Dog Food Secrets You Should Know
Too few dog owners pay attention to what they feed their dogs. For many, it's just a case of whatever is on special at their local supermarket, without any consideration for what the food contains. Many would be shocked to know that some of the ingredients, flavorants and colorings may actually be harmful to their dog.
Not only that, but cheap dog food may not be the bargain it appears to be (more on this later).For now, here are some tips you can use in selecting a healthy 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.
Not that all grains are bad. It’s just that cheap dog foods use grains as filler to increase the food's protein content. Grains like rice, barley, millet and oats can actually provide a dog with vitamins, minerals and fiber, but they should be fed whole.
The other things you should look out for are preservatives and artificial flavors and colorings – a quality dog food will not contain any of these. If preservative are present, take particular note of what kinds of preservatives are used. Chemical preservatives can cause cancer, so rather go a product that uses natural preservatives, like Vitamin E and C.
All this checking of labels can be a bit of a bind after a while though, so why not just cut to the chase. Buy a premium or super premium dog food brand and you can be almost certain that it will give your dog the optimum level of nutrition he needs.
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.
Cheap dog food brands use sub-standard ingredients that are low in nutritional value. This means you have to give your dog more food to meet his nutritional needs. Feeding more inevitably leads to obesity, obesity leads to disease, disease leads to expensive visits to the vet, and your dog living a shorter, less fulfilling life.
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!
The bottom line? Be careful what you feed your dog and always buy the best dog food you can afford.
There's lots more about dog food tips, dog care, dog breed info and other interesting dog advice at www.dogsanddogtraining.com
