Watching all the ads for dog food on TV, you’d think that every meal for your dog is a sumptuous buffet of meaty flavors, packed with vitamins and minerals. Back in the real world, however, it’s a different story.
Yes, it may be the case that many dogs have gotten by on a diet of low-quality kibble, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for your own pet. Picture the terrifying result if you ate fast food day in and day out (you saw Super Size Me, didn’t you?) — well, that’s what poorly made processed food is doing to your dog.
Highly digestible foods are ideal. Poor-quality dog foods have fillers such as corn. These fillers make your pet feel full but are actually highly indigestible, meaning your dog poops more and is gassier too. This is why feeding a healthier food means your dog will actually eat less.
We know you can’t wait to get to our list of the Best Dog Foods, and we’ll get to it soon, we promise! But for now let’s turn to what you don’t want in your pet’s food, and why it’s important to know exactly what’s inside the bag.
Think like a chef and start with the ingredients. Just because a bag is colorful and says, “Formulated by a veterinarian” or “Now with even more meat!” doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Also, terms like “gourmet,” “premium,” “super premium” and “ultra premium” on dog food labels are meaningless. Believe it or not, these products are not required to uphold any higher standard of quality. Even a claim of “human-grade meat” is questionable. For example, meat that was once deemed safe for people may have spoiled and found its way into the pet food.
The secret to finding the best food for your dog isn’t that much of a secret — the info is printed right there on the bag.
Learn to Read the Labels
If you’re interested in a healthy diet, you probably know about reading nutrition labels on packaged food for humans. But did you know that you should be doing the same thing for dog food labels?
Take a moment to look up your dog’s food on a nutrition website like DogFoodAnalysis.com. The way you’ll find things worded by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) can be quite sneaky, if not downright deceptive. Ask yourself why the ingredient names are worded in a particular way. Use common sense, and if something sounds mysterious or is oddly nonspecific, consider switching brands.
Not All Meat Is Created Equal
The best dog food is high in protein and low in fillers. As a general rule, two or more different meat sources, like chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, salmon or elk, should appear in the first five ingredients. It’s even better if the meat source is meal—meat without added water weight.
You also want to be able to identify the meat sources. “Poultry,” for example, could be practically anything vaguely related to poultry, including chicken byproducts (yuck), so look instead for plain “chicken” or “turkey” on the label; these are known as named (or specific) meat sources.
Byproducts include more than just internal organs like hearts and livers. It’s true that a dog in the wild will eat pretty much anything on a carcass, but byproducts in dog food are an entirely different matter. Byproducts are usually made from rendered animal parts and other disgusting tidbits. In an average bag of cheaply produced dog food, the byproducts might be composed almost entirely of chicken heads, feet, bones and even feathers. It’s garbage that was unfit for human consumption, yet many manufacturers consider it perfectly acceptable fodder for your family pet.
Also, watch out for meat meal and (generic) bone meal, both made from parts that were unfit for human consumption.
Just Say No to Unhealthy Fillers
As you review the ingredients, watch out for corn, wheat and soy, which are common, inexpensive fillers—and not great for your dog. Avoid them, though their presence isn’t necessarily a deal-killer. Poorer-quality grains that are reused from human industry are common, too, but low in nutritional value. Corn gluten meal provides some protein but not enough to be near a top ingredient.
An ingredient called “beet pulp” can spell trouble for your dog, and not just because it’s loaded with sugar. This nasty stuff can swell up to ten times its usual size inside your dog’s colon. So steer clear of any products that list beet pulp as an ingredient.
Other Dangerous Ingredients
“Animal fat” and similar nonspecific ingredients are truly frightening. Working from the vague AAFCO definition, we can assume that animal fat is derived from the four D’s of the slaughter industry—dead, diseased, disabled or dying before slaughter—or could even be derived from road kill or a euthanized dog. Scary stuff indeed.
Ethoxyquin, a poison, is banned from human food—but it’s fair game in some commercial pet foods. So are BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), which have been linked to cancer. Make certain these three preservatives are not on your chosen brand’s list of ingredients.
Look for Quality
An outstanding protein should be the very first ingredient on the package, and possibly second or third—think bison, salmon meal, turkey or chicken meal, for example.
Although “fillers” is a dirty word, commercial dog food does need a binding agent for the meat, as well as a carbohydrate to balance the diet. Great grains include brown rice, oatmeal, millet and barley. White rice is okay, ideally a little farther down the list of ingredients; brewer’s rice is not okay. If the label lists three kinds of rice, realize that it’s simply too much filler. Lastly, avoid sweeteners.
Best Dry Dog Foods
OK, now for the part you’ve been waiting for. Pets Adviser recommends these high-quality brands, listed here alphabetically:
- Artemis Fresh Mix Maximal
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck
- Canidae Grain Free pureSKY
- EVO Turkey & Chicken
- Go! Natural Grain Free Endurance Forumla
- Nature’s Variety Instinct Duck Meal & Turkey Meal
- Orijen 6 Fresh Fish with Sea Vegetables
- TimberWolf Wild & Natural Canid
- Wellness CORE Original
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This article is adapted from Pets Adviser’s new book, No-Nonsense Dog Nutrition. Want to know why Science Diet or Eukanuba may not be the best choice for your dog? Want to know more about providing the longest, healthiest life possible for your dog? Then please read this important bulletin.
P.S.: In our highly-rated book, we reveal which of the 10 foods above contain no ingredients imported from China. You don’t want to skip it!
P.P.S.: Your dog is depending on you. Don’t you owe it to your pet to arm yourself with the knowledge to keep him happier and healthy for a long, wonderful life? Please read this now.
Photo: ColorblindPICASO/Flickr
