When choosing the type of dog food to feed your dog, you need to consider his age, breed, your dog’s activity level and also his health condition. For instance, puppies and older dogs will have different types of nutritional needs and you need to ensure your dog or puppy has sufficient consumption of these nutrition for a long and healthy live. It is best if you seek advice from your veterinarian before deciding on which dog food to feed your dog or puppy.
Two most popular choices of dog foods are:
Dry Dog Food. Feeding your dog with dry dog food, usually in small pieces of kibbles, is perhaps one of the most popular choices among dog owners. However, not all dog food brands use high quality natural ingredients. Ensure to read the label of ingredients listed before purchasing any brands of dog food. Here are some guidelines to help you to have some ideas of what the label actually tells you:
No Preservative, Artificial Colors and Flavors. Generally, natural dog food contains no preservative, artificial colors and flavors. Consumption of these components may be harmful to your dog’s health if taken in a long run. Avoid those that labeled “chemical additives as a source of flavor".
Color. Lookout for the color of the dog food, generally dog food made from natural ingredients is in soft earth tones. Existence of other colors may contain some source of additives.
Type of Meat. Avoid brands that labeled “ingredients include meat by-product". Choose one that made from natural meat such as chicken, lamb or liver.
Raw Dog Food. According to veterinarian, feeding your dog with raw dog food is the healthiest and the best. Raw dog food contains all natural and unprocessed ingredients. A healthy raw dog food meal usually contains 40% meat, 30% fiber and 30% starch. Thereby, when preparing a meal for your dog, be sure to include some source of vegetables and starch in addition to the uncooked meat such as liver, beef, lamb and etc. Types of vegetables like broccoli, carrots and yams are all good sources of fibers and starches for your dog.
The Honest Kitchen Dog Food
If you are a dog lover, it's important you understand the dangers of using commercial dog food. With the number of dog food recalls that have happened in the recent future it's no surprise more and more people are starting to research the food they are putting in their dog's dish. Much of the dog food you find in the stores has been linked to all sorts of disease and illnesses - obviously you don't want to put your pup's health at risk.
These recalls weren't just small isolated cases - some of them were widespread and affected thousands of households.
Many pet owners lost their dogs - someone they considered members of their families - over tainted dog food incidents. Many dog lovers will never trust the commercialized dog food industry ever again.
The problem isn't just with dog food that has been recalled - it extends far beyond this. Commercial dog food is produced in a way that would make most people cringe. Since it's all about cutting costs for the companies they put in all sorts of fillers that have been linked to all sorts of health problems.
It's no mystery that there has been a huge trend in healthy eating. As humans we are becoming more aware of the benefits of eating a healthy diet and eating nutritious food to keep our bodies well fueled.
Yet, do we consider what foods we purchase for our dogs to eat? Are we simply buying certain dog food based on what we think our pets like the best to eat? You owe it to your pooch to pay close attention to what you are putting in it's precious tummy.
There are some ingredients in dog food that we should flat out avoid. They are not healthy or reliable in quality for pet consumption. They are also used heavily in the dog food industry by the larger companies.
As an example, corn gluten is a by-product that is found in dog foods. This is used because it is an incredibly cheap filler. However, not only is it an extremely poor source of protein, but it is one of the most common causes of allergies in dogs.
One of the worst ingredients found in commercial dog food is something called 'chicken by-product meal'. This is a combination I hate describing - it's nothing but ground up chickens feets, necks, bones, intestines etc. The companies use it because it's cheap but it has the potential of being toxic or tainted. It sure doesn't do your dog any good!
Soybean meal is an ingredient that is used in order to provide a source of protein. It's cheap and is found in many dog foods. The problem is that soybean is the number one cause of allergies in dogs. It annoys me that they would include an ingredient that they know so many dogs will have a reaction to.
There are other ingredients to consider, but I think you have gotten the gist of why some of the major brands of dog food that are on the supermarket shelves should be avoided.
It's amazing to see how much of a difference feeding your dog the right type of food can make. Your dog will be happier, healthier and even better behaved once you pay attention to their diet.
This article isn't supposed to scare you off of commercial dog food entirely, but you do need to know what to look for. Use the link at the bottom of this article for more information about finding the right foods for your pup.
Once you understand the dangers of certain commercial dog food and which ingredients to avoid, it's incredibly easy to make sure your dog is being fed nothing but the best food possible. Not only will you have the happiest and healthiest dog on the block, but you might just save its life! All the best!
Both Emillie Loh & Linda Mcnaughton are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Emillie Loh has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cellulite, Business Cards and Cellulite. Author Emillie Loh is a dog lover and owner of a dog-related website. Visit for more information on dog behavior and training.. Emillie Loh's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.
Linda Mcnaughton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dog Pet Food. to find out which dog foods you must avoid and how to keep your dog strong and healthy. You need to know how to find. Linda Mcnaughton's top article generates over 590 views. to your Favourites.
