All dog food is not alike. Some dog food costs more than others. Other dog food makes claims that its product has more favorable health benefits for your dog. How can you sort it all out? You might want to consider buying premium dog food for your dog.
What’s the difference between regular and premium dog food? Premium foods, sold online, in grocery stores, pet stores, and in veterinarian offices, contain higher-grade ingredients. But, look out: they can still contain artificial colors, artificial flavors, chemical preservatives, and fillers. Premium foods are usually more expensive than regular dog food because their ingredients are of a higher quality, and are therefore somewhat more beneficial and digestible. Good premium dog food contains meat, protein and other healthy products. Fillers, preservatives, and chemical additives are kept to a minimum. These fillers and additives can actually harm your dog and cause food allergies.
Good premium dog food is well-balanced and nutritional for your dog. The better brands are blended to taste better and usually include all-natural ingredients with added vitamins & minerals. Good premium dog food contains real chicken protein or real beef protein, the perfect formula for a dog’s shiny coat. The better brands usually include a balanced diet for easy digestion and shiny coat. A shiny coat usually means that your puppy’s shedding is kept to a minimum.
Good premium dog food for older dogs contains other ingredients, like nutrients, vegetables and grains, vitamins, antioxidants to fight free radicals and help prevent the effects of aging, natural amino acids, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids from sunflower and fish oils, among others. Premium dog food for older dogs usually contains no chemical preservatives, like BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin or propyl gallate, which can harm your dog and cause food allergies.
There are a number of reputable dealers of premium dog food. But, before you buy, consult your veterinarian or local pet supply store. Premium dog food is produced to address your pet’s age, size, and developmental stage, among others. Since it’s a little more costly than regular dog food, best to consult someone who’s expert in your dog’s needs before you buy.
Or, get online. There are a growing number of websites today that rate dog food by the quality of its ingredients. These helpful websites include Dog Food Analysis and Pet Ratings.
Some premium dog food companies enjoy excellent reputations. Among them, Iams which is long a leader in premium, all natural dog and pet food products. Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance® Dog Food gets high marks for testing every date-coded batch and sharing results with the public. Hill’s Science Diet® claims that it provides “precisely balanced nutrition for optimal health and wellness at every stage of your dog’s life.” When our dog was a puppy, we liked to buy Breeder’s Choice® brand by AvoDerm, a favorite of veterinarians and kennels. AvoDerm is easy for dogs, especially puppies, to digest and contains premium and natural ingredients. Now that our dog is older, we buy Beneful® by Purina which is a good value for dry dog food, if supplemented by “people food.” We also like Purina’s Alpo® Homestyle Prime Cuts® for our dog. This product is as close as you can get to “people food” for half the price.
The bottom line? Consider Premium Dog Food when you want better ingredients and quality control. Supplement this selection with protein and whole grain table scraps. Your dog will thank you for it.
RESOURCES for Premium Dog Food
Simply Dog Food
www.simplydogfood.com
Breeders Choice® – AvoDerm
www.breeders-choice.com/
Hills Science Diet®
www.HillsPet.com
Beneful® by Purina
www.purina.com
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance® Pet Foods
www.naturalbalanceinc.com
Inside Scoop for Dog Owners and Wanna Be’s
By M.G. Hardiman in Associated Content
