Getting great nutrition is important for your dog’s health and longevity, and even important to your pet’s skin and coat.

But finding the best dog food is not an easy task. There are those in favor of raw diets, and those that warn of salmonella poisoning and bacterial infections. There are those in favor of one commercial brand or another, organic, and inorganic and those against… the list goes on and on.

Tips for Choosing the Best Dog Food

Now we will not weigh in on any debates here at Awesome Doggies Mobile Pet Grooming because we are all about being one happy pack, but we will offer up a few tips to help you in your decision making process.

1. Seek the advice of your vet. Your dog’s medical professional knows the subtleties of your dog’s breed and its needs. They also know the specifics of your dog’s individual health status and how to improve its health profile by adding or removing certain elements from their diet.

2. Understand dog food labeling terminology. If the food is said to have a single ingredient, it must be 95% of that ingredient not including water. Words like dinner, platter, and entrée means it must contain at least 25% of the stated ingredient. The words “flavors” and ”favoring” mean it contains only a detectable amount of that ingredient. Terms like “gourmet”, “natural” or “premium” has no official standard and have no meaning, except for marketing purposes.

3. Wherever you weigh in on grains and gluten in pet food, know that grains provide an excellent source of carbohydrates. Both grain and gluten allergies in dogs are actually very rare.

4. By-products include highly digestible and nutritious meat products such as lungs and liver—not hooves, hair or horns, as some marketing would have you think. It is not they are not fit for human consumption; rather they are considerably less popular food choices for the human meal.

5. Research the brand. Don’t rely on savvy marketing to make your decision. Do your research and find out about the company, where the food is made, and their philosophy behind pet products. Look at reviews (although we all know to weigh them carefully as there will always be some folks that can’t be satisfied).

6. Look at the Nutritional Adequacy Statement. This tells you whether or not the food provides complete and balanced nutrition.

7. 

   Check out the Guaranteed Analysis. This shows you the guaranteed amounts of protein and fat in the product.

8. Compare ingredient listings. The ingredients are listed in descending order by weight.

9. Consider your dog’s age, weight, activity levels, and health in choosing the right foods. Dogs that are pregnant or lactating will have different needs from young puppies or older dogs for example.

10. Consider the long-term health of your pet. Different breeds are susceptible to different diseases and disorders with dietary influences. Choose foods that will have the most benefit for those needs.

Fortunately, here in San Diego we live in a very pet friendly culture and have a wide availability of pet food options in all genres and price points. Our pets have access to so many things that keep them happy and healthy including mobile grooming. Regular grooming and a healthy diet are both essential in keeping your dog’s coat healthy and beautiful. So while you are researching the best food for your favorite canine friend, be sure to put scheduling a mobile pet grooming on your to-do list. In fact,contact us at Awesome Doggies and schedule your appointment today!

Click the links bellow for more information:

Best Dog Foods l A comprehensive page of Dog Food Advisor’s top dog food brands

Choosing the Right Dog Food l Dr. Sherry Weaver shares her opinion on the subject of raw diets