There is so much talk today about what dog food you should be feeding, it is almost impossible to make a decision.
I think the biggest problem is that the information is coming from too many sources and most of those sources have a financial stake in what they want you to believe.
So how do you decide what is right for your dogs food and what nutrition requirements they have? I would start with a little research and that research can be as simple as reading the labels if you are purchasing commercial dry dog food or canned food.
At the top of the list should be protein for the main ingredient.
It is also important that the protein source be a whole meat and consists of lamb, salmon, chicken or venison.
Chopped Pieces are never a good substitute.
They are usually made up of leftover animal parts and bones from rendering plants and can even contain other euthanized dogs! Next you need to look for carbohydrates and fats but be sure that you are not just paying for cheap fillers in your dog food.
An example can be corn where the quality and nutritional value can be low due to poor digestibility.
The big commercial dog food companies will use multiple types of carbohydrates as fillers in their food to add to the quantity of their food.
It does not add nutritional value only to the bulk of the dog food.
Try aiming for a product that has something like brown rice as the main carbohydrate.
It is important to include essential vitamins and supplements.
What your dog needs specifically can be determined by your veterinarian and you should schedule a visit before you start choosing a new dog food for your precious pooch.
This way you can determine any health issues or deficiencies and address them and then include the necessary vitamins in their dog diet.
Reading a label on a commercial dog food bag is not your only choice.
There are numerous other food choices, such as natural dog food, organic and homemade dog food just to name a few.
These are excellent choices but will require you to do a little research and some trial and error to figure out what will agree with your dog.
These are just a few basic guidelines to help get you started in your dog diet information quest.
There is an enormous amount of information available out there if you are willing to sift through it.
I am attempting to decipher some of that information for you one subject at a time on my website.
If you are interested in the details of how the right food can truly make your dog happy and healthy, please drop by for a visit.
We look forward to seeing you there