Information on Good Quality Dog Food

A dog's nutritional requirements differ with breed, activity level, age and weight. However, there are general guidelines for every dog. Always consult your veterinarian or a pet nutritionalist for further information, or more-specific guidelines for your pet. Prescription foods should be fed over any other choice if they are prescribed for any reason.

  1. The Best of the Best

    • Ideal dog foods contain meats that are whole and recognized by their proper name. Rather than "meat" it is preferable to have lamb or chicken. Those meats do not rely on fillers to make the product appeal to a dog's sense of taste. Often, they have no grains and use vegetables such as pumpkin or sweet potatoes as a source of carbohydrates. The best commercial dog food available contains no by-products, no corn and no unnamed meat products.

    Better Than Average

    • Above-average dog foods may contain things such as dried egg product rather than whole eggs, or the primary source of protein may be meat meals instead of whole meats. These dog foods still contain no by-products or undesirables, simply a slightly cheaper source of ingredients. Grains are usually higher on the ingredients list located on the bag because these are cheaper than meats and vegetables.

    Acceptable

    • Acceptable but not ideal dog foods may contain ingredients that provide no real nutritional value but act as binders for the individual kibble, or chunks in wet dog food. They often have fillers in the recipe that will not hurt the dog consuming the food, but may contribute to a sensitive dog's allergies or create symptoms of upset stomach while the dog is adjusting to it. Very sensitive dogs may fully reject the food and become ill to the extreme of needing veterinary care, though that is rare.

    Low Quality

    • Low quality foods are foods with little to no nutritional value. They are full of things that dogs would not naturally eat, or items that are not heavily regulated. The vast majority of commercial dog foods fall under this category due to the presence of unnecessary binders, fillers and potentially harmful additives like high amounts of salt or even sugars.

    Ingredients to Avoid

    • All forms of corn should be avoided. Dogs cannot process corn, and they gain no nutrients from it. By-products can range from feathers to hooves to internal organs. They are the leftovers from pre-processed animals. Meat can mean any animal available to throw into the mix. It could be the remains of a cow, or it may be the remains of a wild opossum that met a tragic end on a highway. A veterinarian will be able to inform you of any other potential hazards to watch for.