Rozita Daud asked:


First of all you should simply read the label thoroughly, making sure to read every item on it rather than just giving it a quick scan. The ingredients are listed according to weight, from the biggest weight to the smallest. It is important that you are aware not only what the ingredients are, but in what quantity they are present. Here are some points to note:-

If meat is listed as the first ingredient, you cannot assume that the quantity of it was measured before the meat was rendered.

Animal by-products are added as a cheap (and low quality) alternative to whole meat.

The best quality dog foods contain no animal by-products.

If the moisture level is more than 11%, then the dry matter food base is of poor quality.

The best quality dog foods have a moisture content of 10% or less, which is the ideal proportion.

If the first ingredient is beef or chicken meal, this is a good sign, because these have a higher protein content than whole meat.

Meal means that the meat has been baked before use, which removes the bacteria and any toxins present.

Chicken meat has a high water content. Consequently the proportion of chicken in dog food can be misleading, because you don’t know how much of that stated chicken content was after baking, which as well as removing unwanted substances also drives off water.

If the label gives a proportion of chicken meal rather than ‘chicken’, then you are actually getting more chicken because of the unwanted matter which has been driven off in the baking process.

Being aware of the ingredients in your dog’s food is the only way to really know what he is getting, especially given the many different forms in which these foods are sold today.

Always remember that your dog will not remain healthy, and in fact can even become ill, if you do not feed him a healthy diet, or if your chosen foods do not contain the ingredients he needs.

If your dog starts lacking energy and losing playfulness, or his behaviour becomes poor, then he could in fact be unwell. Another sign of good health and proper nutrition is the coat, which in a healthy dog should be thick and shiny.

Do not be fooled into thinking that you are doing well by spending less on your dog. This is only the case if you are also sure that you are giving him a proper nutritional diet, which is essential for good health. If you do not choose wisely, then you and your pet will suffer for it. If you do select well, however, then he should be both healthy and happy.



Delores

Wayne Kostencki asked:


A Good Dog Food

Despite what the label may claim, many of the dog foods available are not a good source of nutrition for your dog and some are actually harmful. The dog owner assumes that since the dog food label reads: ‘complete and balanced’, ‘premium’, ‘Healthy’, or ‘high protein’ that their dog will be healthy and well fed. This is not necessarily the case. Some ingredients are nearly indigestible by dogs, so if the dog is unable to break the food down into amino acids and then absorb those amino acids, the diet is of no value. You must look at the ingredients. Egg whites, chicken, beef, and lamb are at the top of the list of good ingredients. Wheat and corn are at the bottom. Preservative chemicals such as Ethoxyquin and BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) have questionable reputations and may be dangerous to your dog’s health.

Hint: Dietary deficiencies may take months to develop, while feeding a high quality diet will give you visual improvement in about three weeks.

Choosing a good dog food starts with the list of ingredients. The ingredient list is regulated by the government and must be listed according to weight in descending order. In other words, the main ingredient is listed first, the second most plentiful ingredient next, and so on. The first three or four ingredients are the most important. If corn, rice, wheat, and soybean meal are listed as the first few ingredients, then the food is vegetable based. If beef, lamb, fish or poultry is listed as the main ingredients, then the food is meat based.

In general, meat-based foods will be healthier for dogs than vegetable-based foods. The exception to this is a well balanced vegetarian diet which with time and effort can be healthy for dogs.

Be aware of ‘ingredient splitting’. If the list of ingredients contains several of a family of ingredients such as ground corn, yellow corn meal, corn gluten, and corn gluten meal separately, it moves ‘corn’ further down on the ingredient list. Corn may be the main ingredient if added together, but to the consumer it will appear that there is less corn in the dog food.

Often, low quality dog foods will use ‘ingredient splitting’. They will list a meat ingredient first; this will be followed by several similar materials listed as separate ingredients. For example, lamb may be listed as the first ingredient, then wheat flour and ground wheat. You may think that the lamb is the predominant ingredient, but the wheat products added together may outweigh the lamb.

Dogs need about 20-25% protein. Protein is the most expensive ingredient in dog food as well as the most important nutrient in your dog’s diet. The source of the protein determines its quality. There are 22 amino acids that make up proteins and 10 are critical in dog nutrition. Pick dog food with at least 2 sources of protein in the first 5 ingredients listed. Low-quality ingredients are not digested well and can produce loose stool. Generally, the better quality protein sources have higher digestibility.

Carbohydrates should comprise about 40-45% of your dog’s food and include rice, potatoes, pumpkin, corn, barley and pasta. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that aids in nutrient absorption, bowel regulation, and controlling caloric intake by providing satiety. High fiber food can sometimes help a dog that has a gas problem.

Fats should comprise 15-20% of food. Fats are most vital to dogs with high-energy requirements as they provide twice the energy per gram than carbohydrates or protein. Usable fats include chicken fat, sunflower/canola oil, fish oil, and lactose-free dairy. Fats are also important as they contain essential fatty acids which contribute to a healthy skin and coat. A lack of fats in a dog’s diet can lead to a rough coarse coat, dandruff, and flaky, dry skin. Fats also make the food taste better to the dog.

HINT: Some dogs are picky. My dog Buffy would leave the little stick shapes of her Kibbles & Bits every time she ate. She would devour the rest.

Avoid artificial colors, preservatives, and sweeteners such as corn syrup, sucrose, and ammoniated glycyrrhizin.



Mike

Queen of Hearts asked:


I have a small dog and he eats very little so I usually put his leftovers in the fridge. It takes him about 2 days to finish the contents in one can. So I keep the cover the can and put it in the fridge. Sometimes the soft food hardens in the fridge, does that mean it went bad? Is the way I store my dogs food in the fridge after opening it okay?

Dean

sue sue asked:


My cat loves dog food better then cat food. He is always eating the dogs food over his own food! What is wrong with my crazy cat? So now I just give him dog food!

Lillian

insubordinate_bytch asked:


My Great Pyrenees boy is 9 months old, 131 lbs and 32 tall mesuring from to of his back to the ground. Should I stop feeding him puppy food and give him a large breed dog food instead? Or should I keep feeding the puppy food until he is 1 year old?

Daniel

Curious Old Woman asked:


My dog likes ALPO better then the expensive brand dog food. I’ve tried feeding her higher premium brand foods, but she seems to prefer the taste of ALPO.

Is it ok if I feed that to her instead?

Howard

Matt asked:


I heard that certain types of dog food can cause eye staining, so what should i avoid and what would you recommend i use? Also, how many times per day should I feed my dog, or do I just let a bowl of food out for him to eat when he gets hungry? thanks

Ted

Tina asked:


I have a small dog named Boris. I have been feeding him well, but I’ve heard on the news that there are acidental poisens in some of the dog food brands. Can someone give me a list so i know what not to feed him?

Leonard

lol! asked:


What type of dog food do you recommend for price and quality? It doesn’t need to be the cheapest dog food, but something that’s not overly expensive.

Thanks in advance!

Norma

sarmientoatebay asked:


I ran out of dog food today so I gave by dog raisin brand… He loves it.. He also eats whatever I eat? How many of you out there are like me?

Jessica