When raising a dog, I believe many pet owners are very distressed. What kind of dog food is more suitable for dogs? Let me teach you how to choose a good dog food!
1、 Choose dog food based on age group
Dog food is generally divided into three types: puppy food, adult dog food, and senior dog food. There are differences in the absorption capacity and nutritional needs of dogs of different ages. If all dogs are fed one type of dog food, they may suffer from malnutrition or overnutrition.
Puppy food: suitable for weaned puppies up to 3 months old
Adult dog food: suitable for dogs over 8 months old
Note: Small dogs have an early estrus period and can consume adult dog food from 8 to 10 months old. Medium to large dogs have a late estrus period and can consume adult dog food from 10 months to 1 year old.
2、 Grain free, commercial, and natural grains
There are a total of two categories of dog food on the market: grain-free and natural So what type of dog food is more suitable for dogs? Below, I will analyze it for everyone.
1. Grains-free
The characteristic of grain-free food, just like its literal meaning, is that dog food does not contain any grain components and instead uses other carbon-water plants, fruits, and vegetables, such as beans and potatoes, to replace high-gluten grains such as wheat.
The benefits of eating grain-free foods:
(1) Reduce the risk of grain allergies in certain dogs and make it easier to absorb
(2) It can effectively prevent dogs from experiencing sudden spikes in blood sugar levels after meals and prevent obesity
(3) It is not easy to cause gastrointestinal problems
2. Natural grains
Natural dog food is a type of food without added preservatives such as antibiotics, hormones, synthetic pigments, and synthetic inducers. The natural dog food materials come from nature, with richer nutrition and a higher absorption rate.
The benefits of eating natural grains:
(1) It can enhance the dog's immune system.
(2) Enhance physical fitness and extend lifespan.
(3) absolutely safe and nutritious.
3、 How to choose a good dog food?
1. Look at the ingredient list
According to national standards, the ingredient list of each food should be sorted by weight, starting with the one with the highest content.
(1) The first one should be meat
Dog food is a mixture of meat and plants, but mainly meat. If the meat is labeled as chicken, beef, or fish, it indicates that such dog food is a good dog food.
Some businesses, in order to hide the defects in dog food, simply write about poultry and meat without knowing which type of meat it is!
(2) Marked proportion of raw materials
The ingredient list for dog food should preferably have a proportion of raw materials. For publicly available dog food, it should demonstrate confidence in the product and indicate a willingness to accept supervision. Most of the ingredients are good for dog food.
2. Look at the ingredient analysis
(1) Crude protein
Domestic food has national standards, and the standards inside are the lowest. The worst dog food also needs to meet the requirements inside, for adult dogs ≥ 18% and puppies ≥ 22%.
Cats do not have as high protein requirements as cats, but if dogs consume too little protein, it can affect their growth and development. If dogs consume too much protein, it can cause a huge burden on both the liver and kidneys, leading to liver disease and kidney failure.
So when choosing dog food for dogs, the protein content is generally between 22% and 35%.
(2) Crude fat
The "crude fat" in dog food, commonly known as "oil content," can help dogs protect their skin and hair and promote the absorption of fat-soluble vitamin ADE, but should not be excessive.
The national standard crude fat content is ≥ 5.0% for adult dogs and ≥ 8.0% for puppies.
Generally, choosing medium-fat dog food is sufficient, with a normal range of 13% to 18%. Dogs with high fat can easily develop fatty liver, pancreatitis, soft stools, and obesity.
(3) Coarse ash content
Coarse ash is a component that cannot be avoided by the current process when all organic substances are burned and oxidized in a high-temperature furnace at 550–600 °C for dog food samples.
The coarse ash content in national standard dog food is ≤ 10%.
high-quality and safe dog food with a coarse ash content of no more than 10%. The reason for setting the coarse ash content indicator is to prevent unscrupulous merchants from adding low-cost, non-nutritive ingredients to dog food.
(4) Crude fiber
Fiber is the main component of plant cell walls, including cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and keratin. Dogs are omnivores, and eating an appropriate amount of food containing coarse fiber is beneficial.
Fibers can absorb water and increase a dog's satiety.
Fiber can stimulate intestinal peristalsis, help dogs with constipation to defecate, and make their digestive system smoother.
The crude fiber value in national standard dog food is ≤ 9%.
(5) Water-soluble chloride
Water-soluble chlorides, also known as salt content, require dogs to consume a certain amount of salt every day but should not be consumed excessively; otherwise, it can easily lead to problems such as tear marks and rough hair.
The national standard water-soluble chloride content is ≥ 0.09% for adult dogs and ≥ 0.45% for puppies.
(6) Calcium-phosphorus ratio
The calcium-phosphorus ratio is approximately 1:1 to 2:1, with an optimal ratio of 1.2:1.
The minimum standard for national standards is:
Calcium ≥ 0.6% (adult dogs), calcium ≥ 1.0% (puppies), total phosphorus ≥ 0.5% (adult dogs), total phosphorus ≥ 0.8% (puppies)
3. Check the test report
When choosing dog food, only qualified cat food can be selected by looking at the ingredient list and ingredient list. To find better dog food, businesses should provide a dog food testing report. Small brands have weak quality control capabilities and are prone to quality issues, such as substandard nutritional ingredients and excessive detection of Aspergillus flavus.
So these small brands generally dare not disclose testing reports and should try to choose dog food with high information transparency and inspection reports
There are also some high-quality brands, and the raw materials used in dog food will also be transparent, making dogs feel more at ease when eating.
