Bravo Packing Performance Dog
We normally like raw pet food because most of these are free from fillers and the meat included are in their purest forms, free from processing of any kind. However, in the case of Bravo Packings raw diet, wed have to rethink this.
Bravo Packings Performance Dog and all of Bravo Packings other raw diets have undergone a recall this year.
Although no deaths or illnesses have been associated with the food, it is troubling that the brand has once again been involved with a recall.
From 2011 to 2015, Bravo had 7 recalls, which included expanded recalls.
There was another in 2018 and another in 2019 before the one for 2021. All of the past recalls were due to the possible presence of Salmonella or Listeria.
Recall Info: On March 3, 2021, Bravo Packing, Inc. issued a voluntary recall of two of their raw pet food products for possible cross contamination after samples collected during a US Food and Drug Administration inspection tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
The brand expanded the recall on March 16 to include ALL of its pet food and bone products of all sizes. No lot code or date code has been provided for the recent recall so assume, for the safety of your pets, that all are possibly contaminated.
Which Dog Food Brand Is Best For My Dog
Any commercially manufactured dog food in the UK that meets PFMA guidelines will contain complete nutritional requirements for pets, says the British Veterinary Association .
The PFMA says: ‘All “complete” pet foods must by law contain all the nutrients in the right proportions that a pet needs for healthy bodily function.’
So, as long as you’re buying a complete commercial pet food, your dog should be getting all the nutrients they need and you don’t need to supplement this with anything else.
However, the BVA adds that ‘each pet has its own needs, so diet should be adapted to your pet’s lifestyle, age, breed and any health conditions. We advise people to speak with their vet when they get a new pet.’
Our survey results below highlight Which? members’ favourite dog food brands from best to worst . We also asked them to rate value for money, quality of ingredients and their dogs reaction to the food.
Should I Feed My Dog Wet Or Dry Food
Again, there is no cut and dry answer to this question because every dogs dietary requirements are slightly different. When it comes to choosing between wet dog food and dry kibble, there are numerous factors to consider. You must think about cost, convenience, quality, digestibility, and palatability. By comparing and contrasting these factors, you can make the right choice for your dog.
In terms of cost, dry food is generally the most cost-effective option based on serving size. Keep in mind, however, that the cost of dry food goes up with quality. If youre feeding your dog a bottom-shelf product, it will be much cheaper than a top-shelf product. You should also consider the convenience factor. Dry food is more shelf-stable after the package has been opened and you have the option of filling your dogs bowl with an entire days worth of food without worrying that it will go bad.
Quality is a major factor to consider with any dog food, wet or dry. The cost of either type of food will go up as you increase the quality. Digestibility is also a concern. If your dog has dental problems or certain health issues, wet food may be easier to eat and to digest because it is soft and because the moisture content is higher than for dry food. Dry food does, however, have the advantage of helping scrape plaque and tartar off your dogs teeth and it is generally easy to digest as long as it is made from high-quality ingredients.
Recommended Reading: When Can Puppy Eat Adult Food
Is It Ok To Give Your Dog Treats
Treats are a good way to train your dog and reward it. A quarter of dog owners we surveyed said they feed their pets treats daily, and another three in 10 feed them twice a day. But giving your pooch too many treats can be a case of killing our pets with kindness.
Treats contribute to the daily food needs of your pet, so take this into account when measuring food.
Castor And Pollux Organix Tiny Feasts
Image courtesy Castor & Pollux
Your four-legged companion will love this Castor & Pollux Organix Tiny Feasts Organic Chicken, Quinoa, and Carrot Stew Dog Food Trays since it provides more nutrients while also providing a wonderful taste.
To get the most out of your dog, you must give it the besthence, this nutrient-dense organic chicken and quinoa soup recipe is chock-full of strong superfoods.
You can feel confident that this 100% complete and balanced supper was prepared in an ecologically certified kitchen with care and love.
Don’t Miss: Where Can I Buy Nulo Dog Food
Do Dogs Need Different Food As They Get Older
The BVA says: Yes. It’s essential that puppies and kittens are fed on puppy dog food and kitten cat food, as they have specific energy and nutrient requirements. As they get older, different breeds of dog will age at different rates. For example, a Great Dane is likely to be senior before a Yorkshire terrier.
Your vet will be able to advise on the best diet for your pets life stage, breed and lifestyle, and tell you if your pet has any special dietary needs.
Do Dogs Need Vitamin Supplements
A completely balanced and formulated diet has all the daily vitamins that your dog would need. Many commercial pet food diets are fortified to meet your dogs vitamin requirements.
Diets that have an AAFCO statement should be complete and balanced with all required vitamins. Even though confirming the percentage of vitamins in the diet is difficult, supplementation of a dogs daily diet is often not needed, and in many cases, can pose a risk of toxicity.
It is very important when choosing a diet for your dog that the AAFCO statement is included. If you are feeding a nontraditional diet that does not have an AAFCO statement, consult with a primary care veterinarian who practices advanced nutritional health or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to ensure that your pet is meeting his or her daily nutritional requirements.
They can also discuss supplements and confirm any questions regarding pet food labeling. Over-the-counter human and canine supplements in many states are not required to undergo food studies or bioavailability testing, meaning some products may not be readily available for dogs.
Bioavailability can only be confirmed through clinical and safety trials, which show the percentage of what is available, what the active and inactive ingredients are, and what can be absorbed.
Don’t Miss: Dog Sniffing Food But Not Eating
Purina Dog Chow Complete With Real Chicken
Its proudly tagged as having 23 vitamins and minerals as well as containing real chicken, so youd expect it to be a healthy chicken-based dish for your pup. But that would be wrong.
There is no chicken to be found within the first five ingredients. But wheres the chicken? Its in the 7th slot, after the corns and legume.
Well list down the first five ingredients here: Whole Grain Corn, Meat And Bone Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Beef Fat Naturally Preserved With Mixed-Tocopherols, Soybean Meal. Thats a significant amount of corn and soybean when put together.
We dont have a problem with corn. We recognize that corn contains nutrients and is not a filler. In most cases. However, for a recipe thats not formulated to target specific canine medical conditions, wed expect the corn to be merely a supporting ingredient and not the main one. Quality dog food should always contain more meat than carbohydrates.
The second thing weve noticed is that most of the meats are unnamed. Thats a red flag in dog food. While an unspecified meat ingredient will not harm your pup, its kind of worrying that you dont know whats going in your pets food. Itll even be more worrying if your pet turns out to be sensitive to the ingredient included.
Theres Meat And Bone Meal and Poultry By-Product Meal. What meat do these refer to? Pork, beef, chicken? What kind of poultry? Turkey or chicken?
Discussion Of The Primary Ingredients
To keep prices low, Beneful utilizes some lower-quality ingredients. While these may not upset all dogs, they absolutely can upset some canines.
With that said, the ingredients are not as bad as youd imagine. For instance, the first ingredient is typically whole meat of some sort. Beef is utilized for beef-centered recipes, for instance. Sometimes, other meat sources are also utilized. Some sort of animal fat is also used, which increases the flavor of this food. However, youll also notice flavorings on many ingredient lists, which can be troublesome for some dogs.
Most Beneful formulas are grain-inclusive. Despite many misconceptions, grains are not bad for dogs in the least. In fact, grain-free formulas have been linked to certain health issues. Therefore, we typically recommend feeding your dog grains unless they have an allergy, which is quite rare.
In fact, these formulas often include whole grain corn of some sort. Corn is surprisingly very good for dogs, as it is extremely digestible. In other words, dogs are able to easily digest and use the vitamins and amino acids in the corn. Therefore, dogs typically get more out of corn than other grain ingredients.
Read Also: Best Puppy Food For Bullies
Why Choosing The Right Dog Food Is Vital For The Health Of Your Dog
Youve probably got the gist of it already, but what we feed our dogs is vital for their health.
Let me give you some examples
Ive spoken to hundreds of dog owners over the years who didnt realise their dogs itchy skin or rashes were related to diet. Its actually very common, but not really considered.
Most of the time those dogs will be taken to the vet and prescribed some form of medication or expensive prescription diet usually Hills Science Diet, Hills Prescription Diet, or Royal Canin.
Those prescription diets work because they dont contain common allergens namely wheat or cereals. If you dont believe me, compare the ingredients between a dermocare formula and another formula of the same brand.
Those medications merely cover up the issues without addressing the real problem.
In most of those cases any grain free dog food would do the trick, and these are often cheaper.
There are many diet-related illnesses our dogs suffer, and its rarely considered cheap dog foods are the culprit.
Cancer, arthritis, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, IBS, allergies, dermatitis, ear infections, urinary crystals, pancreatitis
All of these can be attributed to diet, which is why choosing a decent dog food is vital for the long term health of our dogs.
Theres some great information about those illnesses on the Frontier Pets website here, which is well worth keeping in mind.
Is Instinct Dog Food Good For Puppies
Instinct offers a number of dog foods that are designed to be complete and balanced for puppies. Each recipe must meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for either growth or all life stages. Instinct dog foods made specifically for adult maintenance should not be fed to growing puppies. For more options, you can view The Dog Food Advisors best puppy foods here.
Read Also: What Is The Best Dry Dog Food On The Market
How The List Of Best Dog Food In Australia Is Chosen
All the dog food reviews are written firstly as an overview of the ingredients and analysis, but there are many other factors taken into account. Many brands of Australian dog foods actually come from the same manufacturer. There are many Australian brands of dog food, yet only a handful of manufacturers.
I monitor trends with each manufacturer, so if you find your dog has a reaction to a dog food, or you have any issues, then make sure you say so in the comments.
Australian Pet Owners Group have an issue log for most brands of dog and cat food sold in Australia, and its well worth researching any pet food you feed on their website.
With some leading Australian manufacturers Ive gathered many reports of sickness or diarrhoea. For other pet food manufacturers, hardly any at all.
The dog foods on the Best Dog Food in Australia list will change over time, either as formulas change, or feedback and other factors change.
Dog foods I have rated highly in the past have at times been bought up or switched manufacturers and shown drastic changes in quality very sad considering the consumer loyalty which has been built up.
If youve had a positive or negative experience on a dog food in Australia then let me know, add a comment, or through the .
Varying your dogs diet is something I see as a good thing, so keep that in mind as well.
In fact, my guide on how to feed a dog may offer some guidance!
What About The Worst Dog Food Brands
Some of the worst dog food brands in Australia are actually the most well known. What ads have you seen recently on TV featuring a cute dog apparently loving some brand of dog food?
The reason for this is the big players in dog food make the some of the worst foods. Its why they make so much profit selling a cheap formula with impeccable marketing is a business strategy which works.
Those companies have huge budgets for marketing their products, and not just for ads either by influencing breeder communities, dog shows, University sponsorships and endorsements.
If youre feeding one of those best-selling dog food brands, then read the review on this website, or at the very least look at the ingredients what does it really say about the product?
Don’t Miss: Best Natural Dog Food For Puppies
How Do I Choose The Right Dog Food
If you are in the market to hunt for the right dog food brand, it could very overwhelming for most pet parents. There are a few pointers that one needs to keep in mind before opting for a dog food brand:
- Ingredients. It is one of the most important aspects of any dog food. Every dog has a different body and therefore, there could be some ingredients that could end up being harmful. Before you opt for a brand, just ensure you read the food label to understand the constituent ingredients. You can also consult a vet to get a better idea.
- Type. There are several types of dog foods available. From the basic wet and dry to prescription diets and limited ingredient diets. If your dog is a picky eater, it is best to understand the type of food your dog will prefer.
- Cost. Dog food should not lead to a hole in ones pockets. Since you will be buying the food for your dogs entire life, it is best to go for an option that is affordable but does not compromise on quality.
- Shelf Life. If your dog food expires within a short time duration, you might want to reconsider your choice of brand. It is best if the shelf life of the food is long as it can help keep it fresh.
- Nutritional Benefits. If your dog food offers dietary benefits that other brands dont, you are probably on the right track. You might also want to look for foods catering to special health conditions if your dog has any.
What Does Crude Protein Mean
Crude is just a word to encompass all the ways that protein is calculated and determined in the diet. It does not provide information about the protein quality or the nutritional value of the protein source in your dogs diet.
One of many methods used to determine protein quality is the Biological Value . It measures the mass of nitrogen incorporated into the body divided by the mass of nitrogen from protein in the food multiplied by 100.
A value of 100% means all of the dietary protein eaten and absorbed becomes protein in the body.
Protein Quality
Protein quality is how much of the protein source is converted into essential amino acids that can be used by the bodys tissue. It is dependent on the:
-
Number of amino acids in the food
Proteins that provide large portions of all essential amino acids are considered high-quality proteins.
If that protein source is lacking essential amino acids or they cannot be absorbed by the body, then it is considered a low-quality protein.
In many cases, to avoid this, multiple protein sources may be fed in one diet to prevent the absence of certain amino acids.
Recommended Reading: Purina One Dog Food Ingredients
How Much Food Should I Feed My Puppy
Deciding how much to feed your puppy is a processnot a one-time choice.
Since a larger breed puppy requires more food each day than a smaller breed
And because every brand of dog food contains a different number of calories per cup
Start with the recommended feeding amount printed on the foods package. Then, adjust that amount up or down to keep your dog at her ideal weight.
Best Dog Foods For Urinary Health
Anyone who has ever had urinary tract infections would not wish to ever see their furry friend going through the suffering associated with the condition. According to the American Kennel Club, certain nutrients in a dogs diet can increase the risk of UTIs. Similarly, including specific nutrients can reduce the riska sort of prevention is a cure. This article will look at the best dog foods for Urinary Health.
View Table of Contents
You May Like: Can I Feed My Small Dog Large Breed Food