Is your dog’s dry food good quality? Here’s how you can check!
But first, WHY is it important for your dog’s food to be good quality? What difference does it make?
Well, put simply, a HUGE difference! I’m no vet nor nutritionist, but any of them will tell you the difference it makes to both short and long term health. Just think in terms of humans; you wouldn’t eat takeaways and fast food every day. Or if you did, think of the consequences!
Please note again, I am no vet or nutritionist, however from personal experience I can tell you that dogs on a poor quality diet are more likely to;
Be overweight
Have dry skin
Have a dull, greasy, and/or scruffy coat
Have bad breath and/or teeth
Have diarrhoea or loose stools
As a dog Behaviourist however, I can tell you that the quality of food makes a big difference to overall behaviour. A good quality food can help with behaviour problems such as;
hyperactivity
Lethargy, laziness (not in a good, calm and chilled way, but more in a ‘no desire to please’ way).
Excessive barking
Anxiety
Lack of focus, lack of impulse control
And much more
I’ve worked with many dogs with these sorts of problems, and after owners changed to a high quality food, they saw an immediate difference.
So, how to choose a dry food that’s good quality…
1. What is the first ingredient? And how much of them is in the food?
The first ingredient should be meat. This is the ingredient that your dog needs most of, and their digestive system is designed for meat consumption. If the first ingredient is cereals, this is usually a sign that the food has been made with price in mind, rather than the health of your dog. Think daily takeaways for your pup. Not good.
It should be “chicken” “turkey” etc, not “chicken meal” or “poultry” or “animal derivatives”. This is important as these umbrella terms could indicate a wide range of foods and you do not know exactly what you dog is eating. Manufacturers use these terms because of two reasons; either the recipe regularly changes, or the ingredients would put people off. Either way, it’s best to avoid!
No matter the ingredients, it is important that at least the top few have a percentage so you know how much is being fed.
2. Are there ingredients that sound similar?
For example, ‘maize’ ‘maize gluten’ and ‘maize flour’ or ‘white rice’, ‘brown rice’, and ‘wheat rice’.
Manufacturers know that you’ll be looking for meat as the first ingredient, and by law, the ingredients should be listed in order of quantity, highest first.
In order to be able to do this, brands will split up similar ingredients so that they will be placed further down the ingredients list, rather than just saying ‘maize’ or ‘rice’.
3. Do you have rice, wheat, soy, or corn in the ingredients?
These are filler ingredients. Dogs have no need for these foods in their diet, and it is purely there to fill them up on cheap ingredients. They can contain useful minerals and vitamins, which are crucial in a dog’s diet, however many other food that have other great benefits could be better, such as sweet potato.
4. Look at the protein.
Meat is expensive, but your dog needs the protein. Therefore manufacturers will substitute so much meat with ingredients such as potato protein or maize gluten.
These ingredients are unfortunately much harder for your dog’s body to digest, and can cause intolerances.
5. Don’t skip over the smaller ingredients!
Look for ingredients like salmon oil (great for the skin and coat health), Rosemary or rosemary oil (skin and coat health as well as being a natural flea repellent), calcium (good for bones), potassium (healthy nerve function), and zinc (wound healing).
Although some fats are good, many manufacturers will add low quality fats that are highly processed usually named in the ingredients as ‘animal fats’. High amounts of this can lead to heart disease.
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