The Importance of Feeding Your Dog High Quality Food

When you purchase your dog's food, are you paying attention to the ingredients label? If not, you should -- especially if your dog experiences chronic ear infections, diarrhea, or allergies. If your pooch consumes a food brand containing by-products, artificial flavors, or preservatives, your dog's diet may be highly deficient in essential nutrients and vitamins that may help maintain good health.

Although many pet food labels claim to be "premium" these may offer very little nutrition for your dog. The truth is any company can consider their food premium even if it only contains 1% beef. That's why reading the ingredients label on your dog's food packaging is crucial for your dog's health and well-being. But with so many brands of dog food available on the market, what are some of the key things to look for on the ingredients label? The Whole Dog Journal, a source for unbiased reviews of dog food brands, helps dog lovers make informed decisions when buying dog food and provides guidelines on the most important ingredients.

Ingredients to look for on dog food labels

• Animal protein should be one of the first ingredients. For example, chicken, beef, or lamb.
• If the dog food contains animal meal it should say so. (i.e. chicken meal, lamb meal, etc.)
• Grains, vegetables, or fruits should be in holistic form. These should not be processed as it usually results in a loss of essential nutrients and vitamins.

Ingredients to stay away from

• Meat by-products. These ingredients are generally less expensive because they are not as nutritious as animal protein and therefore do not require as much care in the handling process.
• Artificial preservatives, colors, and sweeteners. Natural preservatives are much healthier for your dog than those that are artificial. However, they do not preserve the food as long. It's important to check the "Best by" date on the package to prevent accidentally feeding your dog food that has "turned" or is expired.

Eat Great. Be Well. Dog Food, is an all natural and healthy dog food with real chicken as the first ingredient and glucosamine and omega 3 fatty acids to promote skin and coat health. It does not contain corn or wheat, making it a great option for dogs with allergies.

Below is a list containing many dog food brands matching the criteria above, many of which are also recommended by The Whole Dog Journal.

Recommended Dog Food Brands

The articles here were answered by a variety of pharmacists and veterinarians   1 Date Category Topic

 

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