If you want to ensure your dog leads a healthy and balanced life, you should pay special attention to their nutrition.
Size, age, and activity level are the most important aspects to consider when choosing your pet’s food.
The right balance of ingredients is also essential to ensure their nutritional needs. You have likely chosen your dog’s food solely based on its cost, your budget, or even its marketing campaign, thinking that all dog food is the same.
However, not paying attention to how you are feeding your pet can have grave consequences for them. Your dog’s health is not a matter to be left to chance.
If you are concerned about your pet’s diet and want to know how best to choose your dog’s food, keep reading.
Balancing Wet and Dry Food
Although canned food is more palatable and pleasant for your dog to eat, it can contain much more fat than dry food and lead to obesity.
Therefore, you should try to use wet food as a topper or complement to dry food. Dry food is better since it has all the nutrients and proteins that your pet needs, and chewing and grinding favor oral hygiene.
Pay Attention to Nutrient Balance
Nutritional dog food should be made up of proteins (such as red meat, chicken, fish, or turkey), carbohydrates (oats, rice, and vegetables), animal and vegetable fats.
Maintaining the right balance is critical so that your dog does not suffer from any nutrient deficiency or even excess.
For example, a surplus of protein in dog food indicates that its quality is not good. An excess of carbohydrates and fats can cause your pet to start gaining weight, leading to heart and bone problems.
Buy the Right Food For their Size
When choosing food for your dog, their size plays an essential role. Large dogs need a more significant energy intake than small dogs.
They also grow slower, so their diet must match their stage of development. For large adult dogs, you must prioritize high-calorie food to meet their nutritional needs.
On the other hand, small dogs need harder kibble to chew to eliminate bacterial plaque since they are more prone to getting tartar buildup.
Avoid Excess Cereals
Dogs are mainly carnivorous animals. Therefore, you should avoid excess cereals when choosing your pet’s food.
Cereals are usually synonymous with low-quality food. You should pay close attention to dog food ingredients and make sure it is not based on corn, cornmeal, soybeans.
Take the Age of Your Dog into Account
As your pet grows, their nutritional needs change, and their body behaves differently. When they’re a puppy, their body needs food that stimulates the immune system and gives them the necessary energy for proper development.
As they age, their digestive system is no longer as efficient as it used to be, and they may start having trouble digesting some foods.
Many premium dog food brands offer good protein content and balance for any age. If your dog is older or has gastrointestinal problems, you should consider buying premium dog food.
Ask Your Vet for a Recommendation
Before choosing a specific dog food brand, ask the vet to check for food allergies, weight problems, or any other special conditions.
You can also ask them to make a recommendation based on your dog’s characteristics. That will ensure your pet does not have any problems with the food you choose.
The Fewer Preservatives, The Better
Some companies that manufacture dog food want it to last if possible. That can lead to problems in the long run because many chemical preservatives are toxic when consumed in high amounts. Among those to avoid are ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT, and propylene glycol.
Get to Know What Your Dog Likes
Many dog foods come in different flavors: meat, chicken, turkey, vegetables, etc. Each dog is different and may prefer one flavor over another.
Feed your dog the one they like the best.
Do not forget that if you have questions about any ingredient, you can contact your vet. What you feed your dog plays a significant role in their development. Giving them the best quality foods will positively impact their life.
