7 Tips for Choosing the Right Dog Food
There are many things to consider when choosing the right dog food for your fur baby. Even experts have conflicting opinions on the best dog food — recommendations may vary, depending on your dog’s size, breed, and activity levels, to name a few. To settle the debate, choose a dog food that meets your dog’s nutritional needs.
Here are 7 tips to help you choose the right dog food for your pet:
1 – Factor In Your Dog’s Breed, Age, and Activities
Age plays an important role when choosing dog food. For instance, puppies and lactating mothers need a lot of calories per day. Older dogs meanwhile will have less.
Your dog’s breed and their daily activities are important factors to consider too. Some dogs are more active than others. Understandably, larger and more active dogs need more nutrition than sedentary or smaller ones.
2 – Read the Label
Look at the ingredients. In particular, look for dog food products that have meat or meat meals in the ingredients. It should appear as one of the first 3 ingredients on the list.
When dog food manufacturers list their ingredients, they order it according to which one weighs the most. So if meat is at the top of the ingredients, it means there’s a lot of it in the product.
That said, avoid those that primarily list fillers like corn, soy, or wheat. Also, be mindful of preservatives.
3 – Look for the AAFCO Approval
Before buying any dog food, check if they meet AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) requirements. In particular, look for the nutritional adequacy statement given by AAFCO.
It should say, “Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient profiles” or “Provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of all life stages (or adult dogs or puppies).”
4 – Know the Label Lingo
You can tell a lot about what’s in the product by just reading the product name. When you see “beef,” expect the product to have 70% of beef.
“Beef dinner,” “beef entree,” or “beef platter” means only 10% of the product is beef. “With beef,” on the other hand, means beef makes up only 3% of the product. And “beef flavor” means there is less than 3% of beef in it; in other words, the product only contains enough beef to give it flavor.
The same goes for chicken or other ingredients.
5 – Do a Taste Test
Just like us humans, dogs have a flavor and taste preference too. No matter how nutritionally complete a dog food is, if your dog turns its nose up at it, it still won’t be any good.
Thankfully some companies offer free samples. Let your dogs try several varieties so you can see which ones they love best.
6 – Consider Special Dietary Needs
Does your dog have allergies, a sensitive stomach, or diet restrictions? In this case, you might need to look into a veterinary prescription diet. With the advice of your vet, you’ll be able to find the right dog food that can help their condition.
7 – Wet or Dry Dog Food?
Wet dog food contains more fresh ingredients than dry dog food. It is also easier to eat and more palatable.
The main advantage of dry dog food is it’s easy to store and does not require refrigeration as soon as it’s opened. It’s also less expensive than wet dog food.
Unopened wet dog food can also be stored for a long time without refrigeration. But once you open it, you need to refrigerate it to preserve it.
The Right Dog Food
Choosing the right dog food really depends on your dog and how they respond to it. Observe. If you see that they have a healthy appetite, healthy stool, and they’re fit and active, then you’ve found the right one.