7 Important Things to Check While Purchasing Dog Food
The best gift that you can ever give to your furry pal is good health. But for that you need to ensure that they get requisite exercise and proper nutrition. Although it is very difficult to control genetics the only thing that we can have total control is looking for best nutrition to your tyke. But with so many different brands available in the dog food category it becomes difficult to decide which of them provides best nutrition to your furry pal.
To make this ordeal easier for all the dog owners, we have compiled certain pointers that would aid you in selecting the best nutritious dog food for your furry pal:
Read The Dog Food Label Correctly
Please note that the first five to ten ingredients in the dog food label are very important. Look out for a recognisable protein and fat source like chicken or salmon instead of meat or meat by-products. If you see a meal such as Turkey meal, then it means that the turkey has been dried and certain amount of fat has been removed and all water has been removed. If you are not able to pronounce an ingredient like “Fructoligosaccharides“ do not think that it is bad for your pet. Fructoligosaccharides is a pre-biotic!!!
All Pet Food Labels Need A Guaranteed Analysis (GA)
This is very important to consider as a dog owner. But be aware of the fact that it is not easy to compare Guaranteed Analysis of one dog food brand to another. For example; there are certain dog brands that have a higher protein content, but the protein may be made up of lower quality vegetable proteins like soy instead of high quality proteins from poultry, fish and meat. Therefore, it is important to look at the quality of the ingredients before purchasing the dog food.
The Dog Food Needs To Be Complete And Balanced
This means that the dog food should have all the requisite nutrients like vitamins and minerals that your furry pal requires for healthy well-being. All commercial dog food needs to be Association of American Feed Control Officials – AAFCO compliant. This means that the dog food is complete and balanced. You can also see the statement that the nutrient levels are compliant with AAFCO nutritional standards on the back of the product label.
Remember Not Every Nutrition Is Created Equal
You can get a dog food comprising of a plate of veggies, chicken and a baked sweet potato, but that won’t have the same nutrition as a Big Mac with fries. You can get variety of dog food, but they are not equal nutritionally.
The Dog Food Needs To Change With The Growth
No single dog food is right for your doggy for an entire lifespan. You need to gauge various factors while selecting the most appropriate dog food: age, breed, size, weight, allergies, energy level, health issues, etc. So, you need to take these factors into consideration while selecting the most appropriate dog food for your furry pal. This means that the dog that you give to your puppy would be different to the dog given to a senior dog.
Look For The Transition Period Whenever You Change The Dog Food
Whenever you change the dog food, it is important to have a transition period of 5-7 days. This has to be a slow process wherein you need to mix the new food gradually each day. This is the best way to ensure that your furry pal does not get sick. Give adequate time to the doggy to properly adjust to the dog food.
Remember Dog Food Allergies Are Uncommon
Were you aware of the fact that allergies related to food are very uncommon. In fact the percentage is less than 5%. The majority of the allergies are as a result of fleas and seasonal or environmental. If a doggy has an allergy to protein like chicken it is due to the fact that he has been exposed to it before.
If a doggy is allergic to chicken they are having an allergic reaction to the protein in chicken. But they are not allergic to chicken fat as it does not contain protein. So, if your furry pal is allergic to chicken and the ingredient reflects “chicken fat” then there is no fear to get one.
