The Zoomies

Often a complicated and controversial subject, I want to offer a basic summary of what to look for in a dog food, why it is important, and how to find the brands you are looking for. I will also include a list of links to look through if you want to get into more detail and do more research on the subject. For the sake of this article, I am going to stick with discussing kibble, and separate the more detailed subject of Raw Feeding to another article.

Why is choosing the right food so important?
Most often, your dog is getting all of his nutrition from the packaged food you give him. Although he could most likely survive on a less healthy food, in order to have him feeling his best and living to his potential, a healthy diet is an essential key. With the proper nutrition he will be less likely to get sick, able to function better, have a healthier overall appearance, and truly feel better from the inside out.

In addition, there have been several recent problems with dog foods causing illness and even death in the dogs that consume them. Careful attention to ingredient selection, high quality ingredients, and well maintained factories have become more important than ever.

How can you tell which foods are good?
Firstly, you cannot buy a high quality dog food in a grocery store. No matter what they say on the bag, anything you could buy in a grocery store is not the best choice for your dog. Most of the foods you find at a large chain pet store will not be up to the par either, however they often offer a few super premium brands to choose from as well.

Secondly, turn the bag over! Look at the ingredients. This will be the easiest way to make a quick assessment on whether or not the food will be healthier for your dog. Here is a basic list of what ingredients you want in the food, and which ones you want to avoid. You can go into much more detail with the order and combination of ingredients, but I just wanted to provide a quick way to see whether the food is healthy for your dog or not.

Moxie Begs by greencolander

Good Ingredients

Protein Source: Look for specifically named meats such as Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey, Turkey Meal, Beef, Beef Meal, etc. as the first ingredient. This will be the main ingredient in the food, and is the most important part of your dog’s diet.

Fats and Oils: Specifically named sources such as Chicken Fat, Herring Oil, Canola Oil, Flax Oil etc.

Carbohydrates: Look for whole ground grains such as Rice, Oats, Barley, Millet, Potatoes, etc. Some dog foods are grain-free, which may work out best for your dog. However, if it does contain grains, these are ones that are preferred.

Preservatives: High quality foods only use natural preservatives such as Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, etc.

Bad Ingredients

Protein Source: Any generic named meat such as “animal”, “poultry”, or “meat” are to be avoided. These could come from any source of animal, and are extremely questionable. Any type of specified or unspecified “By-Product Meal” should also be avoided, as these could include any rendered animal parts that are highly undesirable. Sometimes foods use “Corn”, “Soy Bean Meal” or “Corn Gluten Meal” as the first (main) ingredient. Many dogs cannot tolerate this product (many have allergy issues from these foods), and it is not providing the proper nutritional benefit that they should be getting from a proper meat source.

Fats and Oils: Like the protein, unspecified sources such as “Animal Fat”, “Poultry Fat”, “Vegetable Oil” or “Fish Oil” are not preferable, as the source of these products are unknown and questionable.

Carbohydrates: Again, avoid unspecified sources. Such ingredients as “Potato Product”, “Middlings”, “Cereal Food Fines”, are undesirable.

Preservatives: Chemical preservatives such as: BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin, TBHQ, and Sodium Metabisulphite are potentially hazardous and can cause serious health issues. You will find these often in commercial dog foods, so keep an eye out!

Also avoid: Artificial flavoring, Rice Hulls, Soybean Hulls, or Oat Hulls, Corn Bran, and Onion. These are all ingredients that are unnecessary and unhealthy additions to dog food.

Check out these Sources and Sites for more detail about ingredient lists:
Dog Food Project
Feed My Pet
Red Bandanna Pet Food

lo non posso entrare by funkybug

Comparing Brands
Just take a look at the difference between a major commercial brand and an independent high quality brand’s ingredient lists.

Pedigree:
Ground yellow corn, meat and bone meal, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, animal fat (preseved with BHA/BHT), wheat mill run, natural poultry flavor, rice, salt

Nature’s Variety Prarie:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Montmorillonite Clay, Ground Flaxseeds, Natural Chicken Flavor, Alfalfa Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Potassium Chloride…

As you can see, the difference is huge. Pedigree may have a good marketing campaign, but their ingredients speak for themselves. Your dog will not be able to get the best nutrition when he is eating corn and unspecified meat meals as his main food.

Sources:
Dog Food Comparison
Nature’s Variety

Shouldn’t I just go with what my vet recommends?
Although it can be a helpful start to look into food recommended by a vet or friend, the best thing you can do is look at the product for yourself. Often vets recommend Science Diet because of the promotion that they do with veterinarians. Once you take a look at the list of ingredients, however, you may notice that the quality of the food is not up to the level you would like feed your dog. Look for real meat sources, no unhealthy additives, and no unnecessary filler.

But I don’t want to spend more money of food!
Although the initially cost of a bag of healthier food is greater, the amount you feed (plus the vet costs you may avoid by having an overall healthier dog) will even itself out. Because the better food has more nutrition, you end up having to feed less at a time, and a bag will last longer than with the cheaper brands. Even if you end up paying more for the food in the long run, wouldn’t it be worth it to know that your dog is eating a diet that will leave him looking and feeling his best?

Where can I find these high quality foods?
I have found that it is easy to find a store that sells high quality kibble, although you may have to drive a while if there are none in your area. Stores that sell high quality food are generally independently owned, small size stores that sell mostly food and toys, although sometimes they offer more services like grooming or bathing. You can do an online search for “pet stores”, or “natural pet” to get a list of possibilities. They normally won’t be a major chain, nor will they sell any animals. If you are unsure of the particular brand you want to go with yet, a visit to one of these stores can be a really helpful way to make a choice. If you have an idea of a brand you would like to go with, they will generally have a store finder on their site where you can purchase their food in person. If you can’t find a store that sells the food you are interested in near you, often these companies will deliver to your home as well.

Amazon.com also sells some of these high quality foods on their site: Natural Dog Food

Switching to a higher quality food can make a big difference in the health of your dog, and I think it is one of the easiest ways to improve your dog’s overall well being.

For more detail on choosing a dog food, take some time to look through these links and lists of recommended foods. Your dog will thank you!

The Dog Food Project
Dog Food Analysis
Dober Dogs