Choosing YOUR Right Pet Food
An animal's diet can play a large role in the behavior he displays. His mood, ability to learn, and general health can all be affected by diet. Pet food labels can be difficult to decipher if you don’t know what to look for. Just like human food labels, the ingredients are listed in descending order. The combination of the first three ingredients makes up the majority of the food and can give you a good idea of the quality of the food. A healthy diet should be based on clearly defined protein sources such as beef, chicken, or lamb (as opposed to meat or poultry). Ingredients can include meal or by products, though meal (the meat after all of the water has been removed) is far superior. Other ingredients such as corn and an overabundance of grains are common allergens and should be avoided, though fruits and vegetables are beneficial. Just like with people, food low in preservatives and artificial flavor and colorings tend to be of a lower quality.
Quality of pet food varies widely and can generally be broken down into three categories: commercial, premium, and super premium. Commercial brands are those found in supermarkets and are the lowest quality. Premium brands can be found in larger chain pet stores and independent pet stores. Super premium foods are the best quality and can be found in independent pet stores and on the Internet. Though the price of food goes up as the quality increases, the amount of food you need to feed decreases (less fillers and better quality ingredients means your dog can get what he needs with less food), so it works out in the long run. These foods usually contain the most meat of any dog foods and can even be found in organic and free-range varieties. They also contain no artificial ingredients. A fourth, largely controversial option, is a raw diet also known as BARF(biologically appropriate raw food). Diets based on the raw principles all include raw meat and bones as the basis with various fruits, vegetables, and supplements sometimes included as well.
To determine whether your pet is eating a well balanced diet simply take a quick look at him. His ears should be free of debris and his breath non-offensive. His coat should be glossy, not oily or dry. The animal's eyes should also be clear and bright, any discharge could be a possible indication of poor diet or allergies. Animals who chew on their feet often or shed excessively may also be in need of a diet change. Switching food is generally done best gradually so as to not upset your pet's digestive system.
Pet Food Vocabulary
Animal by product meal: Rendered animal tissues that don’t fit any other ingredient definition.
By products: Non-human grade proteins obtained from animal carcasses. These vary widely in their digestibility.
Meat: Clean flesh of cattle, swine, sheep, or goats.
Meat and bone meal: Rendered from mammal tissues including bone.
Meat by products: Does not include meat but can include lungs, blood, bones, fat, and stomachs.
Meat meal: Rendered meal made from animal tissues. Cannot contain more than 14% indigestible materials.
Poultry by product meal: Rendered parts of poultry including necks, feet, and undeveloped eggs.
Poultry by products: Same as above but non-rendered.
Rendering: The process by which animal parts are heated slowly so the fat can be liquefied and removed. What remains is dry protein called meal.
Examples of Types of Pet Foods
Commercial Brands
Alpo; Purina; Friskies; Ol' Roy; Meow Mix; Science Diet; Pedigree; Little Champions; Fancy Feast; Cesar; 9 Lives; Iams
Premuim Brands
Nutro; Royal Canin; Wyson; Dr. Foster & Smith; Authority; Kirkland; Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul; Blue Buffalo; By Nature; Diamond; Eagle Holistic
Super Premium Brands
Innova (Original & Evo); California Natural; Nature's Variety (Prairie & Instinct); Merrick (Original & Before Grain); Canidae; Ziwi Peak; Orijen; Wellness
For more info on Raw Diets
