Healthiest Dog Food Buyer’s Guide
There are a lot of dog food options out there for pet parents seeking a healthier route. However, not all healthy dog foods are created equal.
To help you out, here is a detailed shopping guide with all the factors you need to consider in order to make the best decision for your doggy.
Protein source
Dogs are facultative carnivores. This means that much as meat is their primary source of protein, they can survive on other sources.
There is also the fact that some dogs are actually allergic to different types of meat especially beef, chicken, and lamb.
As a result, you have a lot of options to consider in terms of proteins.
You could go the traditional meat route which most dogs absolutely love.
In this case, you have the option of either going with regular meat sources including chicken, beef, fish, lamb, turkey, or pork.
You could also try wild game sources like elk, venison, and deer. It is all about your dog’s taste preferences.
On the other hand, you have the option of going full vegetarian. Here, the protein will be from sources like blue green algae or even yeast and may be supplemented by plant sources like beans and peas.
A vegetarian dog food is a fantastic option if your dog is allergic to different types of meat or if you simply want them to eat cleaner.
Grain vs. Grain-free
There is a long running debate in the world of healthy dog diets about whether or not grains are good for the dog and what risks grain-free diets may pose.
Grains like rice, wheat, corn, and others used in dog food have a lot to offer. They are often rich in micronutrients including trace elements like zinc and manganese just to name a few.
They are also awesome sources of fiber in the dog’s diet. To get all these benefits, you have to go with whole wheat options.
However, grains are not a good idea if your dog has gluten allergies. They may also contribute to weight gain in breeds already prone to obesity.
Finally, there is the fact that a lot of unscrupulous brands out there that use grains as fillers to make up for the weight of the dog food while driving prices down so as to appear competitive.
All things considered, a grain-free diet may not be the worst thing for your dog. Just make sure to find healthy dog food alternative ingredients that make up for all the macros and micros they may miss out on.
Cooked vs. raw
Cooked dog foods offer the benefit of safety as most methods used kill germs that may have caused food poisoning in the dog.
However, you have to be very careful with the methods of cooking used. This is because exposing the ingredients to too much heat could cause them to lose very important nutrients. This is the case with heat-sensitive ones like vitamins.
Kettle cooking and other low heat methods that reduce the risk of contamination while maintaining the integrity of the nutrients are without a doubt the way to go.
Raw foods also have their own perks.
The main is the fact they are tastier to the dog as they appeal most to their innate predatory instincts. You are also pretty much guaranteed the integrity of all the nutrients.
However, they may carry bacteria like salmonella as well as intestinal parasites. Hence, be sure to have some dewormers in hand if you are opting for raw food.
