People seem to be far more conscious about the kind of foods they eat
nowadays. Stories like widespread obesity in children has triggered
debate throughout the length and breadth of the country, in ordinary
households and corporate boardrooms, about how to change our diets for
the better. And this thinking has overlapped into the kind of food that
we feed our pets. If you believe the stories, the increase in diseases
like diabetes and obesity in our pets mirrors the human experience. This
has prompted a rethink in the pet food industry. There are now all
sorts of brands of dog food that are listed as premium or super premium
quality. What does this actually mean ? This article will examine what is in commercial dog food.
Most dog food has to satisfy the requirements of the Association of
American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). A statement on the packaging
will indicate that the product is complete and balanced as it has
satisfied or exceeded the guidelines set forth by the AAFCO or feeding
trials have confirmed this.
Complete and balanced simply means a product is nutritionally balanced for the animal in question. Eating these types of foods will provide all the nutrients a dog needs. Any commercial dog food that does not have this statement should be avoided.
Having a complete and balanced statement on the packaging is good but it is not the complete picture. This statement does not tell you what is in the food and the quality of the ingredients. One way to find out what is in the food is to look at the guaranteed analysis.
The guaranteed analysis is also required to be printed on the packaging of any dog food. Avoid dog foods that don’t have this on. The guaranteed analysis tells you the component breakdown of the types of foodstuff in the food. So you will learn the percentage of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and other ingredients that make up the food.
As your dog is essentially carnivorous, the bulk of the food should be some sort of animal protein. Depending on the age of the dog, whether it is growing or mature and it’s level of activity, this level can vary. A young dog will need more protein than an older dog. Same goes for a more active dog over a relaxed animal.
Even though the guaranteed analysis gives you a breakdown of the foodstuffs you will find in the product, it does not tell you the quality of these items. For this you need the actual ingredients. Again, these are required on the packaging.
In the ingredients you want to see some kind of animal protein as the main ingredient. Preferably mammal protein like beef or lamb or poultry like chicken. Some listings will have qualifiers before or after the protein. A commonly used word is formula to give the product a slightly more scientific ring about it. However this often means that it is a substitute for the protein that may be a lower quality.
Another item that should be listed in the ingredients is the types of preservatives that are used. Many companies use butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), ethoxyquin or tocopherols.
The main aim of these types of products is to stop the fat content in the food from going rancid. Feeding your animal rancid food is obviously not good for it’s wellbeing but there has been much debate about the safety of some of these products.
Some reports suggest that too much ethoxyquin can cause liver damage in dogs. This has prompted the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) to request dog food manufacturers reduce the level of this preservative in their products. However, based on negative press, many manufacturers have taken it out all together.
Most dog food has to satisfy the requirements of the Association of
American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). A statement on the packaging
will indicate that the product is complete and balanced as it has
satisfied or exceeded the guidelines set forth by the AAFCO or feeding
trials have confirmed this. Complete and balanced simply means a product is nutritionally balanced for the animal in question. Eating these types of foods will provide all the nutrients a dog needs. Any commercial dog food that does not have this statement should be avoided.
Having a complete and balanced statement on the packaging is good but it is not the complete picture. This statement does not tell you what is in the food and the quality of the ingredients. One way to find out what is in the food is to look at the guaranteed analysis.
The guaranteed analysis is also required to be printed on the packaging of any dog food. Avoid dog foods that don’t have this on. The guaranteed analysis tells you the component breakdown of the types of foodstuff in the food. So you will learn the percentage of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and other ingredients that make up the food.
As your dog is essentially carnivorous, the bulk of the food should be some sort of animal protein. Depending on the age of the dog, whether it is growing or mature and it’s level of activity, this level can vary. A young dog will need more protein than an older dog. Same goes for a more active dog over a relaxed animal.
Even though the guaranteed analysis gives you a breakdown of the foodstuffs you will find in the product, it does not tell you the quality of these items. For this you need the actual ingredients. Again, these are required on the packaging.
In the ingredients you want to see some kind of animal protein as the main ingredient. Preferably mammal protein like beef or lamb or poultry like chicken. Some listings will have qualifiers before or after the protein. A commonly used word is formula to give the product a slightly more scientific ring about it. However this often means that it is a substitute for the protein that may be a lower quality.
Another item that should be listed in the ingredients is the types of preservatives that are used. Many companies use butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), ethoxyquin or tocopherols.
The main aim of these types of products is to stop the fat content in the food from going rancid. Feeding your animal rancid food is obviously not good for it’s wellbeing but there has been much debate about the safety of some of these products.
Some reports suggest that too much ethoxyquin can cause liver damage in dogs. This has prompted the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) to request dog food manufacturers reduce the level of this preservative in their products. However, based on negative press, many manufacturers have taken it out all together.