What Brand of Food Should I Feed My Dog?

If you find yourself standing amidst the aisles of your local pet superstore overwhelmed by the many varieties of dog food wondering what to feed your dog, you are not alone. With the ever increasing popularity of the family dog retailers have responded with more products and varieties of dog related products than ever. Unfortunately, there is not one best answer to this question. Some people feed their dogs the least expensive food possible and they live a long and healthy life while others wouldn’t dream of feeding Fido anything less than free range poultry and gluten free grains made fresh daily in their kitchens. So how do the rest of us choose a food amongst all of the shiny packages?

Two ways not to pick a dog food are sales specials and what is on the front of the bag. Some people might be tempted to choose a dog food based on what is on sale that week, but that can be bad for your pet. Changing a dog’s food every few weeks depending upon what is on sale is not good for the dog. While some dogs have iron stomachs, most will experience upset tummies and loose stool if their food is changed abruptly or too often.

If you need to switch dog foods it is best to mix the two foods together at first and then add less of the old food and more of the new food over a week long period to gradually transition to the new food. Others might choose a dog food the same way they select a sports team when they know nothing about either team; by the attractiveness of their uniforms. Choosing a dog food based on the font or graphics on the front of the bag is not a good idea. With all of the choices out there, what criteria should we use to meet our pet’s nutritional needs?

While there are many decision factors out there you can make an informed decision on your dogs nutrition by considering the ingredients of the food, the life stage of your dog and the total costs involved. Perhaps the most important criterion is what is in the food. The food you choose for your dog should have, at minimum, meat listed as the primary ingredient of the food.

Preferably, meat would be two of the first three ingredients listed. Dogs are primarily carnivores and while they can survive on an omnivore’s diet, meat is essential for their good health. Some discount dog foods are made primarily with yellow corn, soybean meal, ground wheat and corn syrup and should be avoided at all costs. These foods are the equivalent of you eating a diet consisting of cheese puffs and cookies. You might enjoy eating it, but it isn’t good for you!

When looking at the ingredients it is important to consider the age of your dog. If your dog is under 18 months old it is considered a juvenile or a puppy and he needs more fat and protein than adult dogs. Adult dogs are approximately 18 months to 7 years old and should not be fed puppy food because they are finished maturing and the extra fat in puppy food causes unhealthy weight gain in adults.

Seniors are over 7 years old and need even less fat than adults because they are not as active. Weight gain during the senior stage is extremely unhealthy for your dog because the additional weight taxes the organs and joints and greatly reduces quality of life for your pet. Seniors do need additional items such as fiber for digestion and glucosamine for joints for optimal health.

You should also consider the long term costs involved in dog food choices. While a food with higher quality ingredients may cost more upfront, it can cost less in the long run. Lower quality foods may have lower price tags; however, they must be fed to your dog in larger quantities. These foods can also cause allergies, diabetes and other expensive to treat health problems, thus greatly reducing their overall costs. The bottom line when selecting a dog food is to select the highest quality food that you can afford. This might mean forgoing the purchase of certain treats or toys, but will ultimately benefit your dog more in the long run.

This article was written by the authors at pet-super-store.com an online pet supplies site featuring dog beds.