Dog food – and 3 mistakes to avoid when buying
You will save money on buying dog food and help your dog eat well and stay healthy if you know and avoid the 3 mistakes below when buying dog food.
Article content:
1. Mistakes to avoid when buying dog food
1.1. Food that is not suitable for age and weight
1.2. Ignoring the information on the packaging
1.3. Ignoring the ingredient list
2. How to choose the most "standard" dog food
3. Frequently asked questions
Currently, the dog food market is very diverse, with countless types and brands. Of which, dry dog food is the most popular with more than 96% of pet owners choosing it. However, the worrying truth is that many "pet parents" do not know how to choose the right type of dog food for their dog, even choosing the wrong type of cheap, poor quality dog food.
1. Common mistakes when buying dog food
1.1. Choosing the wrong food for age and weight
Pet owners often have the mentality of "buying 1, using many" when buying dog food. If they have several dogs, they will buy one type of food and feed them all the same or use it for both dogs and cats.
This is a completely wrong point of view because at different stages of development, the dog's body requires different nutritional needs.
A 6-month-old dog needs food rich in Protein to develop muscles and Carbohydrates to provide energy for movement, but food for older dogs needs to reduce the amount of Carb and increase fiber and minerals.
Or, dog breeds in the working dog group that need a lot of exercise such as German Shepherd, Bull Dog, and Bulldog need a lot of good protein to develop muscles. Pregnant or lactating dogs will have different nutritional needs. In addition, if the dog has special characteristics, it is also necessary to pay attention to consider choosing the right food. For example, Pug, Bull Dog, French Bull ... have short noses, so the dry grain texture is also made long and curved so that the dog can eat more easily.
1.2. Ignore the nutritional information “balanced and complete”
When deciding to use dog food as the main food for your dog, you should not ignore the nutritional information “balanced and complete” on the packaging.
This is the information that determines whether the food can be used as a complete meal or not.
If the dog food does not have this information, you must use it with other foods to make your dog's meal nutritious.
1.3. Ignore the ingredient list
The ingredient list is the deciding factor in the quality of the dog food and the price you spend on a meal.
However, many pet owners ignore the ingredient list and choose food based on the advertisements on the packaging or from the store staff.
Ignoring the ingredient list makes you pay for poor quality food or even food containing toxic ingredients that affect your dog's health.
Of course, no dog dies immediately after eating dry food, but in the long run, toxic substances accumulate, causing dangerous diseases that shorten the life of the dog and that is something no owner wants.
2. How to choose the most "standard" dog food
The following steps will help you know how to choose the most standard dry food for dogs.
Choose the right food for your needs, including age, breed, and characteristics of the dog.
First, look at the packaging for this information to make sure you have chosen the right food for your dog's needs.
For example:
Dry food for Poodle Puppy (puppies under 6 months old);
Dry food for large dog breeds with maximum weight (adult weight) 26-44kg Adult (Dogs in the adult stage over 15 months old) - this food is for large dog breeds such as German Shepherd, Rottweiler ...
Read information about nutritional balance.
Next, check the packaging for information about "balanced and complete" nutrition or not as the reason VuiPet analyzed above.
In addition, important information about nutrition is the nutritional ratio in dog food, which is the ratio in % of nutrients: Protein, fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
In quality, standard dry pet food, the ratio recommended by AAFCO must be ensured, specifically: Protein (minimum): 22%, crude fat (minimum): 12%, crude fiber (maximum): 5%, moisture (maximum): 10%.
The ratio is changed up and down but not too far from the recommended parameters.
Read the ingredient list
Quality dry dog food is the type of food that has a nice ingredient list.
The ingredients are arranged in order of decreasing weight, so the first 5 ingredients in the ingredient list are the most important, and you also need to look at the last ingredient to make sure that the dog food does not contain toxic ingredients.
How to read the ingredient list and ingredients to avoid VuiPet has explained in detail in this article.
Should you buy cheap dog food?
As VuiPet has analyzed, ingredients are often the deciding factor in the quality and price of the food.
Cheap dog food may have a bad ingredient list or contain cheap, unnecessary foods for your dog.
However, to be sure, check their ingredient list and the manufacturer's information.
Choose the right amount of food
The final step is to determine the amount you need to buy. Based on the weight of the product and the amount of food your dog needs each day, you can calculate how much you need to pay for a meal for your dog and decide whether it fits your budget or not.
For example: Your dog weighs 20kg and the amount of food needed each day is about 300g of dry food. A 3kg bag of quality dog food costs 500,000 VND, so with this type of food you have to pay 50,000 VND for each day your dog eats.
Normally, buying a large bag will be more economical, but you need to calculate the time it takes for your dog to finish eating to avoid the case of expired food.
3. Frequently asked questions
THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO KNOW WHEN CHOOSING DOG FOOD
When choosing dog food, you need to read the information on the packaging, including: needs including age, breed, characteristics of the dog, and read information about nutritional balance and read the ingredient list.
HOW TO READ THE INGREDIENT LIST OF DOG FOOD
The ingredients are arranged in descending order of weight, so the first 5 ingredients in the ingredient list are the most important, and you also need to look at the last ingredient to make sure that the dog food does not contain toxic ingredients.
SHOULD I BUY CHEAP DOG FOOD?
Ingredients are often the deciding factor in the quality and price of the food. Cheap dog food may have a poor ingredient list or contain cheap, unnecessary foods for your dog. However, to be sure, check their ingredient list and manufacturer information.