How do you know if a discount dog food or the cheap store brands are suitable for your dog? What about well-known brand name dog foods? Do the more exclusive dog food suppliers’ products contain much better quality ingredients? Do they really live up to their claims and are worth paying more for?
All of these are important questions that concerned dog owners need to ask themselves.
Choosing The Right Dog Food
There are quite a few things you need to think about when choosing a particular dog food brand for your dog. Different dogs have different nutritional needs at the various stages in their lives. Here are some things to mull over when selecting what type of food you will give your dog.
# 1 The Age of Your Dog
Puppies have different nutritional requirements to adult dogs just as human children have different needs than adult people. Puppy dog food is different to senior dog food, and older dogs will have different requirements to younger adult dogs. Make sure that you choose a dog food brand that is suitable for your dog’s age.
#2 Health Of Your Dog
Does your dog have a particular medical condition? If so, the dog food you give him may need to be suitable for that condition. Diabetic dogs may need special diabetic dog food. Just like humans, some dogs can have dog food allergies so may require special hypoallergenic dog food as well. If your dog has a specific medical condition ask your veterinarian to help you decide which foods are appropriate.
Your Dog’s Size Or Body Type
Your dog may be overweight or underweight. Some dogs have a predisposition for lots of exercise while others have a tendency to laze around. Then there you have the small, medium, and large dogs as well as the ultra-tiny “toy” dogs. What it all comes down to is that different types of dogs will need different food as well as how much of it.
The Cost Of Dog Food
There is no doubt that the best dog foods can be expensive. Like most things in life, it usually comes down to “you get what you pay for.” Cheap dog food will save you money but it may not be the healthiest choice for your dog because they usually contain cheap ingredients and lots of fillers.
To dramatically illustrate this point, some Chinese producers of animal feed have secretly supplemented their feed with melamine, a cheap additive that resembles protein in tests, even though it does not provide any nutritional benefits. Would you like to eat that in your food? Of course not, and neither would your dog.
The bottom line is this. If you truly care for your dog’s health then buying the best dog food you can afford will go a long way to ensuring your dog’s nutritional needs.
If you are really worried about what dog food manufacturers put in their products then you might consider home made dog food. At least then, you will know what your dog is eating and know it will be healthy.