Dog Food - The Choices
by Richard G M Taylor
Dog owners are faced with a difficult choice when comes to the right food
for their dog. Many owners simply do not know what makes a good dog food and
assume that the higher priced brand must be better. Others will take the
opposite view and see no reason to spend extra on a premium brand dog food.
Of course we are not just talking about canned dog food. Dogs tend to prefer
the moist, juicy food contained in a can but it is important for them to
also to chew on hard crunchy dog food such as dry kibble and dog biscuits.
Obviously the nutrition is important and that will come mostly from the
choice of canned dog food but a dog's dental health is also important and
therefore their diet should contain a balance. Mixing canned dog food with
dry kibble or biscuits may be the answer if your dog does not like to eat
the dry food separately.
Good quality dog food should contain top quality nutritional ingredients and
should offer a balanced diet of high protein such as fresh meat or meats and
unprocessed grains, vegetables and fruits. It should contain natural
preservatives and be low on fillers such as corn, soy, brewer's rice and
wheat bran.
In general terms, you get what you pay for. However, that is not always true
and dog owners should learn about the best ingredients and read the label to
ensure that those ingredients are there. You will find at the lower end of
the price range, the dog food is low on nutrients and will recommend say 6
measures per day instead of maybe 2 or 3 measures of good quality premium
priced food. So you can see that there can be a false economy in buying the
cheaper food, most of which will pass straight through the dog and leaving
the poor animal hungry for more. So the message here is read the label for
ingredients and feeding instructions.
Finally, it is important to monitor your dog's health. As with humans,
healthy eating leads to good health. Eating junk food will cause obesity and
other health problems. Look at your dogs teeth which can usually give an
indication of poor diet. Regular check ups with your local vet will also
point to any dietary problems.
For more information on Dog Health visit http://www.aboutdoghealth.info/
