Choosing a dog food for your pet involves much more than staring at an aisle of canned and dry dog food at the grocery store, and it is definitely more than watching some of the admittedly very cute commercials on television that promote some of the most well known brands of pet food. Before selecting a food, make sure to do your own research and learn the truth about pet food. While budgetary constraints often have to be considered, there are several things to evaluate in this regard as you make an informed decision about how you spend your money on pet food.
One decision to be made is whether to use dry or wet food. Dry food is often the least expensive while also being more convenient. However, there is a cost to that in terms of quality. Preservatives are used to maintain the freshness of dry food. Canned or wet food, on the other hand, doesn't require artificial additives to retain its freshness. It's also moister, which helps with your pet's hydration. In addition, most canned foods are big on protein and meats. That said, many manufacturers actually recommend a combination of canned and dry food to achieve a balanced diet.
The ingredients of dry food is of key importance. There is an increasing situation of pets, especially dogs, having seizures, and some are pointing the finger at less expensive products that contain an abundance of corn, wheat, soy, glutens, and by-products which are actually very unhealthy for your pet. Many consumers may not realize that those by-products are actually animal body parts and organs. The vast majority of dry pet food found in supermarkets will contain these ingredients. Premium dry foods do not include these ingredients. Of course, these are more expensive foods and oftentimes require trips to specialized pet stores in order to acquire them.
Even with higher quality dry food, there are storage considerations that affect the overall quality of the food. Some manufacturers take great care to refrigerate the meat products as soon as they arrive on site for preparation, while others operate with lesser standards.
One way to ensure getting a quality food product is to look for a statement of adequacy from the Association of American Feed Control Officials, or AAFCO. This speaks to ensuring that the product meets certain nutritional guidelines.
Another important consideration is avoiding pet food products that contain BHT and BHA which act as preservatives. These tend to be found in those commercial foods sold at the grocery store. Higher end foods will use other products, such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E, to preserve the dry kibble.
The decision on what food to get for your pet is not easy. Many consumers have been raised watching TV commercials with adorable pets running and romping around, living longer and better lives by eating the dry food products promoted in the ads. A closer look at the ingredients, however, might be worth the time to make sure you are really getting the best food for your pet. With seizures on the increase, more vets are recommending the higher quality foods for the optimum pet health.
Whatever your choice, take time to make an informed decision based on the perspectives listed above and your own research on the subject.
