Dog owners are faced with a difficult choice when comes to the right food for their dog. Many owners simply do not know what makes a good dog food and assume that the higher priced brand must be better. Others will take the opposite view and see no reason to spend extra on a premium brand dog food. Of course we are not just talking about canned dog food. Dogs tend to prefer the moist, juicy food contained in a can but it is important for them to also to chew on hard crunchy dog food such as dry kibble and dog biscuits.
Obviously the nutrition is important and that will come mostly from the choice of canned dog food but a dog’s dental health is also important and therefore their diet should contain a balance. Mixing canned dog food with dry kibble or biscuits may be the answer if your dog does not like to eat the dry food separately.
Good quality dog food should contain top quality nutritional ingredients and should offer a balanced diet of high protein such as fresh meat or meats and unprocessed grains, vegetables and fruits. It should contain natural preservatives and be low on fillers such as corn, soy, brewer’s rice and wheat bran.
In general terms, you get what you pay for. However, that is not always true and dog owners should learn about the best ingredients and read the label to ensure that those ingredients are there. You will find at the lower end of the price range, the dog food is low on nutrients and will recommend say 6 measures per day instead of maybe 2 or 3 measures of good quality premium priced food. So you can see that there can be a false economy in buying the cheaper food, most of which will pass straight through the dog and leaving the poor animal hungry for more. So the message here is read the label for ingredients and feeding instructions.
Finally, it is important to monitor your dog’s health. As with humans, healthy eating leads to good health. Eating junk food will cause obesity and other health problems. Look at your dogs teeth which can usually give an indication of poor diet. Regular check ups with your local vet will also point to any dietary problems.
