Before you buy a puppy, be sure to read the rules and recommendations for its content. Pay special attention to pet nutrition.
There are many opinions on nutrition, and many myths are written about the dangers of industrial feed and many articles are written, often by non-professionals.
According to these myths, newly breeded dog breeders are divided into two camps. Those who feed with natural nutrition, enrich it with vitamins, fruits and vegetables, and those who feed dry food in which all nutrients are in the right ratio. In addition, the feed from the pack saves time.
Bad, poor-quality industrial feed does not exist, they differ only in the composition and degree of assimilation. Due to these features, they have the appropriate classification: economy, premium, super-premium and their varieties - holistik and diet food.
Comparison of dry food of different classes for dogs
Economy class
Pedigree, Darling, Chappi, Cesar, Meal, Our Brand, etc.
Food of this class has a low degree of absorption - about 60%. This is due to the fact that meat and bone meal of unknown origin and in small quantities is used as a source of animal protein, and the overall nutritional value is compensated by the presence of cereals (rye, wheat, corn) in the composition. As fiber is often used beet pulp. Having examined and analyzed the composition, we will see that all the nutrients and vitamins are in the required ratio, according to the needs of the animal in a certain period of its life. But because of its low digestibility, the dog will not be able to get enough vitamins and nutrients, and she will need to eat more food to get enough.
It is possible to feed such a pet, but it is necessary to use vitamin supplements.
Often when feeding animals in an economy class feed, the owners think that the animal is undernourished by adding food from their table, which can lead to allergies, obesity, diabetes and digestive disorders. This is how myths about the harmfulness of industrial power are born.
Premium class
Royal Canin, Pro Plan, ABBA Premium, Hill "s, Brit Premium
Absorption up to 80%. Consider the composition in more detail.
The composition contains 15-30% of meat meal or fresh meat. Sometimes used in the composition of offal. Feed with meat meal in the composition has a moisture content of 10% and often meat ingredients can be indicated in the composition in second place, for example, after corn, as in Royal Canin, but this does not mean that the nutritional value of the feed decreases. The manufacturer indicates the components by volume in the composition from larger to smaller. A feed with fresh meat has a moisture content of 20%, in addition, this processing technology allows you to keep all the nutrients in chelate (natural) form.
High humidity also makes the smell of food more vivid, and the taste - more saturated.
Such feeds are suitable for choosy pets to taste and smell. Premium feeds contain cereals, mainly corn and wheat, sometimes barley, but in smaller quantities. There are components aimed at the prevention of various diseases and focused on the pedigree characteristics of animals.
Affordable quotation, although prices may vary.
Super Premium
Feed this class are divided into 3 categories.
Super Premium
1st Choice, Grandin (Grandin), Trainer, Monge, Brit care, Pronature Original, Eukanuba.
Meat here plays a dominant role (40–80%), cereals are also contained, but in smaller quantities, thanks to which absorption up to 92% is achieved. The composition of the full components of animal origin, which provide the body with all essential amino acids. There is a wider range of ingredients that prevent the occurrence of various diseases. A wide variety of flavors.
The composition is sometimes introduced extract Yucca Schidiger. This ingredient kills bacteria, which cause an unpleasant odor from feces, suitable for home pets.
Holistic
Acana, ABBA Holistic, Now Fresh, Orijen, Grandorf, Pronature Holistic, Savarra.
Feed a new generation, which include high quality ingredients suitable for human nutrition. A high percentage of fresh meat, and replaced by grains in the composition came legumes, vegetables and fruits. Having studied the analytical composition of the feed, one can notice a high protein nutritional value, which gives almost 40% of the total calories, about 30% of the calories give vegetables and fruits as a source of carbohydrates, and 30% fat.
Feeding such mixtures will allow not to resort to the use of additional vitamin-mineral supplements.
The main disadvantage is the high price.
Veterinary diet
Specific nutrition aimed at the prevention or treatment of certain diseases (digestive disorders, diabetes, liver and kidney diseases, obesity, treatment and prevention of urolithiasis, etc.). Such feed is used strictly by the veterinarian.
How to choose?
All foods are nutritionally balanced and have only varying degrees of absorption by the animal. Based on this, it turns out that you can feed any of these classes with food, the most important thing is that the food should be suitable for the animal in terms of taste and will not worsen its health, so that any of the food ingredients will not cause allergies. It is necessary to consider that with many feeds you need to use vitamin and mineral supplements.
Mixing natural food and industrial feed is unacceptable. The volume of consumption also changes: the higher the degree of absorption, the lower the daily rate of feeding.
Price is one of the important selection criteria. The price is influenced by such indicators as: brand awareness, how many starting points from the manufacturer to the store passes feed, composition. Less well-known brands offer a lower price for a product of the same class, but if you compare the composition with the same expensive, you will not see the difference. These brands get into pet stores directly from the supplier.
About 10 dry feeds that are not worth buying, see below.
