Is Your Dog Eating the Right Diet?
Your dog’s diet is the foundation of their health, so it is important that you feed them the best food you can find. Today, however, there are hundreds of brands, types, and flavors of dog food on the market, making it increasingly difficult to decide which one really is the best. So how do you know if you are really feeding them the “right” one?
The first thing you might consider is brand, because that’s the first thing on the shelf that you notice, therefore, the easiest thing to start with. The truth is that there really isn’t one brand that is better than the others. There are 3 main things to consider when narrowing down your choices: your dog’s attributes, your dog’s allergies, and ingredients.
1) Attributes:
The most basic things about your dog to consider are breed, age, and activity level. For example, some foods are made specifically for small breeds who need more calories than larger breeds. Other foods are made to provide extra nutrients to a growing puppy while others are made to support the overall function of an aging senior dog. And if your dog can’t get outside for exercise much, they might need a food with a little bit more protein to help them maintain muscle mass.
2) Allergies:
If your dog has allergies to specific ingredients, this will help you narrow down your choices considerably. For example, if your dog is allergic to chicken and beef, you know that you need to find a food with a different source of protein, like fish. Another common dog allergy is grains, and many companies now specially make foods that are grain-free to accommodate this need. On the other hand, you may not know if your dog has allergies, or they may have more than you originally thought. In any case, consider getting your dog an allergy test to help you choose the right food!
3) Ingredients:
Once you’ve learned what allergies your dog has, consider all other ingredients. Ingredient labels can be intimidating, so a great rule of thumb is to look for “human-grade” ingredients, or ingredients that you, yourself, would eat! For example, if the first ingredient on the label is “chicken” or “beef,” you know you’re off to a good start. Other great ingredients to look for are fruits and vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, etc.
With these 3 things in mind, you can more easily research the brands that will best suit your dog’s needs, paying special attention to the quality of ingredients: what variety and where they are sourced from. Petwell Supply currently carries 3 dog food brands that are not only great examples of healthy ingredient-based foods, but also examples of how dog food companies maintain good practices with their ingredients.
Open Farm: Open Farm mainly prides themselves on sustainability. Committed to the betterment of the environment, they have sustainable farming, fishing, and even packaging practices. In addition, their foods are always 100% grain-free and contain no corn, wheat, soy, rice, or by-products and meat meals.
[See the Open Farm recipes we have in stock for pick up in store or shipping straight to your door]
Fromm: Fromm is best known for being a family-run company for over one-hundred years, which means that their owners work very closely with their production teams to ensure that their foods are always up to high standards. In every recipe, protein is the number one ingredient, and always included are allergen-free fruits and vegetables and important grains.
[See the Fromm recipes we have in stock for pick up in store or shipping straight to your door]
Orijen: Famous for their “biologically appropriate” recipes, Orijen specifically designs their foods to match the dietary needs of your dog’s ancestral background. This means that their food always contains an abundant variety of rich meats and proteins and fresh fruits and vegetables. Orijen is also very dedicated to producing their food locally, so they never outsource and always use regionally-sourced ingredients. [See the Orijen recipes we have in stock for pick up in store or shipping straight to your door]
If you know of another great dog food brand that you would like us to carry, or would like specific recommendations for your dog, please let us know by emailing info@petwellsupply.com.
- Vanessa Rances