Dog Owners view the dogs as members of their families, and rightly so. As a member of your family, you want to make sure your dog has the best food possible.
There are so many choices available in today’s market. It can easily be overwhelming when trying to decide what will be best for your pup. When trying to determine the best dog food for your canine companion, you need to consider factors about your pet.
Age
A puppy and a senior dog have different nutritional needs. A puppy is still growing, so they need a higher content of fat and protein than full-grown dogs, so if you have a young canine, make sure to pick something high in fat and protein.
For senior dogs, you want to make sure their diet is low in fat. They are not as active as they once were, so their energy needs have changed.
Size
A small or medium breed dog will eat a smaller amount of food than an extensive breed dog. However, their size does not affect what balance of nutrition is best for them.
Activity Level
If a dog is very active, it will need more calorically dense food. They will need a higher fat and protein level. The quality of the food is way more important than the quantity.
If you have a happy dog just lying around the house, you want to watch their fat intake.
Allergies
A vet can help you find out if your dog has any food allergies. This will let you know if you need to avoid certain ingredients. It is a misconception that grain is bad for all dogs. While no dog needs extra fillers in their food, dogs that are not allergic to wheat can get nutrition from the grain.
Once you know what type of diet requirement your dog needs nutritionally, it is time to figure out the best way to make sure those needs are met. It may even involve a little trial and error to find a food that meets the nutritional requirements and your dog enjoys. Some dogs can be very picky eaters.
Like you aren’t likely to consider a food if you can not pronounce the ingredient, it is probably not very good for your canine friend.
All-natural choices are the best.
Dogs are omnivores, which means they gain nutrition from meat and vegetables. Most humans are also omnivores. Picking the best food for your dog is very similar to choosing the best food for you.
Your dog needs a balanced diet. Making sure that everything they eat has fresh and natural ingredients. It is now possible to purchase food for your canine companion that is safe for you to eat. Think about it though, doesn’t your pup deserve to have safe and healthy food just like the rest of the family?
Taking time to read the labels on your dog’s food closely is the best way to decide what food is best. You should be able to decipher all the ingredients easily. If this is not the case, you should pick a different brand.
When reading the label ingredients, the one listed first is the ingredient most present in the food.
This should be a protein of some sort. If it is not, the food is most likely primarily filler and will not provide your dog with adequate nutrients.
Get the Correct Food for Your Dog
In wrapping up all this info, remember to consider your dog’s age and activity level to know what protein to fat ratios should be. Also, natural is always best. You don’t want to fill your dog full of artificial chemicals. This is a journey you and your dog will be on together, finding the proper balance between taste and health.