Healthy Dog Food: Reading The Labels

The best place to start, is to ask your veterinarian for the types of dog food that is healthy and suitable for your pet.

Your special one may need a special diet, or you may have an older animal and you're simply considering dog food supplements.

Just starting out with a new puppy? In any case, your vet will be glad to at least steer you in the right direction. They may also give you a few samples of food for your pet to try out.

Choosing healthy dog food from the hundreds of types and brands can sometimes make one stand there in the aisle and say okay, which one, dry, canned, or a little of both. You want to get the best for your dog, or your puppy so you start reading the labels and now you're more confused than ever.

Here is a little insight into what these labels are listing, so you can make an informed decision when choosing the right dog food.

First off, there is a watchdog group that sets food-testing and labeling standards, and they're called the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). You should be able to see this certificate on the label or packaging to insure it's quality.

There should also be a toll free telephone number listed so you can call if you have any questions, for the manufacturer.

Front Label

• Brand Name
• Main Ingredients
• Age Intended For
• Size Intended For

Back Label

• Guaranteed Analysis: Information about crude protein, moisture content, crude fat, crude fiber, may also list things such as vitamins or linoleic acid.

The guaranteed analysis shouldn't be used as a factor in the quality or the ease of digestibility of the food, it would be best to focus on the list of ingredients.

• List of Ingredients

Ingredients are listed in order based on weight, so the items that are listed first are the main ingredients. Here is an example of a healthy choice.

• Beef, Lamb, Liver, Chicken. You want to look for meat listed in the top three ingredients.
• Whole Grains, such as Barley, Rice, Brown Rice.(Should be high on the list)
• Fruits and Vegetables; Apples, Carrots, Potatoes, Tomatoes (Should be high on the list)
• Natural Preservatives
• Natural Flavoring
• Should have no Dyes
• Vitamins E or C

There are many types of ingredients listed, here are a few that should be avoided.

• Meat by Products, Animal Digest, Animal Fat, Bone Meal. These are low quality meat sources.
• Rice flour, wheat flour, corn meal, especially if listed at the very top of the ingredient list.
• Synthetic Preservatives such as BHA, BHT.
• Artificial colors
• Artificial flavorings

Sometimes the list of ingredients will list a meat first followed by a whole lot of other things such as meat by products, wheat flour, rice flour, corn meal and or etc. This changes the ratio of the meat that is actually in the can.

Taking all this into consideration we may not be able to afford the best of the best of dog foods, but at least we can understand what is listed on a label and make a more informed decision when choosing healthy dog food.

There are some dog that don't like canned food and would rather prefer dry food. That's okay too. Some like them mixed, It's best to try a few ways to see what your pet likes the best.

Here is a website that I recently visited, Top Dog Foods where they go into more detail on the types of healthy dog food that you can use, and also has reviews and discussions about the different kinds of food that are available today. Check it out.

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