All Dog Foods Are Not The Same

All Dog Foods Are Not The Same
Word Count:
900
Summary:
Introduction
Your dog’s health and wellbeing is important to you and your family. Not to mention keeping down the cost of veterinarian bills! So you need to carefully consider the food that you give your dog. People sometimes just pick the first dog food bag they see at the store. It’s easy to overlook the importance of dog food but it is essential to pick the right one for your dog.
To keep your dog healthy he needs plenty of fresh water and should be fed good quality ...

Keywords:
dog, dog food, dog care,dog health

Article Body:
Introduction
Your dog’s health and wellbeing is important to you and your family. Not to mention keeping down the cost of veterinarian bills! So you need to carefully consider the food that you give your dog. People sometimes just pick the first dog food bag they see at the store. It’s easy to overlook the importance of dog food but it is essential to pick the right one for your dog.
To keep your dog healthy he needs plenty of fresh water and should be fed good quality dog food in amounts just right to meet his energy requirements. Always follow the guidelines on the dog food package for recommended feeding amounts.
Picking a dog food
The first challenge in choosing a dog food is picking one that has overall quality. The term that comes up a lot about dog food is human grade. Human grade implies that the dog food is good enough for us to eat. Many commercial dog foods are made from materials unusable or less desirable for human consumption. Often the meat that is used in dog food is of a quality considered unfit for humans to eat.
Major dog food companies try to provide balanced proportions of vitamins and minerals for maximum benefit to your dog. Although you may see that many brands of dog food have almost identical labels, a reputable dog food company will provide an explanation for each supplement and how it benefits your dog.
Always read the label to see what proteins, vitamins and minerals are being provided to your dog. Try not to use store brand dog food they may short change your dog on much needed nutrition.
Studies have shown that the primary ingredient in dog food should be meat-based protein, not corn meal, flour or corn gluten meal. According to reviews a better quality dog food results in a healthier coat, fewer digestive problems and firmer stools. Pet-nutrition experts agree that the best dog food is made from human-grade ingredients like meat, whole grains and vegetables. Premium dog food is so important because good nutrition is essential for a long, healthy life.
Types of dog food
There are many varieties of dog food to choose from. The three most popular types of dog foods are dry, semi-moist and canned products. Check the color of your dog food. Usually dog food made from natural ingredients will have soft earth tones and contain no preservatives, artificial colors and flavors.
Raw dog food is becoming more popular. More and more veterinarians recommend feeding your dog with raw dog food. They feel that this is the best choice and is the healthiest food for your dog. After all, you've never seen your dog enjoy commercial dog food the way he enjoys a good meaty bone.
Raw food advocates concede the diet costs more than traditional dog food, but they argue it's worth it. You may find that locating free natural home made dog food recipes is not easy. Try making a mixture of ground turkey, rice and carrot as your own dog food. Your dog will thank you for it.
If you decide to go the commercial route, try and choose a good premium dog food since it contains more energy and protein than an economy brand. Unfortunately not all dog food brands contain high quality and natural ingredients, so always check the label. It is best if you seek advice from your veterinarian before deciding on which dog food to feed your dog or puppy. He will know your dog’s dietary needs and you will find that veterinary offices and feed stores often carry excellent and natural dog food.
All Natural Dog Food
Many natural dog foods contain only fresh, natural and wholesome ingredients for your dog. Not only are the protein ingredients digestible, but the carbohydrates in the dog food are digestible. Natural dog food has 100% nutritional value which is important for healthy strong dogs. Chicken, egg and fish are examples of protein that is provided in natural dog food. There are also ingredients in natural dog food that really help the health of your dog’s skin and also your dog’s coat. One of the main draw backs of natural dog food is that it has a shorter shelf life and may spoil before it is used.
Dried Dog Food
A good high quality dry dog food will work out to be more economical than the generic brands even though they cost more per pound. A vast majority of dog owners go for dry dog food for its convenience and ease of storage. The cheaper dry dog foods are made from soybean, corn or rice, while many premium dry dog foods are made with all-natural, human-grade ingredients.
Vegetarian dog foods
There are dog foods specially formulated for dogs that are allergic to wheat, corn, and/or chicken. There are also vegetarian dog foods marketed to owners who do not want their dogs to consume meat products. Most vegetarian dog foods use soy as a protein source. If your dog has allergies consult your vet before putting him on a specialized diet.
Conclusion
Overall it's usually best to let dogs enjoy dog food and not our food, even though they may prefer what we're eating! Of course you can feed your dog treats from time to time, every dog needs some TLC from time to time!

A Tale Of Four Dog Foods: Finding The Best Chow For Your Hound

A Tale Of Four Dog Foods: Finding The Best Chow For Your Hound
Word Count:
645
Summary:
We all love our dogs and want to give them the best life has to offer. But with so many variations of dog food in the market, it isn't always easy to identify the best food for our dog. Who can possibly feel confident when so many brands trumpet buzzwords that hit the human aisles not long ago, such as "rich in antioxidants," "highly digestible," "Omega-3 fatty acids" and "Ultra Premium Formula"?
What we can do, though, is to conduct a simple dog food comparison to determi...

Keywords:
dog food, dog food comparison, premium dog food, dog health, dog care, kibble

Article Body:
We all love our dogs and want to give them the best life has to offer. But with so many variations of dog food in the market, it isn't always easy to identify the best food for our dog. Who can possibly feel confident when so many brands trumpet buzzwords that hit the human aisles not long ago, such as "rich in antioxidants," "highly digestible," "Omega-3 fatty acids" and "Ultra Premium Formula"?
What we can do, though, is to conduct a simple dog food comparison to determine which foods best fit our dog's requirements and our personal schedule. After all, some foods offer much greater convenience than the more natural, less processed types of food which may require freezing, thawing, cooking and preparation.
Convenience aside, the best food to give your dog depends not on the brand or the style, but rather on your dog's age and any special requirements he might have. For example, older dogs require food containing a careful balance of protein, fat and fiber. Most commercial dog food companies address this need with offerings such as senior dog food, containing about 18 % protein, and food for dogs diagnosed with renal failure, containing about 14% protein.
Dare to Compare Dry Dog Food
The vast majority of dog owners go for dry dog food. Between the supermarket and specialty pet stores, owners enjoy many brands to choose from. Dry dog food consists of kibble typically made from one primary ingredient such as chicken, beef or lamb. More specifically, the main ingredient is usually a meat byproduct that's been processed, dried and sold in packs or bags for easy dispensing. Needless to say, meat byproducts are far cheaper than meat, so this type of dog food is not only easy to store, it's much less expensive than other types.
Hard kibble comes with some advantages. For example, it gives your dog's mouth some exercise, and kibble's less likely to contribute to plaque than softer foods.
When comparing brands, it helps to remember that there are essentially two types of dry dog food on the market: premium dog food and economy dog food. A smart owner will avoid purchasing the economy food, which is made from lower grade ingredients (for example, economy dog food will often substitute cheap corn for the more expensive meat byproducts). The "end" result, as it were, is that your dog can't absorb many nutrients but simply passes the food through his body. So in addition to enjoying less nutrition, your dog will produce larger stools -- and you might find yourself with more frequent vet bills.
Other Popular Contenders: Canned, Semi-Moist and More
Other categories of dog food include the semi-moist type and canned food. Many owners like to mix in some canned food with dry food, to potentially cover more nutritional bases without taking too big a hit to the pocketbook.
Semi-moist food is attractively convenient to owners, and dogs love it. Unfortunately, it may cause dental problems in the mid-term and worse in the long term, because semi-moist food is loaded with corn syrup and other sugars, which dogs just aren't designed to process.
Recently, more natural, "premium" dog food has been introduced to the market, in which higher quantities of quality, nutritious ingredients are used to manufacture the food -- often human-grade, in fact. Since vegetables, fruits, real meat and quality grains are used as the primary protein source in the highest-quality dog foods, these foods are a fast route to healthy skin and beautiful fur. For the most part, they contain no artificial coloring and preservatives, but are chock-full of vitamins and minerals instead.
Although this food costs more, you can feed your dog less of it, because it's more nutritionally dense. So in terms of both convenience and nutrition, a premium, natural dog food is one of the best choices available to your dog, whether off-the-shelf or purchased online.