Content
- Dog feeding at different stages of life
- Homemade dog food
- best dog food
- Homemade food or dog food?
- Other Dog Feeding Options
It is not easy to determine which is the best dog food, however, since this is one of the issues that most concerns tutors, it is important to review the different ones. types of food existing ones, detailing the advantages and disadvantages that each one of them presents.
At PeritoAnimal, we will give you the keys to determine what is the best food for dogs and which elements you should take into account when choosing. Your puppy's diet is not a minor issue, as your pet's health will depend on it. A correct menu is one that covers all the dog's nutritional needs and prevents deficiencies that can cause illness.
Dog feeding at different stages of life
When planning the best dog food, the first thing you should consider is what stage of life is he in?, as nutritional needs will depend on it. Thus, you can distinguish the following moments in life:
- Newborn: the offspring, like the mammals they are, feed exclusively on milk. If the puppy, by some misfortune, is without its mother, to feed newborn puppies you should only offer milk specifically formulated for puppies, at least during the first three weeks of life.
- Cub: this is the period of maximum growth, so it is very important that nutritional needs are met, since nutritional deficiencies can cause serious changes, such as rickets.
- Adult: from approximately one year of life onwards, although this may vary according to the breed, we can consider that the dog has already completed its development, and then the diet should be focused on maintaining its bodily conditions.
- pregnant and lactating: the feeding of the pregnant bitch or the feeding of the lactating bitch must also be adapted because at this stage the bitch suffers an increase in its nutritional needs due to the excessive effort involved in pregnancy. Therefore, to avoid deficiencies that can result in diseases such as eclampsia, it is necessary that the female dog be fed with food for growing puppies.
- Old man: although this also depends on the breed, as a general rule, it is possible to establish that from 7-10 years of age a dog can be considered elderly. For some, this implies the need to receive food that is more palatable and easier to eat.
- Sick: A disease that requires dietary changes can manifest itself in dogs of any age. Food allergies, liver and kidney diseases or the presence of crystals in the urine are some of the frequent changes that will require, for their treatment, a specific diet.
Keeping in mind the vital phase is the first step in achieving a correct diet for puppies. The second would be to consult the veterinarian about nutritional information, that is, about the percentage of proteins, carbohydrates and fats that the animal should consume daily. Of course, it is equally important that the dog has clean and fresh water available at all times.
Homemade dog food
If you wonder which is the best dog food, the answer is, without a doubt, the homemade food. At this point, it's important to make it clear that homemade dog food is not synonymous with giving dogs the leftovers from the food you consume. A menu that you cook yourself, with selected ingredients, without preservatives, dyes or any other additives, will be the best option for the dog at any stage of its life.
In recent years, the so-called BARF diet, an alternative to natural dog food which is characterized by using, generally, raw ingredients, without subjecting them to cooking processes or leaving them too soft. Its supporters claim that it is a natural option and therefore more respectful of the diet that the dog would have in the wild. To its detractors, on the other hand, it could cause nutritional deficiencies and, moreover, in raw products there could be parasites that the dog would contract that could even affect humans. Bones and fragments can also cause injuries such as drowning or punctures.
In any case, feeding your dog homemade food requires you to prepare a balanced menu, so you can meet all your nutritional needs at any stage of life. For this, you must search the advice from a veterinarian with knowledge in nutrition.
Check out our YouTube video about homemade dog food:
best dog food
The truth is that the current pace of life does not allow all dog caretakers to have time to cook, so they resort to ration, a food in the form of balls or hard croquettes. The advantage of these products is that they are divided into different ranges according to the characteristics of the dog, whether it is a puppy, adult, elderly, sick, etc. All rations are formulated to meet the needs of any dog. In addition, they are presented in easy-to-store packaging, and their administration is as simple as opening and serving the indicated quantity. In the case of puppies or puppies with chewing difficulties, the kibble can be soaked in water to soften it.
To find out what is the best dog food, in this case you should pay attention to several issues, not just the price. The first step is the feed composition list with ingredients and nutrient percentages. These percentages are usually similar, so the main differences are in the ingredients used.
The first ingredient that appears on the list is usually the one that will be found in the greatest quantity. rations with by-products of meat are of lower quality than those using fresh meat, as they include all parts of the animals that are not suitable for human consumption, including hooves or beaks. Therefore, the best rations are those made with fresh meat, especially when specifying the species of origin, ie it is better if the label reads chicken rather than a generic bird. This criterion can be used to choose the best dog food.
Also pay attention to carbohydrates and their origin, as well as fats. The processing that the ingredients go through to make the feed requires the addition of fats to improve the flavor. It is also important that they are healthy, as the fats unsaturated are the most recommended. The rations also include vitamins and minerals, but it is important to know that some are lost during storage, so the usable amount will not be the same as stated on the label.
Find out how to choose a good dog food in this article by PeritoAnimal.
Homemade food or dog food?
There's no doubt that when determining the best dog food, home cooking wins without a doubt, as long as a balanced menu is offered. If you choose the feed, in addition to selecting a good quality one, you can regularly include a homemade or canned dish for dogs, always separate from the feed, as their digestion will be different. This will increase the amount of liquid that the food provides, because when the feed goes through the drying process to improve its conservation, it loses moisture.
To recap, among the advantages of the feed is its ease of use, conservation and storage, and the guarantee, in general, that it contains all the necessary nutrients for any dog, regardless of its circumstances. As disadvantages, the overprocessing, the low quality of the ingredients, in certain cases, and the low humidity. On the other hand, homemade food can cause deficiencies if not well formulated and should be consumed at the time of preparation or kept refrigerated for at most a few days if not frozen. It also requires more work than dog food.
Other Dog Feeding Options
We can't complete the search for the best dog food without mentioning other dog food options. dog feed, in addition to homemade food and kibble. Are the following:
- Canned food: similar in composition to feed, so that everything we said about it is also valid for this food, it has the advantage of keeping moisture, in addition to being more palatable.
- dehydrated food: to prepare this type of food, the ingredients undergo a dehydration process that will allow them to conserve their nutrients. It is administered to the dog after adding water to hydrate it, which favors its palatability and moisture.
