set by the AAFCO.
You should always make it a point to read pet food labels to educate yourself on the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates in various brands.
Doing so will help you determine which brand to choose for your dog and how much to feed.
It is best to avoid certain additives to dog food such as soy, corn and wheat as these are simply fillers that don't provide any nutritional value to your dog, and on the contrary some of these ingredients have been known to cause allergies in some pets.
Of course it goes without saying that you should avoid foods that contain chemical preservatives.
Buying samples or brands that offer money back guarantees is a good idea if you own a picky eater, that way you can try different brands and flavors to see which food your dog prefers.
Pet food labels and terms can be a bit confusing so here is a list of commonly listed ingredients to help you determine which to choose for your dog.
Meat: Meat incorporates the flesh of cows, sheep, chicken and turkeys.
This flesh can include parts such as the diaphragm, hearts, tongue, skeletal muscle, fat, nerves, blood vessels and sinew.
Pet foods that list meat as the first ingredient are generally of a superior kind.
Meat-by-products: Meat-by-products are defined by the AAFCO as including blood, brain, spleen, liver, lungs, bone, intestines and stomach; they should not include the hooves, teeth or hair of the animal.
When choosing a dog food, it is best to select a brand that lists meat as a primary ingredient rather than meat-by-products.
Poultry-by-products: Poultry-by-products are the heart, kidneys, intestines, stomach and lungs of poultry as well as the heads and feet.
Poultry-by-products should not include feathers.
Fish Meal: Fish meal is defined by the AAFCO as being the flesh of fish that hasn't decomposed and it may or may not contain fish oil.
Corn Gluten Meal: Corn gluten meal is derived from the manufacturing of corn syrup and starch.
It is the by-product of the manufacturing process and doesn't contain any germ, starch or bran.
It is generally used as filler and provides "empty" calories, i.
e.
Void of any nutritional benefits.
Brewers Rice: Brewers rice is derived the fragments that result from the milling of rice.
It is fragments of the kernels of rice which have been removed from larger kernels during processing.
BHA: or butylated hydroxyanisole, is a food preservative and antioxidant added to foods to preserve oils and fats.
Ethoxyquin: Ethoxyquin is an antioxidant usually added to animal feeds to prevent the loss of fat and vitamins A and E.
Tocopherols: Tocopherols are basically vitamin E compounds that are added to food to provide a source of vitamin E and they also function as a natural food preservative.
Labels must include nutritional information and meet certain standards set by the AAFCO.
You should always make it a point to read pet food labels to educate yourself on the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates in various brands.
Doing so will help you determine which brand to choose for your dog and how much to feed.
It is best to avoid certain additives to dog food such as soy, corn and wheat as these are simply fillers that don't provide any nutritional value to your dog, and on the contrary some of these ingredients have been known to cause allergies in some pets.
Of course it goes without saying that you should avoid foods that contain chemical preservatives.
Buying samples or brands that offer money back guarantees is a good idea if you own a picky eater, that way you can try different brands and flavors to see which food your dog prefers.
Pet food labels and terms can be a bit confusing so here is a list of commonly listed ingredients to help you determine which to choose for your dog.
Meat: Meat incorporates the flesh of cows, sheep, chicken and turkeys.
This flesh can include parts such as the diaphragm, hearts, tongue, skeletal muscle, fat, nerves, blood vessels and sinew.
Pet foods that list meat as the first ingredient are generally of a superior kind.
Meat-by-products: Meat-by-products are defined by the AAFCO as including blood, brain, spleen, liver, lungs, bone, intestines and stomach; they should not include the hooves, teeth or hair of the animal.
When choosing a dog food, it is best to select a brand that lists meat as a primary ingredient rather than meat-by-products.
Poultry-by-products: Poultry-by-products are the heart, kidneys, intestines, stomach and lungs of poultry as well as the heads and feet.
Poultry-by-products should not include feathers.
Fish Meal: Fish meal is defined by the AAFCO as being the flesh of fish that hasn't decomposed and it may or may not contain fish oil.
Corn Gluten Meal: Corn gluten meal is derived from the manufacturing of corn syrup and starch.
It is the by-product of the manufacturing process and doesn't contain any germ, starch or bran.
It is generally used as filler and provides "empty" calories, i.
e.
Void of any nutritional benefits.
Brewers Rice: Brewers rice is derived the fragments that result from the milling of rice.
It is fragments of the kernels of rice which have been removed from larger kernels during processing.
BHA: or butylated hydroxyanisole, is a food preservative and antioxidant added to foods to preserve oils and fats.
Ethoxyquin: Ethoxyquin is an antioxidant usually added to animal feeds to prevent the loss of fat and vitamins A and E.
Tocopherols: Tocopherols are basically vitamin E compounds that are added to food to provide a source of vitamin E and they also function as a natural food preservative.
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