Browse any grocery store or pet food store to buy Dog Food and you will agree that trying to decide on what is best for your dog is an exhausting task. Scanning the shelves of products available, you are bombarded by foods extolling different health benefits as well as a huge range of prices. The pet food industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and pet food manufacturers are eagerly marketing for every dollar. Not only are they marketing us to death, but also developing new products to put in front of us. Those products include “dry”, “canned”, “semi-moist” and health targeted products such as “senior”, “premium” and “gourmet.
So which food is best for your dog? Finding that out takes time and research. The truth is, the best dog food is the one that meets your dog’s nutritional requirements, which vary based upon the dog’s age, breed, body weight, genetics, and amount of activity… and one that fits within your budget. It is definitely worth consulting a veterinarian to get the best advice and nutrition plan for your dog. But for those of you that want to take matters in your own hands, you will find detailed below the most important things you will need to know.
Dog Food Labels
Susan Powter comes to mind when thinking about food labels. Remember this iconic infomercial star with the coined phrase “Stop the Insanity”? Her gospel about nutrition and the importance of studying the ingredients on the side of the packaging to distinguish the various elements and how each plays its role in overall nutrition, was novel at that time. It seems that this was the beginning of the mass movement to better nutrition, label reading and choosing products more carefully.
With all the recent pet food recalls, millions of dog owners have extended this scrutiny to selecting a dog food. But we can’t pull from the Susan Powter gospel for this, because dog foods are manufactured under a series of different standards and regulations, put forth by the AAFCO ( The Association of American Feed Control Officials ). There are special labeling requirements that require all dog foods to have certain information on the label. So, in order that we can all make a proper choice for our dogs, we must know how to read and understand the dog food label.
The AAFCO puts out an official publication, on a yearly basis, detailing special requirements for dog food. Among all the different requirements, they request all dog food manufacturers to adhere to label regulations and must include on the package the following:
# Product Name
# Guaranteed Analysis
# Nutritional Adequacy Statement
# Feeding Directions
The Name Game
When shopping for dog food, what is the first thing you look at? The product name, of course. We’ve all walked down the pet food aisle and seen the product names jump out as us…calling us. Displayed in bold type and fancy fonts such descriptions as “With Chicken”, “All Life Stages”, “Duck Entree”, “95% Beef”, “Natural Dog Food”. But what do these descriptions really mean? Is it just fancy marketing? The AAFCO has set forth rules that dictate how ingredients can be used in a product name.
95% Rule
# Applies to most canned dog food that consists mostly of meat, poultry or fish.
# Specifies that at least 95% of the dog food must be the named ingredient on the label, not counting water and preservatives added for processing.
# Counting water, the product must still consist of 70% of the product.
# If the name consists of a combination of ingredients, the two combined must equal 95%.
# The rule only applies to ingredients of animal origin, so grains and vegetables cannot be used as part of the 95% rule. So if the product name was “Beef and Brown Rice”, the product would still have to consist of 95% beef.
25% or “Dinner” Rule
# This rule applies to many canned as well as dry dog foods.
# If the named ingredient, or a combination of ingredients, found on the label consists of 25% of the weight (but less than 95%) excluding water for sufficient processing.
# The name must include a descriptive term, such as “Dinner”, “Platter”, “Entree”, or “Formula”.
# If more than one ingredient is in the name, they must both total 25% combined, with each named ingredient equalling or exceeding 3%.
3% or “With” Rule
# Originally, this rule was intended to apply only to ingredients highlighted on the package, outside of the product name.
# It allows manufacturers to highlight minor ingredients.
# The ingredient must have at least 3% added.
# The rule now allows manufacturers to use the term “With” in the product name.
Be careful when reading the dog food label because “Beef Dog Food” and “Dog Food with Beef” are not the same. The first must have 95% beef, whereas the latter only needs 3%.
Flavor Rule
# A percentage of any one ingredient isn’t required.
# The word “Flavor” must appear on the label in the same font size and color as the ingredient name.
# The flavor might be the corresponding ingredient, but more often than not, it’s another substance such as “meal”, “by-product”, a “stock” or a “broth”.
Guaranteed Analysis
The guaranteed analysis is the next component that needs to be on a dog food label. It serves as a general guide as to what the percentages of the main nutrients and other items are in the total makeup of the product. At the bare minimum, the guaranteed analysis must consist of the following:
# Minimum Percentage of Protein
# Minimum Percentage of Fat
# Maximum Percentage of Fiber
# Maximum Percentage of Moisture
Go ahead and look at your label at this point. See it there? Good. Now, if you have a can of dog food and a package of dry dog food at your disposal, take a look at both labels. After careful analysis you might want to ask, “Hey Michael, I notice when looking at both labels that the dry dog food has way more nutrients. I thought canned food had way more protein…what gives?”
Keep this in mind, as I have noticed this as well, that the amounts of protein and other nutrients stated on the labels appear to be less for canned versus dry, but looks are deceiving. The reason? Differences in moisture content. Canned dog food, on average, consists of 75% water, while dry dog food contains about 10%. So to make a true comparison of the nutrient levels, we need to put both types on the same playing field. To do this, we will be converting both products to dry matter.
To convert the nutrients, we need to dust off our calculators that we last used in high school, in order to perform a little math. (And you said to your math teacher, “I’ll never use this in the real world!”), But I digress. Here’s the formula we will be using: % Guarantee divided by % Dry Matter multiplied by 100
Example In one corner, we have a canned dog food that has a guaranteed analysis consisting of 9% protein, 6% fat, 1.5% fiber and 78% moisture. In the other corner, we have a dry dog food that has a guaranteed analysis consisting of 24% protein, 14.5% fat, 4% fiber and 10% moisture.
# Dry matter of canned: 100 – 78 = 22
# Dry matter of dry: 100 – 10 = 90
# Now we can do our calculations
Canned Dog Food
# Protein: 9 / 22 x 100 = 40.9%
# Fat: 6 / 22 x 100 = 27%
# Fiber: 1.5 / 22 x 100 = 6.8%
Dry Dog Food
# Protein: 24 / 90 x 100 = 26.6%
# Fat: 14.5 / 90 x 100 = 16.1%
# Fiber: 4 / 90 x 100 = 4.4%
So after were done, do you notice the protein? The canned dog food actually has 14% more protein.
Nutritional Adequacy Statement
You’ve seen it on the labels…”Complete”, “Balanced”, “For All Lifestages”, among others. But how are these claims substantiated? What rules are in place to regulate such verbage? The answer is set forth, once again, by the AAFCO.
The Nutritional Adequacy Statement is required and is one of the most important aspects of a dog food label. This statement assures us that a product meets all of a dog’s nutritional requirements. So how is a dog food substantiated for nutritional adequacy? They must use one of two ways:
Calculations
# The method whereby the dog food contains ingredients formulated to provide levels of nutrients that meet an established profile
# Calculations estimate the amount of nutrients either by an average nutrient content of ingredients or results of laboratory tests using standard chemical analysis.
# If it meets the profile set by the AAFCO, the label will carry a statement as follows: “(Name of product) is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO (Dog) Food Nutrient Profiles for (specific life stage).”
Feeding Trials
# The product (or a similar product made by the same company) has been tested in dogs under strict guidelines and found to provide proper nutrition
# If it meets the profile set by the AAFCO, the label will carry a statement as follows: “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (name of product) provides complete and balanced nutrition for (specific life stage).”
The Nutritional Adequacy Statement will also include a statement about which life stage(s) the dog food is suitable for. Two profiles are used. Below is a definition of each and additional information about other profiles:
# Growth/Lactation – A product intended for growing puppies, for pregnant dogs or lactating females.
# Maintenance – Suitable for any adult, non-reproducing dog of normal activity level, but may not be sufficient for a growing, reproducing, or hard working dog.
# Terms like “Senior” or “Formulated for Large Breed Adults” means the dog food meets the requirements for the Maintenance profile, but nothing more.
# A product that doesn’t fit within the two profiles above must state that “This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding,” except if it is conspicuously identified as a snack or treat.
Feeding Guidelines
Feeding guidelines are very broad, to say the least. At a minimum, they should include instruction like “Feed ___ Cups Per ___ Pounds.” But keep in mind that these instructions are very rough estimates. Most people feed their dogs way too much. In fact, 25% of all dog’s are overweight…causing problems such as:
# Diabetes
# Arthritis
# Heart and Liver Problems
# Bladder Cancer
You should treat the guidelines as a place to start. Talk with your veterinarian about your dog food and how much to feed. They understand that nutritional requirements vary and, by knowing your dog, they will be able to recommend a feeding schedule based upon several factors including:
# Age
# Body Weight
# Breed
# Genetics
# Activity Level
Watch the video related to dog food
Recipes www.PetsTouch.com Raw goat milk from “Evergreen Acres Petting farm” in San Jose CA.
Help answer the question about dog food
How much dog food do you feed a jack russell and rat terrier?I have 2 dogs, a jack russell and a rat terrier. We used to always make sure there was food in there bowels at all times. But then the jack russell started to gain a ton of weight. Now we follow the back of the dog food bag guideline. It is premium dog food. My dogs get normal activity, but now they act like they're starving, is this normal? My dogs are healthy otherwise.
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Look for a food without any corn, wheat, soy, or by products that lists a meat as the first ingredient.
High Quality Foods:
Orijen- http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/about/
Natura (Innova, EVO, California Natural)- http://www.naturapet.com/
Blue Buffalo- http://www.bluebuff.com/
Merrick- http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
Canidae- http://www.canidae.com/
Solid Gold- http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
Wellness Core- http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_grain_index.html
Natural Balance- http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/
Taste of the Wild- http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul- http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
Or go raw- http://www.dogguide.net/raw-diet-basics.php
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
Just fyi, it's pure *bred*, not bread =P
Anything by these brands; Eagle Pack, Canidae, Timberwolf Organics, California Natural, Innova, Solid Gold and Chicken Soup For the Pet Lovers Soul are high quality foods. Even some of the brands you can get in places such as PetSmart (Natural Balance, Nutro, etc.) are ok.
Avoid junk like Pedigree, Science Diet, etc. These foods contain little meat (and any meat that they do contain is poor quality) and rediculous amount of grains and fillers. Feeding high grain/high carb food is terrible for the health of your dog therefore they should be avoided at all costs
Good luck!
Here is a site that will show you which dog foods are the best and the worst. I suggest that you get any one of the dog foods that are top rated.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
Most of grocery store dog food formulas, like Nature's Best, Pedigree,and etc contain "meat and bone meal" which has been known to contain dead dogs and cats that were euthanized in animal shelters. Their bodies are picked up and bought by the truck load by "rendering plants" , that also pick up road kill, dead live stock, and etc. They are shredded, and boiled. They skim off the fat on the top of the "soup" and collected it and sell it to pet food companies as "animal fat", the rest of the animals' remains are crushed up, dried and sold to dog and cat food companies as meat and bone meal.
You can read more about it here.
http://earthislandprojects.org/eijournal/fall97/fe_fall97petfood.html
Here is an article where the owner of a rendering plant talks about it. He says that cremating the dead shelter animals would cause pollution, and that rendering them is good.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_12_26/ai_115041999
Here is further information on what you shouldn't see in the ingredients list in your dog's food.
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients
Top rated dog foods like Canidae contain good healthy ingredients.
You really don't have to spend a lot of money, for a premium food.
Some key things to watch:
1-Watch for corn and other fillers
Corn tends to be an allergy trigger-as seen by scratching, ear infections, excessive shedding
2-No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
3-By products-Chicken by PRODUCTS usually contain chicken heads, feet and intestines
GOOD things to look for:
1-REAL protein-the word MEAL- chicken meal is pure protein without water, bones,better than plain chicken, which still has water in it—more protein
2-Human grade food–yes, same stuff you put on the table for your family! (I am not saying give your dog human food! LOL-I'm talking QUALITY)
3- 100% guarantee-if the company doesn't back their food, I'd question it!
DOG FOOD:
There is no food that is the *best*, different individual dog may thrive on different foods. What is best for one may not be the best for the next. And just because a food is good quality, it doesn't mean it will jive the best for your dog.
What you want to find is the HIGH-QUALITY food that *your dog* does best on.
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Read the ingredients before you buy. Go with a high-quality dog food.
Here is my "short list" of rules when I am looking at dog food ingredients:
I don't want to see mystery meats (meats identified only as "meat" or "poultry".)
1) When I chose a dog food, I chose one high meat content. I want to see preferably at least 2-3 out of the top 5 ingredients be meat or meat meal (first ingredient must be!). Meal is simply the meat with the moisture removed.
2) I want to see higher quality grains, such as barley, brown rice, and oatmeal, instead of seeing wheat and corn. Or an alternative starch/carbohydrate such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.
3) I don't want to see any byproducts.
4) I don't want to see a lot of fillers.
5) I don't want to see preservatives that are believed to be carcinogens (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin).
6) I don't want to see artificial colorings such as the Red, Blue, and Yellow dyes.
7) I don't want to see added sugars (sugar, corn syrup).
Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd
And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients
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Here are some examples of high quality foods:
* Artemis
* California Natural
* Canidae
* Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
* Eagle Pack Holistic Selects
* EVO
* Fromm
* Innova
* Merrick
* Nature's Variety
* Orijen
* Solid Gold
* Taste of the Wild
* Timberwolf Organics
* Wellness
Or check this website; the 4, 5, or 6 star rated foods are all good foods, 3 or less stars I would stay away from. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
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Higher quality food may seem more expensive at first, but it evens out. The higher quality the food, the less fillers eaten (and therefore the less poop comes out the other end). Your dog eats more of a low-quality food to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. Also, higher-quality food will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.
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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, etc.)
Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not always mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. Most of these foods have the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)
Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.
Hills company, the makers of Science Diet, are heavily involved in vet schools. "Hill's scientists author more than 50 research papers and textbook chapters each year and teach at leading schools of veterinary medicine" (Source of quoted section: http://www.hillsvet.com/zSkin_2/company_info/company_info_general.jsp?JSESSIONID=HMz2B3Jn3hv0rnSoxCobfbBhOec35ODG7yh5t3P0vcvhOtzRlQ9M!598359213!167846923!7005!8005&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026072&bmUID=1196192566575 )
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"Big box" petstores like Petco and Petsmart rarely have quality foods. (I do believe that PetCo sells "Solid Gold" and "Natural Balance" brands and Petsmart sells "Blue Buffallo", which are all higher quality foods, but most of the foods aren't.)
Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren't good places to buy food either.
Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:
- small, locally owned petstores
- dog boutiques
- farm supply stores
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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A
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RAW (PREY-MODEL & BARF) & HOME COOKING:
I haven't fed raw prey-model or BARF from scratch, but here are some resources. Also, take note that you have to do a bit of research to know how to get your dog the proper nutrients it needs if you go this route.
Here is a place to research BARF:
http://www.barfworld.com
Here is a place to research prey-model raw:
http://www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/431875
I personally use a premade when I feed raw:
http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1483
http://www.primalpetfoods.com/canine/raw_frozen_formula.htm
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Here is a place to start researching home-cooked:
http://www.dogster.com/forums/Home_Prepared_Food_Recipes/thread/458921
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TREATS:
I use the same rules look at dog treats as I do when I look at dog food.
Here are some of the store-bought treats I recommend (there are many more excellent treats out there as well):
* ZiwiPeak 'Good-Dog' treats
* Zukes Mini Naturals
* Wellness WellBites
* EVO dog treats
* Liv-a-Little freeze dried salmon
* Pro-Treat freeze dried beef liver
* Itty Bitty Buddy Biscuits
I also use pieces of cut-up carrot, peas, and green beans for treats.
.
Nutro is best. But I would go for Nutro Ultra. It's far better than NC and Max. Nutro Max is just nasty!
Read the ingredients lists. If it contains corn, wheat and /or by products it is a poor quality food. Meat, not meal should be the first ingredient. Merrick, Innova & Wellness are three of the best out there. Blue organics is great also but a bit more pricey.
Our pets need quality food. Read the ingredients list and learn what the stuff on there is and what it does (or does not do) to/for our pets. A quick pet food 101. If the pet food contains corn/corn products or by products it is a poor quality food. Corn is a filler that can trigger skin problems. (allergies, skin problems, itching and excessive shedding) By products is anything from an animal not fit for human consumption, including cancerous tissue. Do not pay attention to advertising, they all say there food is great. "Vet approved" means they have a vet on staff to approve their product. In other words, someone paid to approve it. Same with foods most vets recommend. Salesmen "gift" vets then the vet recommends the food. Most vets are not nutritionists! Quality foods have meat as the first ingredient Wellness, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick are a few of the best brands available. If you want to learn more check out: http://www.sagekeep.com/petfood.htm http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359& more=1 http://animalark.eapps.com/animal/PetFoods.nsf/$$PetFoodsByRating?OpenForm
These are all very good dog foods:
Canidae
Innova
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul
Wellness
Merrick
Solid Gold
California Natural
Artemis
Blue Buffalo
Try to avoid brands like: Iams, Pedigree, Purina (One and Pro Plan), Beneful, Alpo, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Royal Canin, and Kibbles n' Bits. They are all full of fillers, such as corn and soy, which are NOT essential to your dog's nutritional needs.
We feed our APBT and Rottweiler Canidae, they both have done great on it and love the taste (our Pit Bull is a picky eater)!
Royal Canin Is Really Good. Science diet is bad… never mind here.
Yes
Iffy
Iffy
No
Iffy
Yes
Yes
Iffy
No
My favorite out those is Royal Canin and advoderm. They are both Pretty Good. Canidae is also very good though. This is what you have to look for when buying dog food. Got o this site and it will tell you the importants.
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/11079/
Good luck!