Food is essential for any being on this earth and that includes man’s best friend – the humble dog. Dogs have been family pets and best friends for hundreds of years and the typical dog diet has remained fairly similar. A dog typically has a meaty diet, consisting of poultry such as duck, chicken, and turkey as well as red meat like beef and lamb. Salmon is also a popular protein source. This protein is great for a dog’s diet, providing them with numerous minerals as well as keeping them energized and active. Vegetables are also another key staple in a dog’s diet and popular choices are carrots, peas, and potatoes. They provide an abundance of nutrients for our furry friends and are a key source for carbohydrates too. Dogs are omnivores, meaning they can eat a variety of foods, not just meat. So, what should you look out for when choosing appropriate dog food?
This guide is here to help you! You can also read the article, best dog treats: how to choose the best treats for training.Nutritional value
Canine nutrition is very important. Dogs can’t tell us what they’re lacking so it’s up to use to add the necessary nutrients to their diet. Always read the labels of dog food before buying it so that you know exactly what’s in the food and if it’s beneficial to your dog. One of the best ways to know if the food is suitable is if the meat content is one of the biggest ingredients in the products. If it’s listed first or second on the ingredients list, it’s going to be beneficial for your pooch. If additives and grains come before meat, then it’s probably not as nutritional as it seems. The same goes for vegetables too. They need to be somewhere near the top of the list otherwise their nutritional value will be quite poor. If unsure, do your research before heading to the store. You can use sites like dogfoodcare.com/ to check out different brands of dog foods and compare their nutritional values to one another.
Discovering different grains
Dog food is often filled with various grains. Grains include wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, and rice. These grains are a great carbohydrate source for a dog, hence why they are in quite a lot of brands, but they also offers protein and linoleic acid too. Grained dog food, which is also just known as normal dog food, is regularly available in any supermarket or pet store and is often an affordable choice. Most dogs are fine with having different grains in the food and quite enjoy it, but there are also grain-free dog foods too which don’t include any of the grains listed above. Some dogs, and owners, prefer to add their own carbohydrates to food rather than buy prepared foods. This could be for medical reasons, because dogs can have allergies too, or it could be a lifestyle choice. Some owners like to know exactly what’s going in their dogs’ body and buying grain-free food is a great way to monitor grain consumption. If a dog is overweight, monitoring what’s fed to them is a good way to get weight concerns under control.
Weight suitability
Every breed has a different recommended weight, which is why you need to look out for the weight suggestions on the packaging of your dog food. Dog foods will usually say if they’re designed for small, medium, or large dogs and you can feed your dog according to the packaging. The packaging is usually a guide so you can feed your dog slightly under or over depending on their size, but the guide is pretty useful. Dog obesity is real, especially if a dog isn’t very active, so it’s important to feed a dog the right amount to avoid health issues and complications. Dogs will always act as if they’re hungry so don’t feel guilty if they’ve wolfed down what you’ve put in front of them and look as though they need more!
These are some of the main points you may want to consider when choosing dog food but there’s plenty more research out there if you need more in-depth advice. You can always consult with your local vet too for professional tips.
