HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT DOG FOOD

Your dog is the most cherished possession you have.  He is the friend, the companion and your savior in times of need.  He is one of your family members and you just cannot live without him.  All the above statements are mostly true in most of the families that have a dog as a pet with them. But it has been found that these families do not take that extra care to see to it that their dog gets the right food he wants. Normally they buy whatever is available on the sales counter.   So, are you giving your dog that healthy diet that he needs to be strong and active? 

It is a known fact that every human being needs a balanced diet to lead a healthy and energetic life. The same can be said about your pets, especially the dog.  An ideal dog diet should contain a good concentration of proteins, fiber, some moisture as well as adequate fat contents. While buying the perfect dog food diet, there are certain factors that have to be taken into consideration to provide your dog the perfect meal.

·        Check out the Ingredients -  This is the first part that you have to check when you buy your dog food.  Take a look at the contents of the package which should mostly contain protein rich food such as meat, fish or eggs.  These proteins have a high percentage of usable amino acids which form an important part of your dog’s diet.  Also check that the food has an AFCO statement i.e. the official Association which sets up the standards for dog food.

·        Avoid these – If you are feeding your dog with food such as wheat, corn, cornmeal or soy, don’t do it. This is because these foods are difficult to digest for the dogs as well as may cause infections and allergies.  Instead of this you can go in for such foods products as millet, rolled oats and barley. 

·        Look out of these – While buying your dog food, just take a peek at the label and see to it that they contain minimum crude protein as well as maximum crude fiber. 

·        Ideal Dog Diet – For a dog to be healthy, the food diet has to be controlled strictly. It should contain 50% of vegetables, 10% of grains or cereals, as may be the choice and 40% of meat.  See to it that you don’t over-feed your dog with only meat or only vegetables.  A grownup dog needs around 18% proteins in his diet whereas a puppy should have around 22% of proteins.

·        Your dog breed – Before deciding upon the diet of the dog, you should know the requirement of the dog and it depends on the breed of the dog.  Each breed needs to have different diet.  Try to get experts advice while deciding upon your dog food.

·        It’s Quality that matters – By quality it does not mean ‘premium’ expensive food stuff that you buy from the counter.  The quality here is in context with the source of meat that is added in the food, may it be from chicken, lamb of duck i.e. if should not have artificial nutrients or additives such as glucose, molasses or corn syrup added to it.  Another aspect here is to avoid meat by-products that are mostly added in these foods.

·        Checking out the Digestibility – It mostly depends on your dog’s digestibility levels.  Most go in for fish diet as it is more digestible than meat or chicken diet.  Also Rice can be a main source of digestible food along with oats and yeast.

·        Rich in Vitamins – An ideal dog food should be rich in Vitamin E and C.  Also look for omega-3 rich food ingredients in your dog pack. 

·        Trying out the New Products – When you switch your dog food brand, make sure that it is done in a gradual process.  This may differ from 25% to 50% and then to 100%.  This is due to the fact that dog takes time to digest the new ingredients of a different brand.  

Also along with these, try to buy dry food instead of the canned ones as they keep away the dental problems of your dog. 

Taking all these factors into consideration, one can surely buy the perfect dog food diet for your dog.