As a dog owner, you are faced with a lot of choices for pet food. There is the option to go for wet food, dry food, or canned food. Wet food is optimal for hydration in dogs while canned pet food is best if your dog is constipated. Dry dog food, on the other hand, are ideal for those who are looking for an inexpensive way of feeding their pets nutritious food.
There are also other advantages of a dry pet food as compared to canned or wet ones. Dry food tends to keep the gums and teeth healthy because of the chewing process. Aside from this, they are made from different ingredients that can make the food a tasty one for your dogs.
Since dogs are carnivorous in nature, the best dry dog food will have meat as its primary ingredient. A specific type of meat must be the first ingredient in the list of ingredients a food for dogs has may it be lamb, chicken, fish, or beef. General terms like animal fat or meat meal are a sign of poor pet food quality so stay away from these kinds of products.
Fillers, in the form of grain, may be used by some manufacturers in their pet food. Be careful in giving your dogs food with grains like soy, wheat, and corn because these are common allergens in dogs. If you should give your pet a plant-sourced protein, rice is a welcome alternative.
Artificial preservatives should all together be avoided in choosing the best dry dog foods. BHT, BHA, Propyl Gallate and Ethoxyquin are some of the terms you should take note of. These artificial preservatives can do harm to your dog’s health. A good preservative substitute you can look for is Vitamin E.
Because of the heavy competition between pet food manufacturers, you will see all sorts of dog foods in the market today. The choice of which one to give to your beloved pet is up to you but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the most expensive one there is. Choosing the best dry dog food is simply looking for a product that will fit the needs of your dog.
When buying the best dry food for dogs, always go for a product that is made by a trusted pet food manufacturer. This way you are ensured that enough scientific research was done to come up with their product. In the same manner, you can expect that various lines of pet products are offered by a reliable manufacturer.
Dogs of different ages have different nutritional needs, so if you want to give your pet the best dry food you have to look for one that is suitable for your dog’s age. And since the food is also formulated according to the dog’s breed, you have to do some research first to know which brands work best with your kind of dog.
To get the proper advice in choosing the best dry dog food, you can always visit your veterinarian for his opinion. Just keep in mind that good nutrition is what defines the line between a happy healthy dog and a malnourished one.