7 Dog Food Ingredients that could be Hurting Your Dog!
What ingredients make for good and bad dog food?
With so many dog foods available on today’s market that are commercially prepared, it is often quite difficult as only a dog owner to tell which ones are better than others and why.
First of all, many of the big companies are paying really slick marketers and advertisers millions of dollars per year to advertise their dog food. The amount of money they are spending on marketing has no relationship to the quality of the dog food. This is unfortunate for you as some of the best advertised dog food is inferior.
There is one way for you to guess the quality of dog food however it is not fool proof. You can normally use the price of the food as an indicator as to the quality. Low priced foods are not always, but most often, the lowest quality foods on the market and likewise the more expensive are normally better quality.
When feeding your dog you want to make sure that the adult dog food you are feeding is 22-25% protein and 15-19% fat. The protein should come from a good quality source. Some dogs such as puppies, large breeds, and active breeds have different protein and fat requirements so make sure to discuss this with your vet to ensure proper feeding of your dog.
When making an informed decision, you must know which ingredients are better than others. When you look at the dog food label, the following are the kinds of ingredients that you are looking for:
- Human Grade Ingredients Chicken meal
- Turkey meal
- Fish meal
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Lamb meal
- Potatoes
- Rice
- Sunflower Oil
- Vegetables and others.
For a good dog food, the first four ingredients on the dog food label should not be grains. Instead they should consist of things like meat and proteins.
You also want to make sure it says chicken meal and not chicken as the primary ingredient. If it says chicken only, this means that the manufacturers are counting the entire chicken toward protein value. This includes all of the pieces they have probably scraped of the ground such as beaks, feathers, and feet. With chicken meal, they are only counting the cooked down version of the protein. This will ensure that your dog is getting the appropriate kind of protein and not by products.
Vitamins and fatty acids are also good ingredients in dog foods. Some examples include Vitamin E, Omega 3 and 6, etc. These are very important for a healthy looking skin and coat.
Make sure your dog food is not laden with preservatives. Some of the ingredients that you don’t want to see on your dog food label are the inferior protein’s which consists of but are not limited to variations of the following: Wheat, Corn, Chicken by-products, Soy, Gluten.
These ingredients are hard to digest and can cause health problems later on if used for a long period of time. Sugar is another ingredient that you want to stay away from.
You are always better off making your own dog food and dog treats from recipes such as those you can find at www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au, however if you are purchasing dog food you really should only purchase from a company that spends time and money field testing their products.
You can always be sure that companies such as Purina, the Iams Company (which also includes Eukanuba), Royal Canin, Nutro, Diamond, and Hill’s Science Diet are constantly testing their foods to provide the optimum quality ingredients. These companies offer different grades of food, however, from lower quality to premium quality so make sure that you always read the labels.
These are not the only companies by any means who make good quality dog food. The important thing is to read the label, do your research, ask questions of your veterinarians and pet professionals and always be informed. People who work at feed stores are usually a good resource and can help you find good quality pet food. Breeders can also be a good source for finding a quality food for your dog. Dog trainers will also often have a good knowledge of proper nutrition.
You should always follow your veterinarian’s recommendation on food as well. Many times dogs of certain ages or with certain health conditions need to be on a prescription diet. While these diets are often expensive, they do contain the proper nutrients that dogs in these categories need. Many times owners will switch to a commercial food because of cost or palatability concerns and the dog’s health will go in to a decline. Your veterinary staff know what is best for your particular dog.
While it is often confusing, proper dog nutrition is vital to the health and longevity of your dog. By knowing what consists of good quality ingredients and which ingredients to avoid, you can be assured that you will choose the proper food for your dog. As always, if you have questions, ask your veterinary staff for more information.
If you are looking for healthy nutrious but yummy gourmet dog treat recipes come and visit Justin Bryce who is the Proprietor of http://www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au
Tags: dog food, Dog Food Recipes, dog treat recipes, gourmet dog food, home made dog food recipesDog Food Recipe - Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast Category
Breakfast Casserole
Category: Breakfast
Serves: 10
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Quick Tip:
This casserole contains just the right proportions of carbs, fat and protein for your pooch’s health.
If your dog is taking medication in pill or liquid form, this rich breakfast can easily camouflage them from suspicious snouts!
Ingredients:
- 1 package refrigerated crescent rolls
- 250 ml (1 cup) mozzarella cheese
- 60 ml (1/4 cup)unsalted butter
- 100 ml (1/3 cup) whole wheat flour
- 250 ml (1 cup) chicken broth
- 200 ml (3/4 cup) water
- 100 ml (1/3 cup) dry milk
- 480 ml (2 cups) chopped ham (cooked)
- 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) frozen hash browns
- 6 chopped hard-boiled eggs
Preparation & Cooking:
- Press rolls over the bottom of a baking dish, approximately 13″ x 9″ x 2″
- Sprinkle the rolls with mozzarella cheese.
- Heat the oven to 190C (375F) and bake for 10 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, broth and milk. Keep stirring until it thickens, remembering to constantly stir.
- Fold in the ham, hash browns and eggs.
- After 10 minutes take the rolls out of the oven, keep the oven on, and pour your mixture over the crusty rolls.
- Put it back in the oven for 25 minutes to cook.
Remember to never serve them hot to your dog, you might just burn his tounge and then you will be up for a visit to the Vets.
Leftovers can be cut and stored in an airtight, refrigerated container for easy use later.
Justin Bryce is the Proprietor of http://www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au.
Stop by for yummy dog treat recipes and fantastic dog health and care tips plus way’s to spoil your dog.
Dog Food Recipe - Kitty Roll
International Foods
International Foods
Category: International
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Quick Tip:
If you do have a kitty sibling in the house, encourage animal harmony and let them share the roll! Otherwise they will be fighting your canine friend and stealing the food. You can even sprinkle a bit of catnip into your cats portion.
Ingredients:
- 1 can tuna fish
- 15 ml (1 Tablespoon) Mayonnaise
- 1 sheet nori seaweed
- 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) sushi rice
Preparation & Cooking:
- Grab a bowl and put both the Tuna and Mayonnaise in it. Then get your hands in there and mix the Mayonnaise through the Tuna really well.
- Grab the nori sheet and place it on to a bamboo sushi rolling mat. The sushi rolling mat will make your job easier and I am yet to find something that I can use in place of it.
- Roll a handful of sushi rice into a log shape and place in the middle of the nori.
- Using your fingers, spread the rice evenly over the nori until it is within half an inch from the edge.
- Arrange the tuna down the middle of the sushi rice.
- Lift the side of the mat closest to you and slowly roll away from your body.
- Roll the mat over so that the top edge of the nori meets the rice on the bottom edge.
- Gently continue rolling and shaping the sush by applying even presure.
- Slice into manageable pieces using a sharp knife and you are ready for serving.
This is a great meal and is very handy when you have leftovers. So next time you have leftover tuna you can make Kitty Rolls. Try mixing it with a fruit or veggie-based baby food. It may look disgusting to you but your dog will love it!
Justin Bryce is the Proprietor of http://www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au
Stop by for over 400 gourmet dog treat recipes and fantastic dog health and care tips plus way’s to spoil your dog.