CHOOSING PET FOOD HOW TO EVALUATE WHICH FOOD IS BEST FOR YOUR
PET
Good nutrition is as important to
your dog's health as it is to your own. But his nutritional needs are quite
different from yours! In general, while a human diet should be high-fiber and
low in fat, a dog needs fatter (for energy and a healthy skin and coat) and
less fiber (for good intestinal health).
Even if you prefer a vegetarian
diet, designing a high-quality dog diet without animal protein is difficult.
Doginos Company research supports that dogs will not thrive on meatless meals.
Dogs are best fed as carnivores because they have simple stomachs and short
intestines that are ideal for digesting animal protein and animal fat. Dogs
also need carbohydrates for energy.
Life Stage and Lifestyle
With thousands of different petfoods available, how do you pick the one that's right for your dog?
Start by identifying the dog's
life stage and lifestyle. Puppies, nursing mothers and mature pets are examples
of life stages. And each one has different nutritional requirements. All dog
foods must state which life stage they are recommended for.
Nutritional needs also vary
depending on lifestyle. A dog whose primary activity is guarding the couch
doesn't need as much energy as one who guards a herd of sheep. Another factor
to consider is breed size: small, medium or large.
Finally, consider any special
medical condition your dog may have, like food allergies, which may require a
special diet recommended by your veterinarian.
Dry or Wet?
Once you've determined your dog's
life stage and lifestyle needs, you need to decide whether to feed dry or
canned food. Most dogs do well eating only dry food. Dry foods promote oralhygiene for healthy teeth and gums through abrasive action. Some dogs,
especially finicky eaters, enjoy wet food with its smooth, wet texture.
It's important to remember that,
while dry food can be left in a bowl all day, wet food should be thrown away
after 30 minutes if not consumed. So, dry food is the best choice for busy
people who are not normally home during the day.
Once you know your pet's
nutritional needs and your pet's preference, you are ready to go shopping.
Ingredients are listed in
descending order according to weight. Because dogs thrive on animal-based
diets, it's best to pick a food in which the first ingredient is an animal-based
protein source, such as chicken, lamb, fish or egg. These ingredients contain a
full complement of essential amino acids unlike a vegetable-based protein
sources, such as soybean meal or corn gluten meal.
Scientific studies show that
using a combination of carbohydrates in the diet, such as corn meal or barley
and grain sorghum, offers optimal carbohydrate digestibility and helps maintain
energy levels.
Scientific studies also show that
beet pulp the material remaining after sugar is extracted from sugar beets is
an excellent fiber source and promotes a healthy digestive tract.
For a glossy coat and healthy
skin, your pet needs fat in the diet. Good fat sources include chicken fat and
fish oil.
Quality
Dog food labels provide limited
information about the nutritional value of the food because labeling
regulations do not allow manufacturers to describe the quality of ingredients
on the package.
A reputable pet food manufacturer
will be able to explain to you their specific methods for evaluating and assuring
the quality of ingredients used in their products.
The Look of a Healthy Diet
Here are some signs of health to
look for in your dog:
·
Supple skin & glossy coat
·
Firm muscles in legs
·
Energetic, enthusiastic personality
·
Small, firm stools without excessive odor
