Dog food: classification and selection criteria

Dogs are predators that are tamed by humans, therefore, in their diet must be present protein, which in nature they get from meat. Top-quality feeds should contain fish, vegetables, cereals, all these ingredients are designed to make up the daily need for vitamins and minerals of the animal.

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

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

Holistic feeds 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 study in detail the contents and the whole label. It is better not to purchase food that shows only the content of proteins and carbohydrates, since not only meat contains them, it is quite possible that non-useful substitutes were used in the composition.

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

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

Additional flavors hide an unpleasant odor from a person, the animal recognizes a poor-quality product instantly. Premium feeds include the following components:

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

Corn in the composition may 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 may be chicken offal flour. It is good that the product is presented in this form, but not everyone knows what it really is. Specifically, in animal feed, flour is ground bones, as well as feathers and paws of a bird.

In rare cases, by-product is understood to mean the liver, lungs, heart, and other internal organs that the animal should consume in a certain percentage of the rest of the feed.

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, linseed and poultry offal flour;
• 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 a feed is chicken, but not whole meat, but flour from offal and corn. You can find in the composition of sorghum, which, in fact, is a good source of carbohydrates, but animals cannot digest it well enough. Better if barley is indicated on the label.

In many cases, the presence of fishmeal 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 an undeniable plus quality dog ​​food.

A good dog food should be approximately as follows:

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

The main source of protein necessary for 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. Millet adds nutrition to the feed; potato is the source of carbohydrates.

The oats included in the composition help stimulate the digestion of the dog. Most experts will say that feed with such a composition requires special attention, although it will cost a lot.

Thoroughbred dogs are not fed with economy-class food; there is little benefit from it. The composition is almost always present corn, bone, soy and fishmeal. Fat is described as simply animal origin, but which is not specified. There are salt, iron sulfate, zinc oxide and other harmful components in the list of ingredients.

Who understands at least a little, immediately sees that in the composition of such a product are completely preservatives and fillers, which give a feeling of satiety and nothing more. As for animal fat, when the manufacturer does not indicate which one it is, it is difficult to judge the quality.

If you categorize dog food by release form, then they are:

• dry
• wet.

In dry form, the product can be stored much longer, while the beneficial properties are not lost. They are sold in packs of different weights; the shape of the granules may also vary. The composition depends on the manufacturer.

Wet foods are sold in metal cans or soft packs. To keep them longer, manufacturers add a small amount of preservatives. Vitamin E is considered the best. The animal should eat such food for an hour, then it will air and become unusable.

The most popular brands in the market try to offer consumers both types of feed. They are made from the same components and differ only in the level of water and fat. To form the correct diet of the animal, dry granules are considered preferable, canned food is advised to be given only from time to time. They can act as goodies or supplements.

Wet foods can also be in the form of:

• pieces;
• paste.

Pate is always much better than the product, which is presented in pieces. If the canned food is really of 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 offal and meat, which include soy, vitamins, vegetables, cereals and minerals as additional additives. Using a special blender, all components are thoroughly mixed and processed at elevated temperatures. As a result of heat treatment, the starch added to thicken turns into jelly. Only then do they begin to preserve the product.

Not all products of this type are suitable for daily use, because among them there are also delicious types. If you take and read the composition of conventional dog food, then it is more balanced. Delicious often have a large amount of soybeans, and it gives them a brown color, which from the side resembles meat or liver. Delicious food is addictive, but it is poorly balanced, there are not enough nutrients and minerals in it. If the animal is fed him constantly, then he will begin to develop problems with the skeleton and digestive system.

All feeds on the market can be divided into categories. They differ among themselves in the balance of the components present in the composition, their quality and variety. The better the components and the better for the dog, the more expensive the product.

Dry food can be purchased at any store. Undervalued indicates the minimum benefit to the animal. Manufacturers of such products use substandard ingredients of dubious origin., most of which give a feeling of fullness, but do not guarantee the presence of vitamins and minerals, so necessary for the dog to develop normally at different ages.

Often in the description on the label can be found as part of offal. In the feed of the economy class, these are not internal organs, but most likely bone meal, veins and other waste. They are in the product up to 5% of the total mass. Most of all in the feed of poor quality corn or wheat, which are poorly digested by dogs, respectively, do not bring any benefits to the body. You can also find preservatives, flavors and other ingredients.

The list of such manufacturers includes 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 at an affordable cost and can act as a balanced diet for the animal. Of the harmful substances in the composition, taste enhancers and some other additives that are not absorbed by the dog’s body, including corn, can be found.

Premium feeds are produced taking into account the breed, age and other characteristics of the animal. Goods that are brought from the USA and Europe are of better quality than those that are manufactured in our country. From the manufacturers it can be noted:

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

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

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

In the manufacture, the manufacturer uses only natural vegetables, fruits, herbs. Also in the feed there is meat, red sea fish, vitamins and minerals. Taste enhancers, preservatives, GMOs, dyes are completely absent. Among the assortment you can find 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 condition of dogs with diabetes, weak immunity and other abnormalities. They sell food of this classification exclusively in specialized stores, it is of high cost. ANDOf manufacturers that are worthy of attention, it is worth highlighting:

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

Of all the feeds on the market, these have an innovative composition that is perfectly balanced. The developers compile the diet of the animal in accordance with the studies and ideally select all the components.

In the composition you can see only high-quality components, which 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 should 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 coat, teeth look healthy. In the composition it is forbidden to use fragrances, dyes and gluten, so they are not there.

Among other feed, this stands out for its increased cost, so it is rarely used by breeders. Of the manufacturers, the following can be distinguished:

• 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 prescribe specific ingredients, but uses common phrases such as "animal fat", "offal", the more likely it is that the feed is of poor quality, despite its cost.

Feed is produced in dry form in packages not only per kilogram, but also in large bags of 15 kg, and sometimes 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 it is not always possible to get it.

Making a rating of the best, it is required to separately consider wet and dry products for dogs.

These canned foods contain up to 70% of meat. There are fish, vegetables, seaweed in the list of ingredients. The manufacturer added brown rice to the mixture. This is a fortified product, perfectly balanced in terms of the number of minerals, in which there are all the necessary ingredients.

The percentage of meat to other components is 80%. Including the meat used are sheep, cows, kangaroos, chicken.

Also in the list of ingredients is rice, berry and vegetable additives. The food is popular with professional dog breeders because it has a mineralized composition with lots of vitamins. You can also purchase grain-free feeds that are ideal for animals that are allergic to certain foods.

In the market you can see only two options: canned food with chicken and turkey. The ingredients list includes rice, flaxseed and starch. To balance the diet of the animal, the manufacturer added fatty acids, vitamins and minerals to the composition. The amount of protein in the presented canned food is underestimated.

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

Also in the list of useful components necessary for the body - berries, amino acids and other substances that are active from a biological point of view. This food is characterized by an ideal ratio of cost and quality.

The presented feed is characterized by a small amount of protein. It is sold at an affordable cost, the main component is chicken, which is 30% in the feed, the rest is offal, beets, microelements, vitamins, fats. If we talk about the daily caloric needs of the animal, then this product fully satisfies it.

Available for sale in the form of pieces that float in nutritious jelly. The composition is not one type of meat, but several. Cereals are represented by brown rice, which is much better than corn or wheat. The feed is enriched with the necessary vitamins and minerals, the quality corresponds to the cost.

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

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

The granules are medium in size, there are 15 different tastes for dogs, so the food does not bother. The composition uses a minimum of grain, but the feed is enriched with phytocomponents.

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

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

This is a Russian manufacturer, although its name is foreign. The Danish brand, it has existed on the market not so long ago, therefore it is not often found on store shelves.

The feed uses dehydrated meat, not meat and bone meal. Cost is in the average price range, corn is completely absent, as is soy. The main sources of carbohydrates are flax seeds and oats.

The food is popular due to the presence of medicinal herbs, prebiotics, chondroprotectors. If you compare with other feeds, where three vitamins are more common, then the manufacturer immediately offers 12.

If the dog breeder manages to choose the right food, then his animal will be able to live longer. Individual characteristics must be taken into account, 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 complete diet. It is very important that the composition contains healthy berries, herbs and vegetables. For adults, the product should be less greasy 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 soybeans, then it is of poor quality. When selecting a product, take into account:

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

For large and small breeds, feed is significantly different, because they have different needs for certain trace elements. Including at different ages, the dog first needs some minerals and vitamins, and then others. Puppies need to be fed more nutritious mixtures, they are very active and spend calories consumed faster.

You can not give the dog round-the-clock access to food, then it will suffer from obesity. There are certain rules that every dog ​​breeder who wants to see his pet healthy must follow.

• The daily amount of calories consumed should correspond to the level of energy expended.
• Large breeds can be fed a large amount 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 the feed remains in it, the serving is reduced.
• After feeding the animal does not give anything else, even if it looks plaintively. Dogs can overeat and do not feel full, so they often vomit.
• At the first signs that the animal has become uncontrollably gaining weight, it is worth reducing the serving.
• Up to three months, the puppy is fed every four hours. Young dogs up to 6 months old are given food three times a day, after which they are reduced to two times.

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

Only those breeders who have enough time to make minced meat can afford a natural product. Puppies can be given canned food from time to time, however it is always undesirable to use them. The consumption of such a product is much more than dry feed.

See the following video for an overview of dog food.