Do you know how to choose good dog food? Do you know how to read pet food labels? If you need help mastering these aspects, then this article is for you. Keep reading and learn how to understand pet food labels once and for all.
As a dog owner, you want to provide the best for your dog. Providing your pet dog with the best food and creating a better life for him means that you are doing your best to provide your Fido with the right food.
If you really want to give your dog the best, then you need to keep his nutrition in order. Buying dog food can be overwhelming.
After all, the pet market is crowded with countless dog brands, and everyone claims that their food is the best.
When it comes to food types, the choices are unlimited: dry food, raw food, wet food, food of a specific age, food of a specific variety, food of a specific size, restricted diet, etc., making the choice more difficult.
Fortunately, there is a simple tool that can help you choose the best food for your dog and the most affordable option for your wallet. It is called a food label.
Food labeling is the best tool to use when you have to make a choice, but it is often difficult to understand. This is how to read dog food labels.
Dog food label format
When something is widely used, there must be some standards. Standards usually mean following certain procedures and steps in order to provide the same quality to everyone, no matter what the product is or who it may be for.
Therefore, pet food labels usually follow the same format:
- Product and brand name
- Product weight, liquid metered or counted quantity
- Analysis supported by respected institutions
- Listed nutrients
- Ingredients listed in order of weight
- Nutritional Adequacy Statement
- Feeding guide
- Calorie statement
- Manufacturer Information
Read the ingredient list
How often do you check the ingredients of human food? If it is not so frequent, then this may also be the case with pet food, and that’s okay.
People often miss reading the ingredient list-the most common reason is that they don’t understand what is written, and some words sound strange.
This is the key-you need to read the labels calmly and be ready to explore everything that you find strange, unusual or incomprehensible.
Once you have mastered the food label, you will actually be able to better understand the quality of the product.
At the same time, you will have to learn to identify various marketing techniques and obtain real information, real nutrition in dog food and general food.
What does the ingredient list tell you?
The law stipulates that manufacturers are obliged to list all the ingredients of dog food for weighing purposes. However, the tricky part is that the weight is determined before processing. What does it mean? This means that the weight will also include the moisture content. Try not to be fooled by word games.
For example, if the list actually says “boneless chicken”, it means it is full of moisture, as you already know-moisture will increase weight.
remember: Once the food becomes coarsely ground food, the water evaporates.
We all know that dog food should be rich in protein. However, animal protein is weighed before processing, which means that it is difficult to tell whether this protein actually constitutes a large part of the final product.
Where’s meat? Meat meal is used for foods with higher protein content, because the protein content of the same weight of meat meal is higher than that of fresh meat or even boneless meat.​​​
The quality of meat meal is difficult to determine because meat meal must be composed of meat and bones, and the source is not always listed.
Always search for foods with named animal meal, such as chicken meal or lamb meal, compared to foods labeled as meat meal or even poultry meal.
This does not necessarily guarantee quality, but unmanned meat sources are considered poor quality in any form and any size.
Dogs like to eat different foods, so they always choose protein-rich foods and provide meat, whole prey, boneless meat, and even internal organs.
Always choose food brands with transparent ingredients and stick to them, because some companies try to hide inferior ingredients between high-quality ingredients.
What about additives?
As mentioned earlier, dogs thrive in a variety of foods without additives. This is why you should always focus on getting foods rich in meat, healthy fats and vegetables.
If only a few real foods are listed on the food list, and then 20 or more synthetic additives, then this food may lack the nutrition of the real ingredients.
The only exception may be foods with limited ingredients, which limit the source of protein to one animal and some other ingredients.
This type of diet can usually help you determine which ingredients your pet can digest and which may cause some adverse reactions.
Bad dog food ingredients to avoid
When the market is flooded with food types and feeding options, choosing the best food for your dog is not the answer.
Learning to recognize bad dog food is as important as knowing to find good dog food.
You can’t trust the brand too much because they will use many marketing techniques to make their food look much better than it actually is.
So what can you do? The only thing you can actually do-you need to rely on your knowledge and expertise in reading dog food labels.
Interestingly, some harmful ingredients in dog food can also be found in human food, so you may also want to check what you have eaten.
Choose healthier options whenever possible.
Here are five common ingredients you should add to dog food:
White flour
This is a simple carbohydrate without nutrients. It can also cause spikes and cause hunger soon after consumption.
Artificial colorings
In order to make food visually attractive, artificial colors are a good supplement. However, they are usually associated with ADHD and several biochemical processes in the body.
As for colors, neither humans nor pets need them at all.
MSG
MSG stands for sodium glutamate, and it often appears in many processed foods.
This ingredient can cause many health problems for humans and dogs.
When it comes to dog food, MSG is usually used to make up for the lack of flavor of inferior ingredients.
gluten
Yes, dogs may be allergic to gluten, just like humans. People usually avoid gluten because it affects their stomach and overall health, and choose to focus on gluten-free foods.
In dog food, gluten can be found in gluten-containing grains, such as barley and wheat. In addition, wheat gluten can usually be used alone as an ingredient.
Chronic ear infections, ear odor, ear itching, and hot spots are common signs that dogs are sensitive or allergic to gluten.
Salt
Both humans and dogs need salt in their diets. However, for humans and dogs, too much salt can be extremely harmful. If salt is harmful to dogs, why does it appear in dog food?
Sufficient amount of salt was found in dog food without adding it directly. Manufacturers often add salt to pet food to increase flavor and encourage drinking.
However, high salt levels can cause high blood pressure and other health conditions, including stroke, stomach cancer, and even cardiovascular disease.
If the dog food label says more than 1% salt, then you know that this is too much and it is not allowed. In a complete and balanced diet, pet food must contain less than 1% salt.
Last but not least, avoid feeding and Human food Foods with high salt content.
Always search for guaranteed analysis
Guaranteed analysis will help you better understand whether the MCU specific dog food is healthy.
In fact, the assurance analysis will show the minimum and maximum percentages of protein, fat, fiber, and some key nutrients in the food. It is important to note that it will not tell you everything, but it will tell you enough information.
Through this analysis, you can determine whether a particular brand provides the proper nutritional balance for your dog.
If it says fat on the label, you may need to consider whether the fat comes from famous meats or unpopular meats, etc.
With this in mind, always go beyond the basic information provided on the product packaging.
Bottom line
Pet food labeling is a serious process that requires several steps before it can be provided to consumers.
The best thing you can do for you and your dog is to learn how to read dog food labels and choose the best food for your dog.
Learn what numbers and words are and how to avoid bad food. By providing proper nutrition, you will enable your dog to live a happier, longer and healthier life.
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