Fever pets

8 Tips For Choosing The Right Dog Food
By Douglas Hanna

If you were told that some of your dog's diet should consist of spaghetti and meatballs (without the sauce), what would you think? Would you be amazed to learn that this can be quite good for your dog?

Here are some tips for choosing the right diet for your dog.

First, although more and more dog owners are choosing to prepare homemade dog meals, there are others who opt for the premium dog foods. Still, others simply feed their dogs whatever is cheap or on sale. The big problem with commercial dog food is that there is no set standard for what goes into the can except that it must contain vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

Top #1. The only real way to determine if the quality of the commercial food you're buying is by reading the label. And in some cases, you almost need an advanced degree to understand the actual ingredients. However, try to determine what percentage is preservatives as they can have a very negative effect on the dog's longevity.

Tip #2: Selecting the right diet for dogs is similar to choosing the right diet for humans. It will depend on factors such as the dog's size, weight, allergies, etc., as dogs are as different from one another as are humans. The important thing with all dog breeds it to choose the right diet, assuring that it is well-balanced and offers the right amount of nutrients.

Tip #3. The recent recall of pet food suggests that homemade dog food might be the best way to feed your dog. However, it does take some preparation time and effort to make sure the food is fresh, prepared properly, and is well balanced.

Tip #4. There are foods that should never be given to dogs. This includes dairy products, chocolate, and foods containing sugar.

Tip #5. Many experts suggest you feed your dog a diet of protein such as meat, chicken, and turkey. While this is probably a good idea, keep in mind that the only meat not suitable for dogs is pork and pork products.

Tip #6. Premium dog foods usually contains vegetables, fruits, fat, fiber, and Vitamin E and can be a healthy alternative to homemade meals.

Tip #7. Althoug some people consider premium dog food to be too expensive, it is important to keep things in perspective -- the healthier the food, the less you will have to feed your dog in order for it to obtain all the nutrition it needs. If you feed your dog a sub-standard product, you most likely will have to give the dog more to assure it is properly fed.

Tip #8, While homemade food preparation is becoming more popular, so too is holistic diets for dogs. There is information available online about holistic dog diets, including those recipes that are available if you choose to go holistic.