Finding the Best Nutrition for Your Dog

If you have a dog in the family, you probably have heard all the fuss over natural, organic or holistic dog foods. The difference between commercial and homemade dog foods can be confusing.

Some companies use different "labels" on their foods. The labels may identify the manufacturing technique or the manufacturer. The ingredients in the food are more important than the label or brand name.

Having spent long hours going from one dog food company site to another, I have concluded that one could conceivably go mad in an attempt to feed one small white dog the 'best' dog food that one can find.

If money is no object and time is unlimited, you can home cook all your dog's meals and be absolutely sure what goes into your furry little pal's mouth. But, if you are the average person with other responsibilities besides your dog's diet, a commercial dog food is generally less expensive and less time consuming.

Even the best dog food may or may not contain the perfect nutrition for your dog at a price you can afford.

Most people are unaware that dogs can have a surprising amount of food allergies. The symptoms of food allergies can range from itching to diarrhea. A few food allergies are chicken, beef, soy, wheat, corn and grain gluten. Dogs can also be allergic to additives and preservatives in the dog food Our dog may be allergic to corn, wheat, soy and maybe even chicken. Our dog is itchy all the time and sometimes bites himself raw. I have been searching the Internet for a food that doesn't contain corn, wheat or soy. They are fairly easy to find, but also are very expensive. They also often contain additives or preservatives we would prefer not to feed him.

Most of my information has been gleaned from various web sites that compare dog foods. Here are two sites I reference often:

http://pethealth101.com/nutrition/premium_dog_food.shtml

http://drydogfood.bravehost.com/product1/index.htm

These sites are good because they list the dog food ingredients for each brand and type.

I found that most really good dog foods with quality ingredients and acceptable natural preservatives cost a lot money. Even some of the most expensive dog foods may contain some questionable ingredients. Questionable ingredients are those ingredients that may not be good for your dog in the long term. For instance, they may contain undesirable cheap fillers even though the ones you are looking to avoid are not used. Information about fillers and additives is provided at both of the web sites listed above.

There are numerous fads and misinformation about dog foods: The use of beet pulp are good examples. Beet pulp has been alternately portrayed as a cheap filler or a source of good digestive health. If Beet pulp is nothing but a cheap filler, then your dog may not be getting as much nutrition from the food as you would like. If you question an ingredient or a filler, you can search for the specific ingredient or filler on the web and find your answers. Always verify the nutritional claims about a particular dog food ingredient.

In summary, it may not be possible to feed your fine furry friend the best commercial dog food, but it is well worth the time and effort to research it.