There are a great many types and brands of dried dog food on the market and it can be hard choosing the most suitable one. First we should discuss what dried food is and how it compares to other dog foods.
Dried dog food is simply dog food that has been baked or cooked into small, hard biscuits. 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 doesn’t tend to have the same smell as the canned, wet food. It is also easy enough to serve as you simply pour the required amount directly into the dog’s bowl, no mixing required.
Most leading dog food brands such as Science Plan Dog Food develop differnet ranges depending on whether the dog is a puppy, adult, senior, certain breed or has sensitive digestion. But which food is the best for your puppy or adult dog?
If your dog is still a puppy (or under 18 months) look at the various brands of puppy dog food. These are not usually breed specific because food developed for puppies tends to contain different levels and types of ingredients. Like human babies, ALL puppies need more of certain nutrients and less of others. Puppy food also tends to be split by the breed size such as small (Shih Tzu), medium (Border Collie) or large (Bull Mastiff). You should now be able to narrow down your choice by age and size of your puppies breed.
Choosing dog food for adult dogs may be easier because most of the dog food brands have ranges split by specific breed and size. If you decide to simply go off the size of your dogs breed, all that is left is narrowing down the manufacturer and maybe the flavour of dog food such as chicken, beef or rabbit (which does tend to be the dogs preference which is where samples come in handy!). Or opt for ranges specifically developed for breeds such as rottweiler dog food.
Other things to consider when choosing a dog food includes your own personal preference. Brands such as Skinners 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; it is far better for your puppy or adult dog to be fed the same brand and not to switch too often because it can cause an upset stomach or your dog to go on ‘hunger strike’. So make sure you look at what you will have to spend on a regular basis and if you will be able to keep that up.
Handy hint: Many households have more than one dog so why not try to get them all on the same brand.
Posted under Dog Foods
This post was written by admin on July 1, 2009
