Dog Food Ingredients

It is always important to monitor the dog food ingredients that are found in your canine’s regular meals. The right dog food ingredients can have long lasting effects on your pet’s health, well-being, longevity, and quality of life.

All dog food ingredients should indicate that the contents include the proper proportions of meat, vegetables, and starch. The ratio should be forty percent meat, thirty percent vegetable, and thirty percent starch. The meat listed under the dog food ingredients should be lamb, turkey, kidney, or liver. These types of meat provide easily digestible good sources of protein. If the ingredients list any type of meat by-products, move on to the next selection. Never feed your dog a product that contains meat by-products or cheap fillers like corn meal.

The vegetable portion listed on the dog food ingredients label should be recognizable; for example, squash and carrots are both excellent vegetable sources for dogs. If the dog food ingredients list filler material like corn meal, do not purchase this product as it may cause digestion troubles for your furry friend.

The starch portion listed in dog food ingredients should be one recommended by leading veterinarians and dog trainers, namely, brown or white rice. Both are excellent sources of carbohydrates and are more easily digestible than wheat or corn. Brown rice is best since the outer whole grain shell remains intact.

If it appears that the food that you are selecting for your pet lists a slew of preservatives as well as artificial ingredients, then it is a good idea to avoid these brands. You should also take into account whether or not your dog seems to enjoy dry or wet food. If your dog is partial to dry food, be sure there are enough good animal fats listed in the dog food ingredients in order to ensure your pet’s dry food is still inherently moist and easily swallowed and digested.