| All natural dog food - there is a lot of talk about it | | | | dog food which says 'meal' or 'by product' |
| but how do you go about getting the best dog food | | | | 3. Dog food should be corn free - corn is very hard |
| for your dog? | | | | for dogs to digest and some dogs may be allergic to |
| All natural dog food specifically states the type of | | | | corn and corn-based products. Cheaper foods use |
| ingredients and where they come from, allowing the | | | | this as a cheap filler. Whole ground grains such as rice |
| purchaser to make an informed decision about what | | | | and barley are much better and easier to digest for |
| they are buying. For these reasons many consider all | | | | your dog. |
| natural food to be the best dog food available on the | | | | 4. Avoid feeds with too much animal fat included - |
| market. The advantages of buying all natural dog | | | | 'animal fat' is a generic term and includes a variety of |
| food include: | | | | fatty tissues from a variety of sources. Feed which |
| By disclosing all the ingredients in the feed, | | | | states where the fat comes from such as chicken |
| consumers are empowered through being able to | | | | fat, salmon oil or flaxseed oil tend to be much better |
| make an effective choice; the feed is made from | | | | feeds for your dog. As a general rule, avoid feeds |
| good quality, natural ingredients; and it is free from | | | | with vague, generic ingredient names as a |
| artificial additives such as colours, preservatives and | | | | manufacturer that lists all the ingredients in detail is |
| flavours. | | | | likely to be a manufacturer that is proud about the |
| With so many feeds on the market it can be difficult | | | | ingredients in its food and is therefore more likely to |
| to narrow down which is the best dog food for your | | | | make better food for your dog. |
| animal. Here are some key points to look for when | | | | 5. Look out for hidden chemical preservatives - an |
| deciding which all natural food to buy: | | | | ingredient list which includes BHA (Butylated |
| | | | Hydroxyanisole), BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), or |
| 1. Pay more - you've heard of the saying 'you get | | | | Ethoxuquin as ingredients should be avoided, and |
| what you pay for'? Well, this is certainly true of dog | | | | these ingredients have been banned in several |
| feed. The best dog food does tend to be more | | | | countries. Natural preservatives such as sage and |
| expensive however shopping around on line, buying in | | | | rosemary extract are much safer for your dog. So |
| bulk and collecting coupons are all ways of reducing | | | | to summarize, many consider all natural feed to be |
| the costs. Consider this - buying good quality dog | | | | the best dog food. One of the key positive aspects |
| food now could result in fewer visits to the | | | | about all natural food is that these feeds clearly state |
| veterinarian in the longer term. Buying all natural dog | | | | all the ingredients in the food on the label. All natural |
| food may therefore be considered to be an | | | | feed may generally be a little bit more expensive but |
| investment in your dog's health. | | | | it has no bone meal, does not contain corn, does not |
| 2. Avoid bone meal and beef meal based dog foods | | | | have a large amount of animal fat and does not use |
| -These are popular fillers found in cheaper dog foods. | | | | chemical preservatives. Ultimately the decision is the |
| Foods containing these fillers can contain a lot of | | | | dog owner's (in consultation with the veterinarian) but |
| gristle and bone that a dog may find very hard to | | | | all natural food has some qualities that make it a |
| digest. Chicken, Turkey and Lamb based dog foods | | | | popular choice for dog owners and their dogs alike. |
| are much better for your dog and try to avoid any | | | | |