With so many choices on the market, how can you be sure you are feeding the right food for your dog? The information's all there on the label, if you know what you are looking for. Look for the nutritional claim right up top.
Is the food 100 percent nutritionally complete? If so, it is for nearly all life stages. Growth and maintenance, on the other hand, is for early development, puppy foods are marked as such, as are foods for senior dogs.
Dog Food
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. The first three or four ingredients will tell you the bulk of what the food contains. Look for the highest quality ingredients, like meat and grains, to be among them.
The guaranteed analysis tells you what levels of protein, fat; fiber and moisture are in the food, in that order. While these numbers are meaningful, they will not tell you much about the quality of the food.
Nutritional value is in the dry matter, not the moisture content. In many ways, seeing is believing. If your dog has bright eyes, a shiny coat, a good appetite and a good energy level, chances are her diet is fine. Golden Retrievers rarely skip their meals.
Some studies have shown that soaking food for a short period of time prior to being fed increases its digestibility and lessens the chances of gastric disorders such as bloat.
As dogs mature and slow down they no longer have the protein or caloric needs of younger dogs. The ingredients of the food should reflect these changes.
Dog Food - How the Experts Read the Label on the Food Bottle Or Can Dog Food
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