Dog food

Dog food
- make the right choice

You've probably noticed by now that there's a dizzying selection of commercially prepared dog food for you to choose from.

That's great news for little Fido, but can be very confusing for new puppy parents.

Are you having trouble deciding which brand or formula to go with?

Can't decide which provides the best nutritional balance? Not sure whether to buy dry kibble or canned
f so, we're here to make it all a little easier for you. We're going to fill you in on your puppy's basic nutritional requirment; give you the pro's and con's of dry puppy kibble v. canned food; show you what to look for when choosing a brand or formula and much more....

So make yourself comfortable and take a few minutes to read this page. by the time you're finished you'll be armed with all the information you need to make the right choice of food for your precious new furbaby.

A closer look

When choosing the brand or type of food to give little Fido, take a trip to your local pet store and look closely at all those bags, cans and pouches.

All the hype and advertising slogans etc. can make it seem a little (or even a lot) confusing. We've tried to simplify the whole process a little bit, so here's what to look for -

• The wording 'a complete and balanced diet'
  Only manufacturers who adhere to the AAFCO standards are allowed to use this wording. These standards mean that the food has been evaluated through feeding trials and has been proven to provide a complete diet, requiring no additional supplementation.

  * the word 'formulated' does not mean the same thing and is no guarantee that the food in question has been tested for nutritional value.

  * Terms such as 'premium' or 'super premium' have no real significance and no relevance to the quality of the food. They're purely advertising hype.

• Balanced nutritional ingredients
  PROTEIN : a well-balanced food should contain a good source of high-quality protein, which provides essential amino acids, as one of the first ingredients. Chicken and lamb products are 2 of the most popular sources of protein. Look for chicken, lamb, chicken meal or lamb meal. The higher on the list an ingredient appears the greater the percentage of it in the food.
  
  CARBOHYDRATES : these supply Fido with the energy he needs to get through his day. They also contain fiber and convert to glucose. Carbohydrates are found in most grains, fruit and vegetables.
  

  FATS : a valuable source of energy as well as what is needed to keep your puppy's coat and skin healthy. In a commercial dog food these are often found in muscle meats and vegetable oil or animal fat.
  

  VITAMINS & MINERALS : although these are vital to your puppy's health it's important that they're supplied in the right quantities and in the correct ratio. An AAFCO approved food will contain exactly what your puppy or dog needs. Unless Fido has special requirements or health issues you should not need to add any supplements.

You can learn how to analyze and compare the ingredients in any brand of food using an innovative dog food comparison system . Find out how on our Dog Food Comparisons & Analysis page.

Dry kibble v. canned food

Both these types of food can provide Fido with sound nutrition.

Dry puppy kibble tends to be more carbohydrate based while canned food is often more meat-based. Obviously canned food contains a lot more water (some brands can contain up to 70% water) than the dry variety. Dry food is believed to be better for your puppy's teeth as it's hard, crunchy texture helps to keep the build up of tartar at bay.

Canned dog food is more expensive to feed than dry puppy food and due to it's higher water content you may need to feed more food per pound of your dog's weight to get the same nutritional value. This may explain why the owners of small dogs are more likely to feed canned food than the owners of large or giant breeds. Canned food can be more appealing to Fido as it smells and tastes more interesting than dry.

Overall, the canned v. dry debate is mostly a question of personal preference and budget than nutritional adequacy. If you simply can't decide why not mix a little canned food with a good-quality dry food and get the best of both worlds?

Customized Diets

Not so long ago the dog food choices were far fewer and most dogs and puppies ate basically the same food. Today, the industry is much more specialized as scientists and nutritionists have come to better understand dogs differing nutritional needs.

You'll find puppy and adult food for large breeds, small breeds; giant breeds; senior dogs; active dogs; overweight dogs; dogs with certain medical conditions; breed-specific dog foods and much more.

Each group has unique requirements which need to be met if they are to stay healthy. The following is a brief overview of just a few of those different needs -

• Puppies - puppies are growing rapidly and to support that growth their bodies need a diet higher in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Protein values should be around 25% plus and fat around 15%.
• Small breed dogs - small dog breeds have a high metabolic rate and small tummies. They do best on an energy-dense diet and small, frequent meals



• Large breed dogs - these dogs grow extremely quickly which can put stress on their developing bone structure. Large breed puppy foods are generally a bit lower in calories and calcium to help prevent the uncontrolled growth which can lead to degenerative bone and joint problems.
• Super-active dogs - is your dog a working breed or destined to be a canine athlete? If so, when he graduates from puppy food to adult food he will need one that provides extra calories for energy. These foods will contain highly digestible proteins and fats.

See our comprehensive Dog Food Ratings page to find the 'Report Card' for dozens of popular and premium dog foods on the market today.

How much should I feed?

It's best to follow the guidelines on the bag or can of your chosen dog food. The amount recommended is usually based on your puppy's weight. Bear in mind that Fido will need less of a good quality, complete food than he will of a low quality one which is mostly 'filler'.

Cheaper foods of inferior quality do not necessarily work out less expensive in the long run. In addition to needing to feed more food per pound of your dog's weight, you may also find yourself paying higher veterinary bills to treat conditions caused by poor nutrition.

Every puppy is different and little Fido may need more or less than the average recommended amount. Use the manufacturers guidelines as a 'jumping off' point and then adjust to suit his individual needs.

If you want your puppy to grow up with good eating habits do not free feed (that is, leave his food bowl down and filled at all times). This can lead to all sorts of problems such as obesity, picky eaters, food guarding, housebreaking problems and more.

Instead, divide his daily food requirements by the number of meals he's eating per day and put his food bowl down at set times of the day. Leave it down for 10 to 15 minutes and then pick it up even if he hasn't eaten it all. If Fido has gobbled the whole lot down in 2 minutes flat each time, you probably need to go ahead and increase the amount a little. Alternatively, if he's consistently leaving some food uneaten you need to decrease the amount just a bit.

You'll soon find out what he needs, but be warned - like children puppies go through growth spurts and these needs will change often.

finally

If you follow the above advice you can rest assured that you're doing your best to give Fido the nutrition he needs to grow up healthy and strong.

When you look at him you'll know you've got it right if his eyes are bright, his coat is thick and shiny and he's full of energy and bursting with puppy happiness.

Isn't that a great feeling?