| Feeding a high quality dog or cat food will add years | | | | one of the many premium dog foods now available. |
| to your pet's life and reduce the chances of | | | | though the cost may be higher than grocery store |
| developing many common health problems. This | | | | brands, what you save in vet bills will more than |
| article will help you identify and choose the best diet | | | | make up for the difference. |
| for your furry companion. | | | | Whether to feed canned or dry pet food will depend |
| How do you know what dog/cat food is right? For | | | | on you and your dog or cat. Canned food is usually |
| many the choice is a homemade diet. If you have | | | | more expensive, kibble is more convenient. Pets |
| the time and the resources, I agree that this is the | | | | usually prefer canned foods and some need the |
| preferred way to go. This is usually the best, and | | | | softer, wetter consistency. Canned pet foods |
| occasionally the only choice for animals with multiple | | | | generally contain higher quality proteins than dry pet |
| food allergies. The choice is yours whether to go | | | | food, and a higher percentage of protein and fat. |
| cooked or raw, with bones or without. | | | | The higher moisture content of canned foods can be |
| Basically, a homemade diet should consist of 40-60% | | | | beneficial to dogs and cats with kidney or urinary |
| meat for dogs, 60%-90% for cats, 20-50% | | | | tract problems. Dry pet foods contain more |
| vegetables (dogs, or 10%-40% for cats), and the | | | | preservatives. Some people choose to use both. |
| rest, optionally, grains. The choice within each | | | | The most important criteria in choosing a pet food is |
| category is vast, and depends on your budget, | | | | the list of ingredients. Whole meats are always better |
| availability, and what the dog or cat prefers. Often | | | | then meat meals, and meat meals are preferable to |
| allergies to certain foods will determine the diet. | | | | by-products. Single source meals, such as "beef meal" |
| Each dog and cat is unique and what is best for one | | | | or "chicken meal" are more wholesome than those |
| may not work well for another. Feeding a variety of | | | | marked simple "meat" or "poultry" meals. Single |
| foods is the best way to provide all or most of the | | | | source meals contain the muscle meat from that |
| nutrients that your pet needs. | | | | animal, along with accompanying tissues, such as |
| A good quality multi-vitamin and calcium supplements | | | | nerves, blood vessels and skin. Generic meals may |
| will help make sure the diet is complete. Because it | | | | contain other organ tissues and fatty tissue. |
| can be tricky to get the right balance of calcium and | | | | By-product meal is a catch-all term for anything that |
| phosphorus when making your own pet food, you | | | | doesn't fit the other meal definitions - avoid these at |
| will need to add a calcium supplement. | | | | all costs! |
| If you like the idea of homemade pet food, but lack | | | | Look for the meat source (or sources) to be listed |
| the time, there are pre-mixes available, or complete | | | | first on the label. If grains are included (which they |
| ready-to-serve meals. Pre-mixes come freeze-dried, | | | | always are in kibbles), they should be whole grains, |
| dehydrated or frozen. Usually they are grain and | | | | rather than fractions, such as wheat bran, brewer's |
| vegetable mixes, along with some supplements such | | | | rice, etc. Watch out for multiple listings of grains, |
| as calcium, to which you add the meat. Ground | | | | they may add up to be more than the meat portion! |
| meats, sometimes with bone, are also available | | | | Avoid foods containing artificial flavors, colors or |
| where pet foods are sold. You can then add your | | | | preservatives. Colors are added for your benefit, not |
| own vegetables and/or grains if you so desire. | | | | to appeal to dogs. Artificial flavors are added to |
| Complete raw-foods diets are also sold as frozen, | | | | enhance palatability or cover up off tastes of poorer |
| dry or freeze-dried. Some areas may have local | | | | quality ingredients. Premium dog foods can be found |
| entrepreneurs who make and sell these diets fresh. | | | | in most natural or health food stores and pet supply |
| They may also custom make meals to your pets | | | | stores. If you are unable to find a satisfactory dog |
| specifications. | | | | food in stores near you, many of them can be found |
| If you prefer to feed a commercial product, choose | | | | on the internet. |