There are literally hundereds of pre-prepared dog food products on the market and it can be hard choosing between them.
First of all, you can’t judge by advertising which are the good and bad dog foods.Some of the bigger manufacturers spend millions each year trying to convince you that their food is the best.Unfortunately, a good indicator on the quality of dry dog food is price. Low priced foods are not always, but most often, the lowest quality foods on the market.
Look for the food to contain around 25% protein, with oils making up around 20% of the ingredients.The protein should come from a good quality meat source. Typically, dogs will require a varying amount of protein and fats, based on age, breed and mobility so you may want to get some advice from your vet.It is important to understand which ingredients are better than others. When you look at a food label, the following are the kinds of ingredients that you are looking for: Quality beef, lamb, turkey, chicken and fish plus vegetable oil and rice.Make sure meat is the first thing on the ingredients list. Watch out for chicken being shown as the main ingredient.By simply listing “Chicken” many manufacturers will actually include the beak, feet and even feathers.
Vitamins and fatty acids are required in your dogs diet, so look out for pet food which contains them. Some examples include Vitamin E, Omega 3 and 6, etc. These are very important for a healthy looking skin and coat.Artificial preservatives should be avoided.Other ingredients that you don’t want to see on your dog food label include: Inferior protein which consists of but not limited to variations of the following: Wheat, Corn, Chicken by-products, Soy, Gluten. A dog will find these ingredients hard to digest and prolonged feeding of them can cause negative health effects.Sugar is another ingredient that you want to stay away from.
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