Dog Food Quality Uncovered

A Balanced, Quality Diet for Optimal Health

Canines, like humans, have certain dietary needs to achieve optimal health. Choosing the right high-quality dog food for your dog is just as important as choosing the right food for yourself. It’s relatively easy for humans to choose good food for themselves, but selecting the right food for your dog can be a daunting task if you don’t understand what their nutrional needs are.

Just like humans, dogs require a balanced diet to maintain optimal health and performance. Understanding your dog’s unique nutritional needs is where you begin. Is your dog an active dog with a high drive? A younger canine, or puppy? Or is your furry friend an old-timer who has sewn his wild oats and enjoys sleeping most of the day? At each stage of life, and with each sized breed, canine nutritional needs vary.

Working dogs have higher energy requirements compared to sedentary pets, as they engage in rigorous physical activities throughout the day. Therefore, it is crucial to select a dog food that provides them with the necessary nutrients and calories to sustain their active lifestyle.

At each stage of life, and with each breed, canine nutritional needs vary.

Large breed working dogs, such as herding or hunting dogs, have higher energy demands due to their active lifestyles and physical exertion. These dogs require a diet that is rich in protein, as it helps support muscle development and repair. Additionally, they need a higher calorie intake to sustain their energy levels throughout the day.

On the other hand, small house dogs, and older dogs, have lower energy requirements compared to their working counterparts. Their diet should consist of balanced portions of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. It’s crucial to control their calorie intake as they are prone to weight gain and obesity.

When considering dog food options, it is important to look for high-quality ingredients that meet your working dog’s specific needs. Proteins from sources such as chicken, beef, or fish are essential for muscle development and repair. Carbohydrates like rice or sweet potatoes provide energy for sustained endurance. Additionally, healthy fats derived from sources like salmon oil or flaxseed are vital for maintaining a shiny coat and promoting joint health. Essential vitamins and minerals should also be present in the dog food formula to support overall well-being.

Choosing a high-quality dog food can and will reduce unnecessary visits to the vet for health related issues. (Pro-Tip: Consider how much you have spent on skin, digestive issues or other issues that are not a regular annual examination).

To ensure you are making the best choice for your dog’s nutritional needs, consult with your veterinarian or a professional animal nutritionist who can guide you in selecting a balanced diet that meets their specific requirements.

By providing your working dog with appropriate nutrition through carefully chosen dog food options, you can help optimize their performance and overall health for years to come.

To ensure you are making the best choice for your dog’s nutritional needs, consult with your veterinarian or a professional animal nutritionist who can guide you in selecting a balanced diet that meets their specific requirements.

For more information on deciphering dog food labeling, you can read the article How to Read a Dog Food Label from the American Kennel Association.

Understanding the Ingredients:

If there’s a piece of advice I can give you, Read the Label. The second piece of advice would be, Read the Label. That’s because what you need to know to decide if what you’re hold is a high-quality dog food is listed right there by the manufacturer. Manufacturer’s are required by law to list every ingredient used to produce the food from the highest weight ingredient at the top, to the lowest at the bottom of the list.

Other considerations when reading the label should be the expiration date to ensure you’re buying fresh food that will last for a while, and a guaranteed analysis which will tell you how much protein, fat, fiber and water is in the food.

For more detailed information on deciphering dog food labeling, you can read the article How to Read a Dog Food Label from the American Kennel Association.

Beware–even though they are prohibited from doing so, some pet food companies will use long scientific names for their fillers and junk ingredients. If this is their game, pass on their product and choose one with clear labeling instead. If you see the ingredients in very fine print, or in the crease of the bag, pass on those products too. There are too many other choices to select one from a company with misleading labeling.

Look for pet foods whose manufacturer proudly lists the wholesome ingredients used in their foods, and have the protein content at the top of that list. (Pro-Tip: Instead of grabbing a large bag to read the label, grab the smaller bag of the same exact food. It is usually just above it. It is much easier to maneuver and locate the ingredients on).

Reviewing the ingredients is simple if you know what you are looking for:

Good Ingredients to Look for:
- Protein sources: chicken, beef, turkey, duck, bison, fish, water buffalo, lamb etc.
  - The protein being listed first on the bag tells you the food consists mostly of protein, which is what you want!!
  - These proteins provide essential amino acids, vitamins, and fiber that support and increase your pup’s overall vitality.
- Grains and Preservatives
  - Natural preservatives (Vitamin C/E) or no preservatives
  - Made in the U.S.A.
  - Human-grade ingredients (although there are very few foods that can put this on their label)
  - Oat flour, almond flour, and chickpea flour
Ingredients to avoid:
- Corn and wheat gluten
- Meat and grain meals and by-products
- BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole)
- BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)
- Ethoxyquin
- Food Dyes (Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, 4-MIE)
- PG (Propylene Glycol)
- Rendered fat

Other Ingredient Notes

The things you should be looking for are the first three ingredients. The protein source used should be listed first; chicken, beef, turkey, duck, bison, or fish, lamb etc.

If the word, “meal” follows any protein source what that means is the company used leftover parts of the animal by crushing or mincing it. Most dog foods will have “said protein” followed by the word “meal” but it should not be the first ingredient listed.

Fillers do hold some nutritional value but should be further down the ingredient list and not in the primary ingredients.

Additionally, if with in the first three ingredients includes: “Wheat, soy, soybean flour, corn, rice flour, brown rice, whole grains these are known as fillers. Fillers do hold some nutritional value but should be further down the ingredient list and not in the primary ingredients. (Pro-Tip: Fillers have a higher likelihood of triggering allergens and even digestive issues in some dogs.

Additives are also included in quite a few of dog foods. These additives are added to preserve the food while it is packaged, shipped and stored within warehouses. These additives can be unhealthy without any nutritional value. (Pro-Tip: Gluten-free foods, treats, and supplements are available now which is great if you have an allergen-prone dog. Be mindful if you choose to switching your dog foods for a healthier one. This should be introduced gradually ito their diet.)

Let’s see if you can uncover what is really in your dog’s food. This will only take a minute. If if takes longer than that to locate make a note of it. It should be easy to find on a high-quality dog foods.

Just click on the bags below, can you find the ingredients?? Is it easy to locate and review? Remember the first three ingredients define what that dog food contains most. Below are a few examples of the best-selling dog foods which are readily available almost anywhere. Let’s examine their ingredients.

After a quick review of the foods which do you believe is the highest quality or most nutritious? Personally, my favorite for my two boys is Merrick BackCountry. Yes, it is a little more pricey than other foods; however, the amount I have spent in vet visits for skin issues which could have been avoided is mind-blowing.

One of my German Shepherds, Diesel, has had relentless skin allergies or at least that is what I was told. We tried several medications to combat this and several different dog foods over the past 12 years. I thought I was buying a high-quality dog food with all the great marketing gimmicks out there, “skin sensitive”, “gut health” etc.

We tried eliminating certain proteins for years and it wasn’t until I uncovered the truth…it was was the fillers causing it. The fillers on some of these popular brands can be overlooked easily if you do not know what you are looking for. Taking just a few minutes to examine the labeling on your pet’s food can possibly save you tons of money in unnecessary vet bills, and assure you have a happy, healthy doggie.