A lot of dog owners don't pay enough attention to the food they give their dogs. Often they'll just take whatever is available on the supermarket shelves, not bothering to check the ingredients on the label. If they did check the label they'd be shocked by some of the things these products contain, ingredients that can actually be harmful to a dog.
Not only that, but in many cases buying cheap is actually a false economy, as I'll explain later. For now, lets just concentrate on ways to select a healthy, good quality dog food for your dog.
Dogs are omnivores and require both meat and vegetables in their diet. The ratio between the two should be about 50/50 with no additional fillers. How do you know if a particular brand of kibble meets this requirement? You read the label.
Unfortunately, labeling can be confusing, perhaps deliberately so. But here's a quick and easy way to cut through the misinformation.
Check out the first 5 ingredients listed. If they are protein-based ingredients from meat, chances are the product will fulfill your dog's nutritional requirements, if they are grain based, chances are it won't.
It's not that grains are bad for your dog, just that they are better fed whole. Grains like rice, millet, oats and barley are actually a rich source of fiber, but the grains contained in dry dog food are primarily there as filler, and contain minimal nutritional value.
The other thing to be aware of are artificial flavorings and colors. Some of these are chemical based and may be a contributing factor towards diseases like cancer. The same goes for preservatives, rather choose a product that uses natural preservatives, for example vitamins C and E.
Checking labels can be tedious, but there's a much easier way to ensure that the dog food you buy is giving your dog the optimum nutrition he needs. Just buy a premium or super-premium, vet approved dog food brand.
Now you may look at the price tag on some of these products and think, "no way am I paying that for dog food!" If that's your initial reaction, I don't blame you. They can seem prohibitively expensive. But what if I were to tell you that they can actually save you money? Here's how.
With a cheap brand you have to feed your dog much more to deliver the same nutritional punch. And because the ingredients are sub-standard they create all kinds of problems, from obesity to skin allergies, to more serious diseases. These, of course, require veterinary treatment, which in the case of serious ailments can run to thousands of dollars.
Feeding a premium brand means you can feed smaller quantities, so that expensive brand of kibble last longer and also passes quality nutrition to your dog. Your dog will also pass less waste, so there's less for you to pick up!
Hopefully this article has illustrated why you should always feed your dog the best dog food you can afford. But quite aside from the health benefits, your dog deserves it.
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