Dog food: classification and selection criteria

Dogs are predators that have been tamed by humans, so there must be protein in their diet, which in nature they get from meat. Top quality feed should contain fish, vegetables, cereals, all of these ingredients are designed to fill the daily need for vitamins and minerals of the animal.

On the shelves you can see food with salmon, lamb, chicken or vegetables. They all differ in composition, often in the composition there are additional vitamin supplements and minerals.

Quality food should include rice, not corn, which is poorly digested by animals. On canned food, where it is indicated that the food with fish, it is better if the composition contains red trimming of marine fish, since it contains healthy fats and acids. The better the feed and the more balanced its composition, the less additional feedings the dog will need. It is better to choose a product that includes natural herbs that provide an additional therapeutic effect on the animal's body. Synthetic vitamins are not well absorbed.

Feed holists are considered the best because they are made from the same products that are used in the production of food for humans. Before buying it is important to examine in detail the content and the whole label. It is better not to buy food, which indicates only the content of proteins and carbohydrates, since it is not only meat that contains them, it is quite possible that non-healthy substitutes were used in the composition.

Dogs, like humans, are prone to allergies and disorders of the digestive system. That is why rice should be a source of carbohydrates in dog food, not wheat. Modern manufacturers offer a wide range of hypoallergenic feed.

If the package is “meat” and it doesn’t specify which, then most likely the manufacturer tried to hide the fact that he used low-quality raw materials. In no case can not get the animal products with artificial flavors, preservatives and dyes. Dogs are not so picky about the color of the product consumed, so it should not be attractive. Such an advertising move attracts breeders, but not animals.

Additional flavors hide an unpleasant smell from a person; an animal recognizes a low-quality product instantly. Premium feed includes the following components:

• corn and soy flour;
• offal;
• animal fat;
• flavoring, giving the product a taste of liver;
• sunflower oil;
• egg powder;
• flax seeds;
• L-carnitine.

Corn in the composition can be in the first place, but it is worth remembering that this product is practically not digested in dogs. It does not bring any benefit.

In second place can be flour from chicken offal. It is good that the product is presented in this form, but not everyone knows what she really is. Specifically, in the animal feed, flour is ground bones, as well as bird feathers and paws.

In rare cases, by-product is understood as a liver, lungs, heart, and other internal organs that an animal must consume at a certain percentage of the rest of the food.

Soy flour is a cheap filler, it allows you to artificially raise the amount of protein in the product.

The composition of a super premium product may include:

• fish, flax and poultry flour by-products;
• corn;
• chicken's meat;
• animal fat;
• egg powder;
• rice, which is called beer;
• dried beet pulp;
• yeast;
• sodium chloride, potassium, choline;
• beta carotene;
• calcium carbonate.

In the first place in such feed is chicken, but not whole meat, but flour from offal and corn. It can be found in the composition of sorghum, which, in fact, is a good source of carbohydrates, but animals cannot digest it well enough. Better if the label indicates barley.

In many cases, the presence of fish meal could be considered a plus, but not this time. It is difficult to imagine what exactly is part of the ingredient. The presence of chicken fat is undeniable, plus quality dog ​​food.

A good dog food should be approximately of the following composition:

• salmon meat;
• from cereals - millet and oats;
• flax seeds;
• vegetables - potatoes, but not ordinary, but sweet, carrots;
• greens - spinach, celery;
• fish fat;
• seaweed;
• from additional ingredients - amaranth, currant, apples.

The main source of protein required by the animal in this example is salmon. Red fish is very useful for animals, because it contains many vitamins and minerals. She must be present in the diet of a healthy dog. The nutritional value of the feed is added by millet, the source of carbohydrates is potatoes.

Part of the oats helps stimulate the digestion of the dog. Most experts say that food with such a composition requires special attention, although it will cost a lot of money.

Purebred dogs do not feed the economy class, there is little benefit from it. The composition is almost always present corn, bone, soybean and fish meal. Fat is described as just animal origin, but which one is not indicated. Salt, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide and other harmful ingredients are on the list of ingredients.

Whoever understands even a little, immediately sees that the composition of this product is entirely preservatives and fillers, which give a feeling of satiety and nothing more. As for animal fat, when the manufacturer does not specify what it is, it is difficult to judge the quality.

If you classify dog ​​food according to release form, then they are:

• dry;
• wet.

In dry form, the product can be stored much longer, while the useful properties are not lost. They are sold in different weight packages, the shape of the granules may also differ. The composition depends on the manufacturer.

Wet food is available for sale in metal cans or soft packaging. To keep them longer, manufacturers add a small amount of preservatives. Vitamin E is considered to be the best. Such food should be eaten by an animal within an hour, then it will be weathered and become unsuitable.

The most popular brands in the market try to offer the consumer both types of feed. They are made from the same components and differ only in the level of water and fat content. For the formation of a proper animal diet, dry granules are considered preferable, canned food is advised to be given only from time to time. They can act as a treat or as an extra supplement.

Wet food can also be in the form:

• pieces;
• pate

Pate is always much better than the product that is presented in pieces. If the canned food is really high-quality, then with the naked eye you can see the meat, finely ground into minced meat with other ingredients.

Most wet foods contain a large amount of by-product and meat, to which as an additional additive include soy, vitamins, vegetables, cereals and minerals. Using a special blender, all components are thoroughly mixed and processed at elevated temperatures. As a result of the heat treatment, the starch added to thicken turns into a jelly. Only after that begin to preserve the product.

Not all products of this type are suitable for daily use, as there are delicacies among them. If you take and read the composition of the usual dog food, it is more balanced. Delicacies often have a large amount of soy in the composition, it also gives them a brown color that resembles meat or liver from the outside. Delicious food is addictive, but it is poorly balanced, nutrients and minerals in it is not enough. If the animal is fed continuously, he begins to develop problems with the skeleton and the digestive system.

All presented feed on the market can be divided into categories. They differ among themselves by the balance of the components present in the composition, their quality and diversity. The better the components and the healthier the dog, the more expensive the product.

Dry food can be purchased at any store. Low cost indicates a minimum benefit for the animal. Manufacturers of such products use low-quality ingredients of dubious origin., most of which gives a feeling of fullness, but does not guarantee the availability of vitamins and minerals, so necessary for a dog for normal development at different ages.

Often in the description on the label can be found in the composition of offal. In the forage economy class, these are not internal organs, but most likely bone meal, veins and other waste. Their product up to 5% of the total mass. Most of the low-quality feed of corn or wheat, which is poorly digested by dogs, respectively, do not bear any benefit to the body. You can also find preservatives, flavorings and other ingredients.

The list of such manufacturers is well-known brands:

• "Our brand";
• "Oscar";
• Chappi;
• Pedigree.

In the composition of products of this class up to 25% of raw meat. They are available for sale at an affordable cost and can act as a balanced diet for the animal. Of the harmful substances in the composition may be flavor enhancers and some other additives that are not absorbed by the body of the dog, including corn.

Premium class feeds are tailored to the breed, age and other characteristics of the animal. Products that are brought from the United States and Europe have better quality than those manufactured in our country. Of the manufacturers can be noted:

• RosPes;
• Dog Chow;
• Probalance;
• Royal Canin;
• Nature Protection.

If the owner wants the dog to be healthy and fully developed, then he should buy food of this particular class. From the advantages of the product described it is worth highlighting:

• balance;
• good digestibility;
• energy value;
• minimum consumption.

In the manufacture of the manufacturer uses only natural vegetables, fruits, herbs. Also in the feed there is meat, red sea fish, vitamins and minerals. Completely missing in the composition of the flavor enhancers, preservatives, GMOs, dyes.Among the range you can find high-quality and balanced food for the dog, taking into account its age and other features.

On the shelves there is a special food, the so-called diet line of products that allow you to maintain the normal state of dogs with diabetes, weak immunity and other abnormalities. They sell food of this classification exclusively in specialized stores, it has a high cost. ANDs manufacturers that are worthy of attention, it is worth to highlight:

• Eukanuba;
• 1st Choice;
• Josera, Arden Grange;
• DailyDog;
• Trainer

Of all the feeds on the market, these have an innovative composition that is perfectly balanced. Developers make up the diet of the animal in accordance with the research and ideally select all the components.

In the composition, you can see only high-quality components that in other conditions may be suitable for cooking for humans. The label of such a product indicates that the amount of natural meat in it is 80% and this is true. All ingredients undergo minimal heat treatment. The composition of the feed is close to that which the animal must eat in the wild.

To improve their products, manufacturers add probiotics, and they in turn can improve the digestion of the dog. With such a diet, the animal feels noticeably better, its fur, teeth look healthy. It is prohibited to use flavors, dyes and gluten in the composition, therefore they are not there.

Among other feeds, this one stands out for its increased cost, therefore it is rarely used by breeders. Of the manufacturers include the following:

• Acana;
• Savarra;
• Applaws;
• Pronature holistic;
• Wolfsblut.

Today, the range of dog food is quite wide, so each dog breeder will be able to choose a product that will take into account its financial capabilities. In any case, when buying dry or wet food you should pay attention to its composition. If the manufacturer does not specifically prescribe the ingredients, but uses common phrases like “animal fat” and “by-products”, the more likely it is that the feed is of poor quality, despite its cost.

Forage is produced in a dry form in packages not only per kilogram, but also in large bags of 15 kg each, and sometimes even 20 kg. There are those that can be purchased by weight. In the ranking of the best products of Italian, Russian, German and Canadian manufacturers. The quality of European feed and produced in Canada is much better, but they do not always have the opportunity to get it.

When compiling the best rankings, you need to separately consider wet and dry foods for dogs.

The composition of these canned food - up to 70% of meat. There are fish, vegetables, seaweed in the list of ingredients. The manufacturer added brown rice to the mix. This is a fortified, perfectly balanced by the amount of minerals product, which has all the necessary ingredients.

The percentage of meat to other components is 80%. Including in a forage meat of a ram, a cow, a kangaroo, chicken meat is used.

Also in the list of ingredients is rice, berry and vegetable additives. Food is popular with professional dog breeders because it has a mineralized composition with a lot of vitamins. You can buy grainless food that is ideal for animals that are allergic to certain foods.

On the market you can see only two options: canned chicken and turkey. The list of ingredients - rice, flaxseed and starch. To balance the diet of the animal, the manufacturer added fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. The amount of proteins in the canned food is understated.

On the label, the first in the list of ingredients is natural meat. Its amount is 60% of the total mass.

Also in the list of useful components necessary for the body are berries, amino acids and other substances that are biologically active. This feed has an ideal price / quality ratio.

The presented feed differs in a small amount of proteins. The sale comes at an affordable cost, the main component is chicken meat, which is 30% in feed, the rest is by-products, beets, trace elements, vitamins, fats. If we talk about the daily needs of the animal in calories, then this product fully satisfies it.

Available for sale in the form of pieces that swim in the nutrient jelly. As part of not one type of meat, but several. Cereals are represented by brown rice, which is much better than corn or wheat. Food is enriched with essential vitamins and trace elements, quality corresponds to the cost.

German product for the production of which is used pure meat, and animals are specially grown on farms, where hormones are not used.

In the product line of the manufacturer a wide assortment of meat, sometimes exotic. In addition to the usual duck, chicken and beef with lamb in the composition you can find camel, ostrich or wild boar meat. For dietary food, you can choose a product with 6 types of fish.

Pellets are medium in size, there are 15 different flavors for dogs, so the food does not get boring. The composition uses a minimum of grain, but the food is enriched with phytocomponents.

Of the minuses of the brand's products can be noted a high fat content. As a percentage, its proportion is 18%.

Czech product with poultry and salmon. A great alternative for dogs with allergies. There is a feed containing rice and lamb. Chondroprotectors protect the joints from age problems, fruits and berries are on the list of useful components. There are large packages weighing 12 kilograms.

This is a Russian manufacturer, although its name is foreign. The brand is Danish; it exists on the market not so long ago; therefore, it is not often possible to meet it on the shelves of stores.

The feed uses dehydrated meat, not meat and bone meal. The cost is in the middle range at prices, corn is completely absent in the composition, as is soy. The main sources of carbohydrates are flax seeds and oats.

Food is popular due to the presence in the composition of medicinal herbs, prebiotics, chondroprotectors. If we compare it with other foods, where three vitamins are more common, then the manufacturer offers 12 at once.

If the dog breeder succeeds in choosing the right food, his animal will be able to live longer.It is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics, for active dogs and for puppies of small and medium breeds the food will be different if you want to provide the animal with a high-quality and full-fledged diet. It is very important that the composition contains healthy berries, herbs and vegetables. For adults, the product should be less fat and nutritious, otherwise the dog will suffer from obesity.

When making a choice, the dog breeder should pay attention to the composition. If it has corn and soy, then it is of poor quality. When selecting a product take into account:

• breed;
• age;
• dimensions;
• animal activity;
• the physical state.

For large and small breeds, food is significantly different, since they have different needs for various microelements. Including at different ages, the dog first requires some minerals and vitamins, and then others. Puppies need to be fed more nutritious mixes, they are very active and consume calories faster.

You can not give your dog around the clock access to food, then she will suffer from obesity. There are certain rules that every dog ​​owner who wants to see his pet healthy should follow.

• The daily calorie intake must match the level of effort expended.
• Large breeds can be fed large quantities of feed, but its fat content should be reduced.
• Puppies are given food three times more often, but in small portions.
• If the bowl is licked, then this portion is enough. When food remains in it, the portion is reduced.
• After feeding the animal nothing more is given, even if it looks plaintively. Dogs may overeat and do not feel satiated, therefore, they often develop vomiting.
• At the first signs that the animal has become uncontrollable to gain weight, it is worth reducing the portion.
• Up to three months a puppy is fed every four hours. Young dogs up to 6 months are given food three times a day, then reduced to two times.

According to numerous veterinarians and experienced dog breeders, dry food, if it is of high quality, can completely replace natural food, since it has a well-balanced formula.

Only those distributors who have enough time to make minced meat can afford a natural product. Puppies can from time to time to give canned food, but use them constantly undesirable. The consumption of this product is much more than dry food.

Review the dog food in the next video.