Friday, December 30, 2011

How to choose dog food?

By Edward Wunderlin


What criteria should determine your choice of dog food when you are faced with such a tremendous choice of brands and ingredients? Should one believe the claims stated on the packages? It is easier for us to choose our own diet and vary the ingredients based on our needs. We however do not taste our pets' food to be able to improve it. You are responsible for choosing a balanced diet for your dog, especially that we tend to stick to the same brand of dog food for a prolonged period of time. What follows are some tips that should help you better understand the difference between different types of dog food:

All dog food bags should display the AAFCO certificate or label. The AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) develops and implements laws, regulations, standards and enforcement policies for regulating the manufacture, distribution and sale of animal feeds. The AAFCO certificate is a guarantee that the product has been controlled and approved as being safe for dogs. Dog food bags also display the list of ingredients they contain in order of quantity, which should be indication of whether or not they are going to meet your dog's needs. To conform to the AAFCO regulations the label should display the ingredient which has the highest percentage of the total weight first. Another AAFCO requirement is that the names of the ingredients be stated with precision and not grouped under generic names.

Despite the large choice of dog food offered by grocery stores, most of dog food brands provide what can be termed "generic dog food." This type of generic dog food might therefore not be the optimal source of nutrition for all dogs. Specialized products, i.e. those intended to control the dog's weight for example, or those that are more adapted to the pet's age, can be equally puzzling in their variety. The vet is more qualified than the grocery store employees to guide you in your choice.

Certain products are more expensive than others. Should that be the criterion that determines the choice of dog food? Not always.

One characteristic of expensive dog food is that the ingredients contained would not fluctuate. Regardless of the season or the price of the ingredients, the latter will have the same origin, hence the same quality, week after week. Cheaper dog food cannot claim the same stability of quality. For, suppliers would get their ingredients wherever they are the cheapest. This explains the fluctuating quality of their ingredients

Indicating the nature and proportion of the basic nutrients helps ensure a specific product meets minimum requirements, but does not solve the problem of what specific product is best for your dog. That is why it is the consumers' responsibility to demand more information regarding the origin and type of ingredients contained in dog food.




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