How many of you read the labels of the food you eat? Do you read the labels of your pet's food? There is a large spectrum of dog and cat food. The terms can be confusing. You probably know that sugar is not good for our pets, but did you know that beet pulp is a common ingredient in dog food and a source of sugar. Did you know that sugar makes dogs hyper just like kids? 

The Whole Dog Journal has a great article in the February issue which reviews a lot of different foods. They look at where it is manufactured and where they get their ingredients, types of protein, fats, grains, and vegetables. The food was eliminated for meat by-products, artificial ingredients, and sweeteners. They do not rank the good because different dogs have different needs, but the list gives us a good starting place. 

​

Some of the things that you want to find on the label are good sources of protein such as whole or fresh meats, or a single source meal (chicken meal rather than poultry meal). These should be the first ingredients listed. Whole, unprocessed grains, vegetables, and other foods will be another thing to look for because they have a better chance of surviving the food-making process with some of the nutrients intact. 

Ingredients that should be low on the content list, or not there at all, include food fragments or by-products; such as brewer's rice or wheat bran. Most food have these but you do not want them at the top, as they are basically fillers. Beware of meat by-products. They can be highly nutritious, but most are not handled correctly and so the quality is usually lower. 
 

If the food has generic fats or proteins (animal fat), artificial preservatives or colors, propylene glycol, or sweeteners it is probably a low quality dry food. Some foods that made the "Not Recommended" list in The Whole Dog Journal are: Beneful, Gravy Train, Kibbles and Bits, Iams Lamb Meal and Rice Formula, Nutra Nuggets Adult Maintenance, and Purina Dog Chow. To see the complete list, visit their website at www.whole-dog-journal.com  to subscribe for your copy. 

Some foods that are approved by The Whole Dog Journal are: California Natural, Canidae, Eagle Pack Holistic Select, Hund-N-Flocken (by Solid Gold), Innova, Merrick, Wellness, and many more. 

I am including a link to some online articles if you would like some more information. Many books are written on this subject and we don't have time or space to go too deeply into this fascinating subject, but I hope that I have peaked your interest to look further into the subject of what you are really feeding your dog.

Dog Food Advisor

There is also a grading system that you can use to self-grade the food you are already using: Grade Your Dog Food

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

​