Key Differences Between The Worst And Best Dog Foods
- The best dog food will exceed the minimum nutritional requirements Whilst all commercially available foods will reach the minimum required nutritional levels, the minimum is not enough to make your dog fully thrive.
- Protein According to Kate Barrington at Petsumer.com, the best dog food will have over 25% protein. This should be ideally from all animal sources, without using vegetable protein.
- Fat The best foods will have at least 10% fat content.
- Enriched with Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
- The first five ingredients on the label should not contain any fillers, by-products, or additives.
Benefits Of Feeding American Journey Dog Food
Here are some amazing benefits of feeding American Journey dog food to your furry companions
- Shiny coat: American Journey dog food supports better coat conditions. It will prevent skin problems, like itching, rashes, or scabs.
- Better physique: Your dogs weight becomes easier to control with American Journey dog food. Your dog will surely have a beautiful muscle tone with a better posture and appearance.
- Energy levels Yeah! Your dogs body requires energy to function which is obtained through diet. He needs real nutrition that provides the necessary vitamins and minerals. American Journey dog food provides appropriate energy sources that are usable over a longer period.
- Increased life expectancy: American Journey dog food is a healthy diet and is essential to help your dog hit his life expectancy.
- Boosted immune system: American Journey dog food improves your dogs immune system.
- Improved digestion: American Journey dog food provides healthier digestion and is easily absorbed by the dogs body.
- Better taste: American Journey dog food maintains the taste and nutrients of the ingredients with all the goodness locked in. Your dog can enjoy a healthy, tasty meal every day.
Get Educated About Canine Nutrition
As a caring dog parent, you must be concerned about the nutritional requirements of dogs. The six fundamental components of a dogs regular diet are:
- Water
- Minerals
- Vitamins
When it comes to high-quality dog food, it should be complete and balanced. It must contain the right ingredients, in the right amount. This will ensure that your fur buddy is getting enough protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Dont forget to ask your vet about canine nutrition and expert advice.
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Prevent Air From Getting In The Bag
When youre done scooping out the dog food, make sure to completely seal the bag. The best way to do this is to tightly roll the top and then use a clip to seal it.
The reason its crucial to keep air out of the bag is that exposure to air will accelerate the growth of harmful bacteria. The longer the food is exposed to oxygen, the quicker it will go bad. Simply clip the top of the bag to make the food last longer.
Reasons To Add Water To Your Pet’s Food
We know how important it is for us to drink plenty of water throughout the day, and the same goes for our pets. Adding water to our pets’ food is a simple, virtually cost-free step we can take to ensure our pets stay healthy. Especially when they’re fed primarily a kibble-based diet, the benefits of adding a little H2O to their bowl are too great to ignore.
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A Look At The Ingredients
The following chart shows that these cases may have something to do with common ingredients in grain-free dog food. The findings show high instances of cases reported in foods with ingredients such as peas, lentils, and sweet potatoes.
Image courtesy of FDA
And, to complicate the situation even more, some brands were reported more frequently than others, and some dog breeds also had more cases reported than others.
Image courtesy of FDA
With so many unknowns, its hard to pin down the exact cause of or contributor to these cases. But, as Dr. Patton shares, we should consider how these foods impact our dogs health, and we shouldnt limit our concerns to the risk of DCM. There are other problems that can result from some dog foods that have been labeled grain-free.
Should Your Dog Be On A Grain
Theres been a lot of buzz about the FDAs recently-released Grain-Free Diet Alert, which has left many dog owners concerned about potential impacts of grain-free foods on their pets health. The alert came after the FDA investigated reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy essentially an enlarged heartin dogs eating certain types of dog foods, many of them labeled grain-free.
With the growing popularity of grain-free dog food and many leading healthy dog food brands making the list, dog owners who feed their dogs these foods are faced with many uncertainties: How safe is it to feed my dog grain-free foods? Should I switch my dog to a different diet or brand of food? Should my dog even eat grain-free food? Are some foods safer than others?
With all the confusion out there, weve put together key considerations from our expert animal nutritionist, Dr. Richard Patton, to help you decide which diet is best for your dog.
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Benefits Of Dry Dog Food
Dry dog food is more cost-effective, lasts longer once it is opened, and is easier to feed and store than wet food. Dry food can also help to keep a dog’s teeth clean by scraping off plaque as the food is chewed.
It is widely accessible, doesn’t need special storage once it is opened like canned food requires, and comes in a variety of dry kibble shapes, textures, flavors, and sizes.
The Truth About Corn In Dog Food
Some insist corn is a nutritious dog food ingredient while others denounce it as a problematic cereal grain.
So, what should you believe? Whats the truth about corn in dog food?
Is it good or is it bad?
Well, that depends on whom you ask.
In general, anxieties expressed over the use of corn in dog food seem to come from end users pet owners, breeders and the like.
Yet the pro-corn crowd appears to be dominated by those who have a vested interest in products made with cereal grains.
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Why Should You Consider Soft Food
Is your dog having a reduced appetite or less interest in food while feeding? Well, then one of the reasons can be an extreme pain in their teeth. If your dog faces trouble chewing or gulping the food, then the first thing you need to do is offer them very soft and tender food, which they can easily eat.
A soft dry dog food is thus going to soothe your dogs gums and relieve it from pain. Nevertheless, mushy foods are not suitable for teeth. In case your dog is left with only a few teeth, consider giving the blended puree form of food, which is not going to pressurize their gum.
Is Canned Food Bad For Your Pet’s Teeth
Some studies have shown that dry kibble, particularly dental varieties with added calcium carbonate, can reduce surface plaque on dog teeth. However, while dry dog food may be slightly better for your pet’s teeth than wet food, no food alone provides enough benefit to adequately prevent plaque build-up, bad breath, or dog dental diseases, such as periodontal disease.
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Merrick Real Texas Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe
If you are specifically looking for grain-free canine formula, then you can’t go wrong with this Merrick recipe.
It’s perfect for all breeds, ages, and sizes and is available in a variety of different flavors. We recommend the beef and sweet potato recipe as it is poultry-free .
Containing a whopping 38% protein and 15% fat, Merrick’s philosophy is that these two properties in combination with a host of vitamins and minerals will do wonders for promoting the overall dog’s health.
They are extremely transparent with regards to the ingredient composition, choosing only the best available products and containing no corn, wheat, soy or gluten ingredients.
This helps give us tremendous confidence in recommending the brand. At $60 for a 25-lb bag, this does fall into the premium category.
Whether the exceptional nutritional content is worth the increased price is up to you.
Soften The Dry Foods By Adding Water
If you prefer feeding your dog with kibbles, then the best thing you can do is add some water to soften them. Kibbles are much porous, so when you add water to them, the kibbles will instantaneously absorb the water. Thus, it will kill the crunchy texture and prepare a soft mush.
The kibble pieces are going to be in shape, but the texture will become soft. Also, you can mash it properly before giving it to your dog. The soft dry dog food for seniors kibble is going to be easier for your doggo to lick and chew.
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Narrowing Down The Dog Food Choices
Even if you know what ingredients to look for, it can be daunting to walk down the aisle of a pet supply store and try to determine which product is best for your pet. As a final step in their dog food research process, Reviews.com set out to make a list of the best commercially-available dog foods.
How did they decide what made the cut? They looked at the ingredient list, of course. Any food that relied on too many fillers was out. Formulas that had a meat protein listed first stayed in.
Reviews.coms research team started with 2,219 dog food formulas comprising 115 brands, then narrowed down the list to a final recommended 115 formulas representing just 25 distinct brands. Youll find the full, sortable, searchable list on their website.
Are Grains In Dry Dog Food Bad For My Dogs Diet
Grain-free diets are an excellent option for dogs with a sensitive gut. The allergen-free recipe does not trigger food-related sensitivities in dogs. However, whole grains contribute valuable nutrients including minerals, vitamins, fiber, and essential fatty acids. They are not fillers and can have beneficial health implications.
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The Pros And Cons Of Mixing Wet And Dry Dog Food
Dog food options abound when you walk into a pet store and while there are fresh, frozen, and even freeze-dried options, the most common types of food you will find are either dry kibbles or canned, wet dog foods.
Some dog owners will mix both kinds of food for various reasons. It is helpful to know the benefits of both kinds of food individually as well as whether mixing them negates these benefits so that you can provide the best diet for your dog.
Ol Roy Complete Nutrition
Source: ol roy
This product consists of a high amount of ground yellow corn. Butylated hydroxyanisole preservative is in the first five ingredients, and there are way too many by-products. Keeping Ol Roy off of your dogs food bowl is probably the best decision.
| Guaranteed Analysis | |
| Fiber | 2.62% |
Ingredients: Ground yellow corn, meat and bone meal, soybean meal, poultry by-product meal, animal fat , corn gluten meal, natural flavor, brewers rice, salt, potassium chloride, color added , choline chloride, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, calcium carbonate, zinc oxide, niacin, copper sulfate, vitamin A supplement, biotin, manganous oxide, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione sodium bisulfite complex , riboflavin supplement, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, folic acid, vitamin D-3 supplement, cobalt carbonate
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The Pros And Cons Of Cheap And Expensive Dog Food
Image Source: Unsplash
One of the most important factors to consider in your dogs overall care is what they eat. As a pet owner, youve undoubtedly looked at different food options for your dog more than once. It can get a little overwhelming if you arent sure what you should be looking for. There can be such a wide range in dog food prices that you might feel obligated to spring for the more expensive brands.
But are those expensive bags of food really worth it, or will your dog get similar nutritional value from their cheaper counterparts?
You should be feeding your dog food that fuels them and keeps them healthy, rather than just empty calories. With this in mind, lets look at some of the pros and cons of cheap and expensive dog food to determine if you should be spending more on your dogs daily diet.
Less Protein Means More Carbohydrates
Aside from the binder consideration, something has to fill the void that the lower protein percentage of dry dog food creates. So, there are automatically more carbohydrates in dry dog food because there’s less protein.
Fat is the only other variable and you generally don’t see a lot of difference in fat in pet foods, unless you are comparing diet foods and regular foods. Even so, the difference is not as much as when comparing protein and carbohydrate levels. This is where you can see a real difference in the quality of dog foods.
Higher quality foods generally will have more protein than carbohydrates, as protein is more expensive.
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Best Dog Food With Grains
To find the best dog food that has grains in it, your safest option is to consult your vet. Since they know all about your pups medical history and food sensitivities, theyll be able to recommend the right food with the right protein.
There are a bunch of brands like Hills Science Diet and Royal Canin that vets really trust and recommend to their patients all the time, and their dog foods have the perfect balance of grains and proteins.
Another great option is Natural Balance, which is what Dr. Bustamante feeds her own dog.
So even though it might be intriguing to try a super trendy grain-free diet, it could cause your pup some pretty big problems in the long run. Thats why its always best to chat with your vet about which food is right for your dog before making a selection.
We independently pick all the products we recommend because we love them and think you will too. If you buy a product from a link on our site, we may earn a commission.
Whole Earth Farms Grain
Top Ingredients: Pork Meal, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Pork Fat
Packed with lip-smacking flavors extracted from pork meal, lamb, and beef, the grain-free formula is one of the most famous picks of pet parents. This delicious blend by Whole Earth Farms is loaded with goodness for your pooch. Fill up their bowl with a savory meal exploding with nutrition that helps your little darlings grow, sustain, and stay active and happy.
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Healthman’s Stressed Friend: Dogs Feel Owners’ Anxiety
Gelzer isnt sure what the results will be if those early stage dogs are switched to a different food. Some get better when the diet is changed, she said. Some stay the same and keep the status quo with medications and some die despite changing the diet and getting all the heart medications we can give.
While its clear that pet owners are feeding these brands because they are trying to do what they perceive as the right thing for their dogs, unless the dog has a documented sensitivity to grains, its probably not worth the risk at this point to feed these products, said Dr. Bruce Kornreich, a veterinary cardiologist in the department of clinical sciences at the Veterinary College of Cornell University and associate director of the Cornell Feline Health Center.
What we dont know is if used in these diets in place of grains are causing the problem, Kornreich said. Its also possible that could be some kind of toxin.
Kornreich suggests pet owners switch to a brand produced by a company with a long-standing history.
If a pet dog is showing any symptoms of the heart condition, including decreased energy, cough or difficulty breathing, the FDA urges owners to contact a vet as soon as possible.
Linda Carroll is a regular health contributor to NBC News and Reuters Health. She is coauthor of “The Concussion Crisis: Anatomy of a Silent Epidemic” and “Out of the Clouds: The Unlikely Horseman and the Unwanted Colt Who Conquered the Sport of Kings.”
How Long Will Opened Dry Dog Food Last
To be on the safe side, youll want to finish the bag within 14 days of opening. I know that doesnt seem like a lot of time, but you need to remember that when it comes to food spoiling, the enemy is oxygen.
Right when the bag is opened, the food is exposed to oxygen, and there will be a chemical reaction that begins the process of spoiling. Thats why its best to purchase smaller bags. I know you save a bit of money when purchasing big bags, but unless you think youll finish it off within two weeks, its best to buy multiple smaller bags.
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What Is The Best Thing To Feed Your Dog
Dr Leigh from Your Vet Online advises that it is important to ensure your dogs food is both complete and balanced for its stage of life, and if it has any medical issues. It is entirely acceptable to feed your dog a pure kibble diet. Or you can mix their diet up with some cooked or raw meat, fish, vegetables and rice.