One of the respected veterinarians, with extensive experience, when asked what food to choose for dogs, answered: "You need to focus on what the wolf eats." If you do as the doctor advises, then you need to feed the dog with meat, eggs, berries, vegetables, mushrooms and fish - this is the diet of the wolf.
It is possible to provide such a diet for a dog, which will contain a balanced amount of vitamins, trace elements, protein and fiber, at home, but this activity will require serious financial costs, a lot of time and patience from the owner. It is much easier to buy ready-made dry food, you do not need to cook it, just pour it into a bowl for your pet. In specialized stores, the range of feed is so great that it can be very difficult to make a choice.
The main types of dry dog food
The entire range of dog food shelves can be divided into three conventional positions. Premium feeds cost an order of magnitude higher than others, but the quality is radically different from them. They are made only from natural products, the ratio of nutrients is strictly balanced and you can be sure that the dog's bowl will contain exactly as much meat, vegetables, vitamins and proteins as needed.
The custom food category is the dog's favorite treat. The price of packaging with such food for a pet is available to all categories of buyers, but the composition is not of such a high quality than that of premium food. To enhance the taste and aroma, the manufacturer adds synthetic sweeteners, salt and coloring additives to the custom ones. Regular feeding only with this type of food can cause allergic reactions and digestive problems in a dog.
Economy class feeds are the cheapest, they are made from ground bones and protein. Such savings on the health of the pet will not only significantly reduce the duration of its life, but also cause serious harm to its health, reduce its activity.
How to choose the right dog food
The first rule for choosing food is to carefully read everything that is written on the package. Before making a purchase, you need to study in detail the composition of the product, pay attention to its expiration date and the availability of the manufacturer's contact information. The feed, the packaging of which does not have the manufacturer's address, can be made in one of the clandestine workshops, in violation of sanitary standards. In addition, it is not recommended to buy dry food from a regular supermarket. In a specialized pet store, you can seek advice from the administrator, who, as a rule, has a veterinary education.
If we talk about the correct composition of dog food, then you need to keep in mind that this animal is carnivorous, that is, its food should be 60% meat. For the normal functioning of the digestive system, fiber is needed - vegetables and grains. Proteins, vitamins and mineral supplements are responsible for the activity of the dog and its appearance. You need to give preference to those feeds that have a composition close to exactly this ratio of ingredients.
