Finding yourself in the middle of the dog food aisle with absolutely no idea which type of food to get is a feeling that every pet owner has experienced at least once. It’s easy to get confused when you’re faced with hundreds of different options. Figuring out how to filter out the ones that aren’t healthy for your dog can help you pick the right type a lot easier. Here’s how you can choose nutritious food for your dog.
Don’t Be Fooled By Packaging Tricks
Dog food packaging can be extremely misleading if you don’t know what to look for. If a pack of dog food states that it is “chicken flavored” then they’re only required to have enough flavor to make your dog taste chicken in the food, without actually including any chicken that your dog requires for their nutritional benefit. Reading more on the different tricks that manufacturing companies pull when they’re designing their dog food packaging helps you filter out 90% of the dog food found on the shelves of your local store.
Size Really Matters
The recommended serving size found on the packaging of your dog’s food is designed to point out the average portion for an average-sized dog. The listed serving sizes can fool dog owners very easily, especially if their dog is either smaller or larger than the average size being accounted for. Adjusting portion levels to a size that your dog needs can be just as important as picking out the food with the right nutritional value.
Keep Your Dog’s Condition In Mind
If your dog’s facing a condition like dry skin or joint problems, then changing up their diet to improve their physical condition is the healthiest option. You can utilize different benefits from a variety of foods such as higher water percentage to help with hydrating your pet and to counter dry skin issues. Alternatively, you can use the power of glucosomine to heal your dog’s joint problems, while it also has a myriad of other health benefits for your pup. Glucosamine is a natural substance found in healthy cartilage throughout a dog’s body and if a dog eats food that contains it then they boost their joint strength while also easing any joint pains.
Different Ages Require Different Diets
While it may seem obvious that a fully grown dog can’t eat food made for puppies, a lot of people still make the mistake of getting food that isn’t quite right for their dog’s age. Paying attention to how old your dog is and researching the appropriate diet can help you find out what their diet should consist of a lot easier.
Energetic Dogs Burn More Calories
Picking the right food for your dog means that you have to study how much they move around throughout the day to judge how many calories they need. If your dog’s very energetic and runs around for the majority of the day, they’re going to need a diet that helps them maintain that energy.
If you want to take a shortcut through all the research required to pick the healthiest food for your dog, ask your vet about what’s best for your fur baby as they’ll most likely know what to recommend. Make sure you mention things like your dog’s energy levels, physical condition, breed, and reproductive status so that they can recommend the right food.