| With slick advertising, colorful bags, and multiple aisles | | | | digestible content that adds little or no nutritional |
| of different brands, choosing the right food for your | | | | value to the food. Nearly all dog food manufacturers |
| dog can be a confusing and daunting task. However, | | | | use some kind of filler in their food, such as corn or |
| a number of key factors that contribute to making | | | | wheat and the general rule is that the highest quality |
| the right decision can be found right on the dog food | | | | foods will have the least amount of fillers. |
| label! | | | | Dog foods can basically be broken down into three |
| The first thing to remember when selecting a food | | | | separate categories based on nutritional content and |
| for your dog is to completely ignore the bright and | | | | quality of ingredients used: Super Premium, Premium, |
| colorful pictures on the fronts of the bags! Many dog | | | | and Generic. Super Premium foods are often |
| food bags are designed to attract the attention of | | | | manufactured by smaller sized companies and are |
| the humans seeking them out and use adorable | | | | usually only available in specialized pet stores. They |
| pictures of dogs and appealing colors to give the | | | | use the highest quality ingredients and have an |
| impression that the contents of the bag are as | | | | outstanding nutritional balance that can possibly add |
| wonderful as the outside design. In many cases, | | | | years to a dog's life! Some Super Premium brands |
| however, this is not the case and, in fact, this is | | | | include, Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo, and Artemis. |
| usually an indication of the exact opposite! Although | | | | Premium foods use good quality ingredients and |
| people are often fooled by cute pictures, clever | | | | generally have a proper nutritional balance. Some |
| slogans, and perfectly shaped and colored nuggets of | | | | Premium brands include, Iams, Science Diet, and |
| food, the reality is that the most important aspect of | | | | Nutro. With the exception of Iams, Premium brands |
| any dog food is its nutritional content and not the | | | | can usually only be pound in pet stores. Generic |
| clever packaging design or delicious-looking nuggets. | | | | foods are usually the least expensive and the easiest |
| One of the best indicators of the quality of a | | | | to find (these are the one found in grocery stores, |
| particular brand of dog food is the list of ingredients | | | | Walmarts, etc). They use the least expensive |
| and, by far, the most important ingredient to look at | | | | ingredients and some brands change ingredients |
| is the very first one that appears on the list! | | | | frequently, based on meat market prices (this can be |
| Generally, the first ingredient comprises between | | | | very detrimental to a dog's digestive system, |
| 70% and 80% of the total content of the food and | | | | especially in sensitive breeds). Some Generic brands |
| the first three ingredients combined make up 90% to | | | | include Pedigree, Alpo, and Beneful. |
| 95% of the food! Dogs are naturally carnivores and, | | | | When choosing a food for your dog, it is important |
| as such, they require their main staple to be some | | | | to understand what each brand offers nutrition and |
| kind of meat in order to achieve optimum health. | | | | quality-wise. With a quick glance at the ingredient |
| Therefore, it is always best to choose a food that | | | | label, you can often make a fairly accurate |
| uses some type of meat as the first ingredient. The | | | | assessment of the quality of any given brand and |
| best foods will list meats as all three of the first | | | | make the right choice for you and your dog! |
| ingredients and others will list one or more "fillers", or | | | | |