There would be no difference in the quality of dog food in an ideal world. There are countless dog food options on the market today, all claiming to be the best. The search for a healthy, affordable, and appealing dog food brand is often frustrating due to the many options available. Choosing the right option can be difficult, so we’ve compiled expert advice to help you.
A dog food’s composition
Dry kibble is usually fed to dogs and canned wet food is usually fed to cats. In spite of the fact that they might not be appealing to us, these processed foods contain all the nutrients dogs require to stay healthy. A high quality commercial dog food has been rigorously tested by veterinarians and is highly regulated. How exactly do these dog foods work?
Dogs aren’t strictly carnivorous, unlike cats. In addition to meat, domestic dogs can also obtain nutrients from grains, fruits, and vegetables. Besides being fillers, these non-meat foods can provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Veggies, grains, and fruits should be included in good dog food. Suitable for your dog’s digestive system, the best dog foods contain high-quality versions of these ingredients.
Name of the product
By just looking at the name alone, you can get a good idea of what’s inside. Generally, “beef” refers to products containing at least 70 percent beef. On the other hand, the terms “beef dinner,” “beef entrée,” or “beef platter” require that beef make up at least 10 percent of the entire product. A product “with beef” requires only 3 percent beef, and “with beef flavour” implies that there is just enough beef in the product to flavour it (less than 3 percent). Other named ingredients, such as “chicken,” are no different.
The ingredients
Some manufacturers split up the ingredients on a dog food label to make the distribution easier, and the ingredient list on a dog food label does not tell you how good the food is or where it came from. For example, different types of corn can be listed separately, such as flaked corn, ground corn, and kibbled corn. In spite of the fact that corn actually has a high content in the food, this bumps corn down on the list of ingredients. There is also the issue of meat. In whole meats, there is a large percentage of water weight, so the overall meat percentage is lower than it appears. As opposed to ‘whole meats,’ meat meal contains more meat, since there is no water weight to throw off the calculation.
In addition to telling you what is in the food, the ingredient list gives you an idea of the quality of the ingredients. Dog owners who wish to provide their dogs with specific sources of fibre, protein, and carbohydrates should take note of this, especially if their dogs have special dietary needs or allergies.
The best dog food
An important statement on a dog food label is: “(Name of product) is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.” This is not just a slogan. For a product to be considered complete and balanced for dogs (or cats), the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has strict requirements. The “guaranteed analysis” indicates the minimum amount of crude protein and fat, as well as the maximum amount of water and crude fibre in a complete and balanced diet for dogs. Due to the lack of exact amounts for these components in the analysis, considerable variation is possible. When evaluating a product, it is best to look at the average nutrient profile provided by the manufacturer.
