Showing posts with label Dog Food Ratings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dog Food Ratings. Show all posts

Dog Food Ratings

Some of the very first commercial dog foods were made from waste materials from meat processing plants. Since that time, dog food has come a very long way. Dog owners can now find information on what is in their dog's meal and what they should or shouldn't be feeding their dog. To choose the best food for your dog, it is important to do research and look at ratings of dog food. Many ratings have been made available through different forms of resources and are there to help you choose the most nutritious food for your pet.

Ratings for dog's food are based on a variety of different aspects. Some of these aspects include the ingredients used in each formula, the origin, quality, and level of nutrition. These ratings are also based on the background of each pet food company, including their history, quality standards, and if they've ever been involved in a pet food recall.

Although you should research reviews of pet food before purchasing, it is important to understand the problem with these kinds of ratings. They can never reveal the true quality of the ingredients that were used to make the products they attempt to rate. Not only do most pet food companies conceal the origin of their ingredients, they also change the sources of those ingredients. It can be said that many raw materials used to make dog foods are bought and sold in an open market. The worst part is that manufacturers are not legally required to report changes in their suppliers to their customers. This means that raw materials may be bought through less reputable third party suppliers. So when researching these ratings, make sure to research thoroughly.

Three brands that receive some of the highest dog food ratings are Fromm, Orijen, and Innova pet food. However, despite high ratings, many people chose to feed their dog a homemade meal rather than pay the high costs of a "quality" pet food. Even when it comes to the best foods for dogs, there are certain secrets that the manufactures do not have to tell us. One secret is that the protein levels that are listed on the average bag of food is not listed as a percentage of digestible protein. Typically the digestibility in even quality commercial pet foods is only between 70 to 80 percent. The digestibility of the food can drop to 60 percent or less in some lower quality pet foods.

When feeding your dog a quality home-cooked meal, you can easily steer your beloved pet away from things like preservatives, additives, and artificial flavoring. Many homemade dog food recipes use fresh, healthy ingredients like bananas, honey, peanut butter, vegetables, apples, and pumpkins. They also use nutritious meats such as fresh beef, chicken, turkey, and fish.

Perry Brown is a dog food recipes expert. For great information on Dog Food Ratings, visit http://www.dogfoodrecipessite.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Perry_M_Brown

Dog Food Ratings - What You Need to Know Before You Buy!

Dog food ratings can be a very important deciding factor when choosing a brand of food for your dog.

Remember, other than treats, your dog eats the same food every day so the brand of food you feed him or her AND the quality of it, definitely matters to their overall health and wellness. Here are 5 things to consider when rating a dog food.

1. Is there quality protein in the food? Many companies will use bright colors, cute pictures of dogs and the perfect sales language to entice you to buy their brand of food. But what's most important is the quality of the food in the bag. Make sure that in the first 5 ingredients there is a quality protein like chicken meal or fish.

2. Are there any chemical preservatives or artificial colors in the dog food? Stay away from the chemical preservatives BHA, BHT and ethoxoquin. Artificial colors have been linked to health problems.

3. Is there an excessive amount of grains in the dog food? Grains like soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten are often used as protein sources; however, they are generally inferior and difficult to digest. Some dogs can also be allergic to these grains.

4. When looking at dog food ratings, make sure the food you are considering is free of by products. After the best cuts of meat are used for human consumption, the rest, such as bones, intestines, heads, feet,ligaments and other body parts, are what are known as by-products. And these are not very appetizing! By-products are generally inferior sources of protein and can be very hard to digest, which means less nutrition and more clean up ( the larger the stools the less nutrients your dog is absorbing) So stay away from by products

5. Lastly, are there any fresh fruits and vegetables in the dog food? Fruits and vegetables provide natural plant sources of phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that help support an active immune system.

Did you know that dogs fed a high quality dog food live on average 5 or more years longer than dogs fed lesser-quality food? How does your dog food rate? Check out Dog Food Ratings and find out how the top dog foods stack up!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Candice_Lee