Dog Guide

Did you know that a lot of ingredients in today's dog food are not good for your dog, even if it's good for you?  The best thing for you to do when researching different dog foods is to get out and go to a pet store.  Stores like Petco and Petsmart will have staff that is familiar with the special needs of your pet.

Considerations before you go shopping for dog food

General:  Are you in a certain price range?  Do you want the bottom of the line, the top of the line, or somewhere in between?  Is your dog more active?  Remember every dog has a different taste for flavors and just because you buy Fido the best dog food doesn't mean he'll eat it, so ask which flavor is a favorite.

Breed:  Let the staff at a store know what breed of dog you have.  Ask them if there are any foods that are better for this type of breed.  Does this type of breed have any special needs? 

Special Needs:  Does your specific dog have any special needs?  Does your dog need to loss weight?  Does your dog need to gain weight?  Do you have a puppy?  Do you have an older (senior) dog?  Does your dog have any special kind of pain like hip or joint pain?  Is your dog allergic to any kind of food?  Do you have more than one dog?  Is your dog pregnant or nursing?  Does Fido have sensitive teeth?

Preference: Is there something in particular you do or don't want your dog eating?  Do you have more than one dog?  Do you want to feed your multiple dogs the same food or different food?  Do you want to cook for your dog? Do you only want to consider organic dog food?

Believe it or not, there are many people who would rather cook for their dogs. Yes, homemade dog food. The staff at pet stores will know what is and what isn't good for dogs.  Just ask.

Now that you have defined your own personal needs, here's what you should look at when examining dog food products

• Know what ingredients contribute to healthy dog food. The first three ingredients are the most important. The first ingredient should be a meat (not by-product), the second ingredient should not have anything that says by-product, and the third ingredient should not be anything soy. Bad ingredients include: animal fat, soy (anything soy), beef and bone meal, chicken byproduct meal (anything ending in meal), salt, sugar, meat by products, soybean oil, fish oil, vegetable oil, corn oil, rendered animal fats, cheese, peas, onions, rice, corn, wheat, iron, and colors (caramel color, etc.) to name a few. Good ingredients include: fruits and vegetables (whole is better where there's actual chunks in the food; and organic is really good), beef, chicken, turkey, venison, duck, salmon, lamb, safflower oil, flaxseed oil (not just flaxseed), salmon oil, canola oil, eggs, rosemary, barley, and rye are all good ingredients.
  
• Be aware of any allergies your dog may have to certain food. Common ingredients to cause food allergies are beef, dairy products, chicken, wheat, chicken eggs, corn and soy
  
  
• Compare dog foods and read dog food ratings. Do you have a brand of dog food that you currently buy but want to change to a healthier dog food? Are you curious to know how healthy your dog food is? Compare them.

Don't worry. I did the leg work for you. Here's a dog food comparison.

5 stars - Natural Blend Adult Formula Dry Dog Food:  This dog food  contains chicken, oatmeal, apple, blueberry, spinach, sweet potato, dried kelp, parsley, clove, basil, rosemary, sage and other herbs.  The downside, it contains "meal" products, dried eggs, flax, rice, cheese, salt and not too many fillers.

5 stars - Innova EVO Red Meat Dry Dog Food:  Innova dog food has good first ingredient including beef, potato, egg, buffalo, lamb, venison, herring oil, tomato, apple, carrot, chicory root and rosemary extract.  However, it contains "meals" and garlic (some say it's okay others say it's not). 

4 stars - Canidae Dog Food - For All Life Stages:  Canidae Dog Food has whole protein sources, whole egg, Omega 6 and Omega 3 essential acids which is great for healthy coats and skin and supports the immune system and nervous system and contains rosemary.  However, it too has a lot of "meal" products, salt, contains iron and flax seed (not oil). 

4 stars - Life's Abundance Premium Health Food for Dogs:  Life's Abundance contains potato, egg, carrot, apple, canola oil, celery, spinach and chicken fat.  No corn, wheat, by-products or colors.  It also contains "meal" products, rice, flax seed (not oil), salt and iron. 

3 stars - Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog Food:  Dick's dog food has sweet potato, venison, canola oil and good proteinates but contains "meal", iron, and salt. 

3 stars - Iams Adult Large Breed Dog Food:  Iams dog food's first ingredient is chicken and contains chicken fat, fish oil and rosemary  However, it too contains "meals", by-products, salt, and lots of fillers. 

2 stars - Eukanuba Adult Maintenance Dry Dog Food:  Eukanuba dog food starts with Chicken and has rosemary.  But it has by-products, "meals", dried egg (as opposed to whole egg) grains, and lots of fillers. 

1 stars - Alpo Beef & Chicken Dog Food:   Alpo dog food contains corn, beef and bone meal, soybean (which is hard for dogs to digest), a number of by- products, animal fat, lots of fillers, iron and salt. No major plusses to this dog food.

1 star - Kibbles ‘n Bits - Original Dog Food:  Kibbles dog food contains corn, soybean, beef and bone meal, wheat, animal fat, animal digest, salt, colors, lots of fillers. Another dog food that is not healthy.

Best Dog Food Brands for your companion

Everyone wants to give their dogs the best dog food.  The brands listed below are all offer healthy dog food options (not under a 3 star rating).  So even if you can't afford the premium dog food brands, you know your dog is still being treated well.

For the budget conscious dog feeders:

• Iams Adult Large Breed Dog Food: This brand is pretty inexpensive for the star quality of the food - estimated cost: $17.50 for 20lbs bag

For those willing to spend a little more:

• Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Dog Food: It's a pretty healthy dog food for a reasonable price - estimated at $33 for 20lbs bag
  
  
• Life's Abundance Premium Health Food for Dogs: This dog food is almost the top of the line for a great price - $31.15 for 20lbs bag

For those looking for premium dog food:

• Innova EVO Red Meat Dry Dog Food: Innova is a top of the line food for those who can splurge on dog food - $57.50 for 28.6lbs bag

Keep in mind that dog foods will change in price within the same brand depending on flavor, size of bag and special foods (adult, small breeds, puppies, senior, joint pain).

Dog food prices are an estimate and derived from March 2008 pet company websites.

Additional Information on Dog Food

Dog Food Recalls - For up to date lists on dog food recalls visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website at http://www.fds.gov/ and type in "dog food" in the search box.

Homemade Dog Food Recipes- see here.

References: PetEducation.com, TheDogsBone, DogFoodProject, ConsumerSearch, HonestKitchen, Petco, Petsmart, Healthierdogs

Jazzybean01 - Rachel Guffin is a dog lover and experienced pet owner