Faced with a myriad of different brands and types of foods found on the market, many dog caregivers are confused when choosing their dogs’ diet. It’s not just about the difference in values, because a good meal means a healthier dog and less likely to develop diseases in the future. Therefore, providing food for good quality dogs can contribute to good immunity to maintain the health of the dog.
In this Animal Expert article, we present tips on how to choose the best food for your dog.
Basically, when choosing the best dog food, we have to take into account certain criteria such as:
It is also important to take into account the level of energy that the dog spends during the day, for example, a dog that exercises daily requires a greater nutritional replacement than a dog that spends the day sleeping. There are also specific rations for certain breeds of dogs, as some breeds require a different nutritional value, drug rations for dogs with chronic health problems and even hypoallergenic rations, for hypersensitive dogs and with recurrent food allergy problems.
There are different types of dog food and you can see what are in this other Animal Expert item in Dog Food Types. However, because of its practicality, dry food remains the most used in Brazil, and among dry foods, we still have those of the Standard, Premium and Super Premium classification, the latter two being of relatively higher quality than the Standard since they are made of noble parts of animal protein and not of feathers and bones as in the case of standard diets. The feathers and bones, although composed of the animal proteins necessary for the feeding of the dog, do not have a good nutritional value, so the daily amount of food offered to the dog must be greater. In addition, standard diets contain additives and dyes that are scientifically proven to be carcinogenic and harmful to health. Premium and Super Premium rations, which are made of noble animal protein compounds, feed more in a smaller proportion. Therefore, if you calculate the amount you will pay at the end of the month for your dog’s food, you will see that good quality food becomes cheaper by cost-benefit and veterinary expenses.
However, you have to be careful, because even some brands of high quality foods still have dyes. So, if you can afford it, always choose a Super Premium food that meets your dog’s nutritional expectations. The best Super Premium food brands are:
Size is another problem to consider when choosing the best food for your dog. For a dog to be classified as small it must weigh between 1 and 10 kg, being the best known and popular small breeds Yorkshire, Shih Tzu, Pinscher, Pugs, among others.
Small dogs have a long life expectancy, reaching even the age of 20, and are generally more active dogs, they spend more energy to walk and play, so they are dogs that need a balanced and rich diet. Antioxidants. These antioxidants, in turn, slow the wear and tear of healthy cells in the body, protecting them from premature aging due to their overuse.
Animal nutrition studies have evolved considerably over the years, and therefore several studies have been developed that contribute to the well-being of our dogs while maintaining good health through diet. In Brazil, there is still no regulation and inspection for the sector that classifies good food and poor quality food, because if this were the case, a poor quality food would not be approved in a minimum quality test and could not be marketed. Despite this, Premium and Super Premium food manufacturers, looking for a quality product, follow the recommendations and veterinary research of experts conducted around the world.
A survey conducted by PROTESTE (Brazilian Consumer Protection Association) conducted in 2017 evaluated 15 brands of foods popular with tutors, but only 8 passed the quality test. Researchers used the parameters of the FedIAF (European Federation of the Animal Food Industry) as a basis and measured protein, fat, fiber, mineral and calorie levels, as well as other factors related to the origin of the raw material, the level of digestibility, and excess calcium in its composition. Based on the results, the researchers concluded that Champ brand foods would be of the worst quality because they contain little protein. The ration that has obtained satisfactory results in all aspects and has been considered of the highest quality is the Pro Plan brand.
This is the classification of 1 to 10 obtained for the rest of diets analyzed according to research, and considered the best brands of diets for adult dogs:
The same 2017 survey analyzed 5 brands of puppy food and concluded the next classification for the best puppy food, with 1 being the highest quality meal and 5 the lowest meal among those evaluated.
In case you have any questions about the puppy’s diet, Animal Expert has prepared for you this other article in Puppy Food.
Although Super Premium brands are highly recommended, they are still quite expensive. Then you can opt for a Premium ration, which in addition to having good quality has a relatively affordable cost, golden being one of the most profitable rations in the pet food market.
If you still have doubts about the best food, talk to your veterinarian, as he is in charge of monitoring the health of your dog, in addition to having all his medical history, to guide you about feeding. the most suitable.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Balanced Diets section.