Food for thought – what do you need in dog food?
Don’t be so hasty on choosing the first dry food off the shelf – many well known brands might be cost effective and apparently tasty, but many may not contain the correct balance of ingredients to help keep your dog fit and healthy. Here at animal friends, we know how important it is to prevent any expensive trips to the vets, even if they are covered by your Dog Insurance so to help we’ve made this list so you know what to look for, and why.
Protein for your Dog
Protein, in the form of quality meat ingredients, is the most important component of a dog's diet. As animals with a carnivorous background, their digestive system is designed to utilize primarily meat and fat. It helps with growth and development, as well as maintaining a high standard of fitness (when combined with ideal levels of exercise).
What to look for:
- Specifically named meats and meat meals such as chicken, chicken meal, turkey, turkey meal, lamb, lamb meal, duck, duck meal, beef, beef meal, eggs and so on.
- The following are lesser quality ingredients and are not found in truly high quality products, but may be present in smaller amounts (not as the main protein ingredients) in "mid range" foods: fresh byproducts indicating a specific species (e.g. beef/chicken/turkey/lamb byproducts), corn gluten, corn gluten meal. Note that products which include these as main ingredients should be avoided.
Fats and Oils
Dogs need a certain amount of fats and oils in their diet, mostly for skin and coat health, but also for proper brain development and other critical processes in the body. As food ingredients they should be specifically named and of high nutritional value.
What to look for:
- Specifically named fats and oils such as chicken fat, herring oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, flax oil etc.
- High percentages of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids, but a low ratio of the two, ideally 5:1 respectively. Should a food have lower percentages of these fatty acids, you can easily substitute with quality fish oil supplement.
Carbohydrates
Often mistaken as just fillers in dry food, properly cooked carbohydrates are highly digestible and a valuable source of energy, and therefore a must have. Fibre is the part of carbohydrates dogs cannot process, so foods very high in fibre should not be considered as a viable source of nutrition.
What to look for:
- Whole ground grains such as rice, oats, barley, millet, corn etc., potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas.
Fruit and/or vegetables
Fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables add vitamins, minerals and various phytonutrients. They are nice ingredients but by no means necessary and mostly only included in insignificant amounts. If a brand of food contains high quality protein, carbohydrate and fat sources but no fruits or vegetables, it's still a better choice. Sharing some of the fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables you eat yourself will add much more nutritional value to your dog's diet - just please do not give onions, grapes or raisins.
Dog Food Flavourings
High quality foods do not really need any flavouring, but natural ones are harmless and may even add a little nutritional value.
What to look for:
Specific stocks or broths (e.g. chicken, beef), liver of specified animals.
Preservatives in Dog Food
Quality products are preserved naturally, but sadly there is almost always a possibility of products containing hidden preservatives and additives, since manufacturers only have to declare ingredients on the label that they have added themselves. If they purchase for example fish oil and meal, fats or other prepared ingredients from suppliers with stabilizers and other additives already added, these do not have to be listed.
The higher the ingredient quality, the less effort must be made to delay further degradation of the product, making natural antioxidants like rosemary extract and vitamin E very effective. Any chemical preservative should not be trusted due to questionable side effects.
What to look for:
Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Rosemary-, Sage-, or Clove Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid and other forms of Vitamin C
Supplements
All dog foods are required to meet certain nutritional standards, so manufacturers must add certain minimum amounts of vitamins and minerals. Like any other ingredients, these can vary in quality and in how well the body can absorb them. Any other supplements are not a "must" but some of them add considerable health benefits; if you are confused about anything you read on a food label, don’t hesitate to research it for the benefits.
What to look for:
- Chelated or sequestered minerals (also labeled as chelates, proteinates, amino acid chelates or complexes, polysaccharide complexes).
- Nonacidic, time released versions of Vitamin C (labeled as Ester C, Calcium Ascorbate, Stabilized Vitamin C or L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate), natural Vitamin E (Tocopherol, Natural Tocopherol) and natural sources of Vitamin K (egg yolk, liver, oats, kelp, alfalfa).
Product Test
Remember that whilst you may want the best for your best friends, they may not like or agree with the foods that appear to be best for them. It is advisable to test a variety of foods for your dog, to find which is preferred. After all, your faithful friend just wants a nice tasty meal at the end of a long day, and he’d much rather something tasty than a bunch of vitamins that will keep him healthiest. Don’t worry about substituting a slightly lesser brand – if you keep using the same brand then the health benefits will be just as good.
Don’t forget, giving treats to your dog is perfectly fine when given sensibly and in conjunction with a good amount of exercise, just remember to avoid chocolate and other foods that act as poisons.
Finally, in order to really look after your pets don’t forget that Animal Friends offer a wide range of comprehensive cover in order to give you peace of mind. Why not visit www.animalfriends.co.uk/Quote or phone us on 0844 55 70 300 and talk to our friendly sales team who can help with any queries you may have.
