Due to the various brands and types of dog food, choosing one can be difficult. First we should discuss what dried food is and how it compares to other dog foods.
Complete dried dog food has been baked into hard biscuit sized pieces. Dried dog food can help keep gums and teeth in good condition as the crunching and chewing of the dried food acts like an abrasive against the teeth, removing plaque and stimulating the gums. It is also a good and complete source of nutirition. Complete dried dog food is easy to serve because you simply pour the required measurement into the dog’s bowl and it tends not to smell like the wet, canned dog foods.
Most leading dog food manufacturers such as Royal Canin Dog Food develop many ranges of their dog food depending on whether your dog is puppy, adult, senior, specific breed or even having a sensitive stomach. But which food is the best for your puppy or adult dog?
If your dog is aged up to 18 months look at the different brands of food for puppies. These are not breed specific usually because food developed for puppies and young dogs contains different types and quantities of ingredients. ALL puppies, just like human babies need more and less of certain nutrients and vitamins. Puppy food can also be split by size of the breed i.e. small (e.g. Shih Tzu), medium (e.g. Border Collie) and large (e.g. Bull Mastiff). So by now you should at least be able to narrow the choice down by the age and size of the breed of your puppy.
When choosing a dog food brand for adult dogs it might be a little easier because most dog food manufacturers split their ranges by the size of dog or specific breed. If you decide to choose by the breed size, assuming there are no health considerations all you then need to do is select a brand and flavour (e.g. beef, chicken, fish, rabbit). Samples are ideal for finding out your dogs preferred flavour!). Or opt for ranges specifically developed for breeds such as rottweiler dog food.
The other factors that can be considered in your choice include personal preference. Brands such as Arden Grange are animal friendly i.e. animals were not used during the development of the product in what some animal rights organisations consider to be cruel conditions. Price is also an important factor. Your dog could get an upset stomach or even go on ‘hunger strike’ if you were to switch brands due to cost. So consider what the costs will be on an ongoing basis and make sure you will be able to afford the regular outgoing.
Handy hint: Many households have more than one dog so why not try to get them all on the same brand.
Mail this post
Recent Comments