Knowing what to feed your dog is one of the most important decisions you will make that will affect your dog’s health. In this article I want to share with you some of my secrets for feeding your dog healthy food. What to look for, what not to feed, what to include in your dog’s diet, and ultimately how you can decide for yourself.
There are many causes of increasingly common severe canines and diseases, but the biggest single factor is food. Nutrition is the key to our dogs’ health. If you eat healthy, you are healthy; The same is true for our pets.
It is important to know the specific ingredients that are in healthy dog foods. Pet food doesn’t have to be as complicated as most food companies (and many veterinarians) would have you believe. Healthy pet food consists of very simple, basic ingredients.
Good pet food will contain the following: Real meat, such as chicken, lamb, beef, bison, venison, or fish, as a primary ingredient. They are sources of high quality, highly digestible protein. Proteins are essential for growth, maintenance, reproduction, repair and energy. Vegetables and fruits provide essential phytonutrients, antioxidants and enzymes, as well as natural vitamins, minerals and fiber. With us, vegetables and fruits have been shown to promote health and well-being. If carbohydrates, then whole grains like brown rice, barley and oats, sweet potatoes – these are complex carbohydrates. They help keep your dog or cat’s energy level up, but carbohydrates are not essential for dogs.
In the world of dog food, the rule of ‘you get what you pay for’ is valid to some extent. No question, cheap cheap food is made with poor quality ingredients. To be able to sell a 40lb bag of dog food for $15 means it must contain some very cheap ingredients; Think of a protein source derived from slaughtered animals: lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, and more. Dog food with better quality ingredients usually costs more because the ingredients are more expensive. Although in some cases the higher prices are also in place to supplement the company’s marketing fees; High prices are not always a sign of quality.
The top 10 ingredients typically comprise 80% or more of the entire dry pet food formula – by focusing on these ingredients, you can determine if the food is of good quality. An animal-based protein should be first—not a carbohydrate, such as corn. I recommend feeding ‘healthy’ carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, potatoes and brown rice.
Corn, wheat and soy have been linked to allergic reactions in some dogs and are not as easy to digest. My opinion is that these can still be included in your dog’s food, but they should be as a supplement to the food, not the primary ingredient.
Are local ingredients better? – Yes, but in most cases this is not possible as locally sourced dog food can cost over $200/bag. There are some good quality dog foods made with ingredients sourced from China, but these companies have some of the strictest quality controls. My suggestion is to support companies with a good track record of producing healthy food, companies that have strict quality control, and that have shown that their food is producing nutritionally healthy dogs.
There are some specific ingredients that do not need to be included in your dog’s food; And there are many reasonably priced foods without these ingredients. Avoid chemical preservatives like ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT and propylene glycol. Instead, look for natural preservatives like tocopherols (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Avoid foods with artificial flavor enhancers such as phosphoric acid. There’s no need for artificial flavors in your dog’s food. The last big chemical additive we should all be avoiding, (especially our dogs) are artificial colors. These include azo, azo dye and sodium nitrite.
Finally, there are quick, cheap, and easy things you can do to dramatically improve the quality of your dog’s food. I have been regularly adding some of these ingredients to my dog’s food; I encourage you to try some of these with your dog. My top 5 include: table scraps, vegetables and fruits, healthy omega 3 fats, natural probiotics found in yogurt and eggs.
You should now have a better understanding of the importance of dog food and your pet’s health, and should be able to use the criteria I outlined in the article to evaluate your dog’s food. Be aware of specific ingredients to avoid in your dog’s food, and eventually you should now be able to add some common ingredients found in your kitchen to supplement your dog’s diet, giving them a wholesome, Get cheap nutrition.
