Dogs must be well fed to be strong and healthy from a young age. The advice of the veterinarian is essential not only for the control of vaccines, to deworm him, control diseases but also to recommend what type of food and how much we should give our dog from puppyhood, when he is an adult and in old age.
Luckily now all these stages of dogs are covered and the food comes with all the vitamins and minerals they need. It is only about knowing how to choose a bag of feed so as not to make a mistake.
The good quality of the food you buy, reading the instructions that are printed on the feed bag, giving the indicated amounts (never too much) and the necessary veterinary checks will make your dog grow healthy and strong.
You should not forget that the budget you have for feeding your dog is a very important factor. In the market you will find various brands of feed, many of them containing the same composition as others but more expensive because you are also paying for advertising. Learn to choose.
If you are wondering how to choose a bag of feed for my dog, this article will surely be useful to you and you will be able to share it with other people who have the same doubts.
What do you need to choose a bag of feed for my dog?
• Nutritional information of the feed you will buy
• Good quality food or feed
• I think adapted to the breed and age of the dog
Instructions for choosing a bag of feed for my dog
The first thing you should do when you are going to choose a bag of feed for your dog is to advise yourself well. One of the ways is to do it with the vet. This is ideal because you will be able to tell him clearly how much you are willing to pay for the feed, not in the first bag you buy but always. He, with his knowledge of him and with the advice he receives from the feed mills, will be able to recommend the most appropriate, which suits your dog, his age, his needs, and your budget. But if you haven’t taken it to the vet you should read the labels on the feed bag. Reading the labels has the function of understanding the composition.
For example, if the label says that it has a high percentage of protein, it is not a reason for choosing, since what matters is the origin of the protein: the protein source must be chicken, fish, or egg, and the label must express it.
Protein needs vary from breed to breed and also at different stages of growth. As a general rule, it can be said that large breed puppies need between 25% and 30% protein, adults 26%, and elderly dogs between 30 and 35%.
If a dog eats food with too much protein, it will be eliminated through the urine without causing damage.
Why is it important to know where protein comes from? Because proteins can be obtained from different sources such as eggs, meat, milk, soybean meal, bone meal, wheat, corn and also from animal by-products such as hair, feathers, guts that have little biological value that make them less digestible. The food.
You should also keep in mind that cereals are a source of poorly digestible protein and that they contribute to the carbohydrate load.
There are feed mills that list meat as the first ingredient on the labels and then three different forms of corn with their respective percentages. They do this in order to hide that the first ingredient is corn.
It is necessary to observe very well that in reality the first ingredient is meat, chicken and lamb are the most digestible, if these appear in the first ingredient it can be thought that it is of good quality. On the other hand, if it appears as meat and bone meal, the quality already decreases.
Rice cooker waste also usually appears as the first ingredient on labels; do not confuse “rice” with “rice cooker waste”. This is how the quality of the feed decreases, causing effects of poor digestion, bad smell in the hair and in the mouth. Choosing a bag of feed well without spending more is possible if you correctly interpret the labels.
Tips for choosing a bag of feed for my dog
• The choice of feed for your dog depends not only on its quality but also on the budget you have. It is useless to buy a good feed the first time, spend more if you know that later you will not be able to continue and you will have to lower the quality.
• Read the instructions on the bag or sack of feed get used to reading the labels to know what you are buying, its composition, quality and price.
