Mable April3

Helpful tips on finding the right food for your pet.

With so many different brands out there trying to decide which pet food is the right fit for your pet can be difficult. It is enough to drive you crazy and can be downright confusing! The best way to begin your search for a potential match is to make it “personal”.  Keep in mind the individual needs of your pet, after all who knows them better than you? Age, nutritional needs, health issues, etc.

When shopping, remember the ingredient list is just like the ingredient list on human food labels, ingredients are listed in descending order. The bulk of the food will be made up of the first 3 ingredients. It is advisable to have a named protein source as the first ingredient, such as chicken, beef or lamb, not just “meat.”

The old saying “you get what you pay for” sadly applies here in many cases. Cheap pet foods use cheap ingredients, have poor quality control, are not well digested, and may have excesses or deficiencies in vital nutrients causing harm to your pet.  They also often do not meet the standards of quality they claim on the labels.  So it is always recommended you stick with a quality brand to insure the proper nutrition for your pet.

Taking the time to read the labels makes all the difference! You will be astonished at how much you can figure out on your own just from reading them. It’s almost like an “AHA” moment when you for instance read the ingredients and find a list of things you cannot pronounce and think I wouldn’t want to eat this so why would my pet?! You couldn’t be more right!

So a simple rule of thumb when scanning the ingredients list should be that the first ingredient should be Meat, as this is the primary ingredient.  Do not mistake “meat by products” as the same thing. It’s not and if that is what’s listed as the primary ingredients it is best to keep moving.

Vegetables and rice should be the secondary ingredients. Once again, avoid any by product, meal or other weird sounding items.  Simply put if you don’t know what it is it is likely you don’t want to eat it.

Beware of preservatives such as BHA, butylated hydroxyanisole and BHT, butylated hydroxytoluene. They are by used some dog food manufacturers.  According to some dog nutrition experts, these chemicals may be carcinogenic.

Vitamins E & C can be used as natural preservatives and are far healthier for your dog. In addition, Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which fights the formation of free radicals and the guards against the onset of cancer in dogs.

Check the label for the AAFCO guarantee. The Association of American Feed Control Officials works to insure uniform standards for dog food nationwide.  It has a long way to go but at least it’s a start!

Check the expiration date.

Inform yourself, stay updated and always read the labels! Anything that sounds suspicious probably is! A simple way to look at it is if you wouldn’t eat it why should they? They deserve the same care and attention to their diets that we put into ours. The benefits of a healthy well balanced diet are so essential to a
healthy, happy pet so keep them healthy and happy! It’s that simple.

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