Choosing dog food is confusing for a lot of people. There are plenty of theories about vitamins, herbs, chemicals, minerals and what brands are best. How are you supposed to understand what is really best for your dog?
If you have a pet there is a good chance that you wonder if you have chosen the right pet food. If your pet has an obesity, kidney, or heart problem then you are probably even more concerned. Dry food or wet? Commercial pet food or a blend you made at home? Should you feed a meal or let them eat whenever they are hungry?
Choosing dog food, or any pet food for that matter, is controversial to many people. Almost every veterinarian, breeder, food producer and pet owner out there has their own opinion on it that can range from a dry food only diet, raw food diets and every kind of diet in between. Vitamin and mineral levels are also hotly contested.
Choosing dog food
The most common approach to this topic is to feed your dog commercial pet food. The great thing about these food choices is that they are designed for a balanced diet and this takes out all of the guesswork involved with feeding your pet. There are differences between many animals, however, and they can have different needs, for example puppies are going to need different things than adults and the same goes for cats. You can buy different dry food as they grow to handle this.
Dry food or wet commercial pet food? Dry food is most recommended for pets, it also happens to be great for your dog or cat's teeth. In some cases, however, wet food will be important. If your pet has a problem with their kidneys, bladder, or digestive system there will be a great benefit to having the extra water that comes along with wet food.
How do you know if you are choosing dog food that is good for them? You can take a look at your companion and learn a great deal from them. Clear shiny eyes? No discharge? Glossy, dandruff free coat? Healthy weight? Lots of energy? These can tell a lot. If you answered yes to these than you are probably doing OK.
If you found problems with any of the above than you should talk to your veterinarian. They can rule out problems that are associated with these, (parasites, eye infections, etc.), and if there aren't any health problems that the vet finds you can look into changing the pet food that you use.
When choosing dog food, we recommend that you get the best that you can possibly afford. Stay away from artificial flavours, colours and corn sugar. It should go without saying but make sure that you get the food that suits the stage of life your pet is in. Your veterinarian can also tell you what commercial pet food is best for your pet, don't be scared to try different things when choosing dog food and Don't Give up until you find what works for your unique pet. You can buy dog food online at Vet Products Direct
Table scrap problems with dogs
There are plenty of problems associated with giving your pet table scraps, unlike commercial pet food table scraps are not going to contribute to a balanced diet and can drastically unbalance it. This also contributes greatly to obesity and not only that, they can become fairly ill when they are fed human food. If it doesn't make them sick they might decide that they much prefer it over dog food and will further unbalance their diet.
Feeding times for dogs
In almost every single case, free-choice feeding is not going to work out with dogs. Cats can regulate their feeding but dogs will work best with one or two separate meals a day, this way you can know exactly how much your dog is eating and see if they are having any appetite problems which can be a sign of more serious problems. Digestion is even better if they are hungry, meaning that frequent, small meals will not digest properly. Cats can't handle this in quite the same way because liver disease can quickly develop if they go too long without food.
General pet food tips
- Buy the best you can pay for.
- Never overfeed! This is a huge problem that causes a host of health complications.
- Don't free-feed your dog! If left unattended a dog will balloon up in size. Give them the same amount every day and only once or twice a day.
- Use dry food on a regular basis. If special needs play a role in choosing dog food then you can opt for wet food. Otherwise, use dry food to help maintain their weight and prevent dental problems.
There are plenty of approaches to feeding and there are a wide variety of specific needs for different pets. There isn’t a single correct answer we can give you. Talk to your veterinarian in order to get a proper diet for your dog and you can ensure that you will have a healthy and happy dog that will live a long life. Buy dog food online at Vet Products Direct.