Knowing what to feed your dog is one of the most important decisions you can make that affect your dog’s health. In this article I want to give you some of my secrets to feeding your dog a healthy food. What to look for, what not to feed, what to add to your dog’s diet, and ultimately how you can decide this for yourself.

There are many reasons for the increasingly common illness and serious dogs, but the single most important factor is food. Nutrition is key to the health of our dogs. If you eat healthier, you are healthy; the same is true for our pets.

It is important to know the specific ingredients that should be in healthy dog ​​food. Pet food doesn’t have to be as complicated as most food companies (and many vets) would have you believe. Healthy pet food is made up of very simple basic ingredients.

A good pet food will contain the following: Real meat, such as chicken, lamb, beef, bison, venison, or fish, as the main ingredient. These are a high quality and highly digestible source of protein. Proteins are essential for growth, maintenance, reproduction, repair, and energy. Vegetables and fruits provide essential phytonutrients, antioxidants, and enzymes, along with natural vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Just like with us, vegetables and fruits have been shown to promote health and well-being. If there is a carbohydrate, it should be whole grains such as brown rice, barley and oats, sweet potato, these are complex carbohydrates. These are useful for maintaining your dog or cat’s energy level, but carbohydrates are not necessarily necessary for dogs.

In the world of dog food, the “you get what you pay for” rule is somewhat valid. Surely cheap cheap food is made with poor quality ingredients. In order to sell a 40-pound bag of dog food for $15, it means you have to include some pretty cheap ingredients; think protein source, derived from slaughtered animals: lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, and more. Dog foods with better quality ingredients generally cost more, since the ingredients are more expensive. In some cases, though the higher prices also exist to supplement the company’s marketing fees; higher prices are not always an indication of quality.

The top 10 ingredients generally comprise 80% or more of the entire formula of a dry pet food; By concentrating on these ingredients, you can determine if a food is of good quality. An animal-based protein should come first, not a carbohydrate, like corn. I advise giving her ‘healthier’ carbohydrates, such as sweet potato, potato, and brown rice.

Corn, wheat and soy have been linked to allergic reactions in some dogs and are not as easy to digest. I am of the opinion that they can still be included in your dog’s food, but they should be there to supplement the food, not as main ingredients.

Are local ingredients better? – Yes, but in most cases this is not feasible as locally sourced dog food could cost upwards of $200 per bag. There are some good quality dog ​​foods with ingredients sourced from China, but these companies have some strict quality controls. My suggestion is to support companies with good track records in producing healthy foods, companies that have strict quality control, and those that have proven their foods are nutritionally sound and produce healthier dogs.

There are some specific ingredients that should never be in your dog’s food; and there are many reasonably priced foods without these ingredients. Avoid chemical preservatives like ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT, and propylene glycol. Instead, look for natural preservatives like tocopherols (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Avoid foods with artificial flavor enhancers, such as phosphoric acid. There is no need for artificial flavor in your dog’s feed. The last big chemical additive that we all (especially our dogs) should avoid is artificial colors. These include azo, azo dyes, and sodium nitrite.

Finally, there are quick, cheap, and easy things you can do to drastically improve the quality of your dog’s food. I regularly add some of these ingredients to my own dog’s food; I encourage you to try some of these with your own dog. My top 5 include: leftovers, vegetables and fruits, healthy omega 3 fat, natural probiotics found in yogurt, and eggs.

You should now have a better understanding of the importance of dog food and your pet’s health, and be able to use the criteria I’ve outlined in the article to evaluate your dog’s food. Keep in mind the specific ingredients to avoid in your dog’s food, and lastly, you should now be able to add some of the fairly common ingredients found in your kitchen to supplement your dog’s diet, giving him a great nutritional boost on the cheap. .