Thursday, December 31, 2009

How To Do Dog Food Comparison?



Dog lovers are always cautious when it comes to select food and treatment for their dogs. The availability of various brands of pet food in the market makes it really overwhelming for the people to select the desirable food for their dogs. The dog food comparison should be purely based on the nutritional value of the dog rather than on price and popularity of dog food brand. Some of the important information is given below to guide you about your dog's basic nutritional needs.

Protein is one of the major constituents of dog's food. Protein is very important for the muscles, skin and hair coat of the dog. The amount of the protein in the dog's food depends upon the age and level of activity of the dog. Some dogs have high protein requirement such as pregnant and sick dogs. The dogs with high level of activity require 25%to 35% amount of protein in their food. An average dog needs about 18% of protein regularly. The dogs with kidney problems should not be given protein diet.

Dogs require a very little amount of carbohydrates in their daily diet but most of the prepared dry dog food contains amount of carbohydrate ranges from 30% to 70%. The starch helps to form and mold the kibble that is why most of the kibble brands have high percentages of carbohydrates. Therefore, it is very important to select the food that is totally up to the nutrition requirement of your dog and it is only possible if you do a good dog food comparison.

The major source of energy in dog food is the fats present in the food. The level of activity of dog and its age are the two major determinants of fats requirements in dogs. The pregnant or lactating dogs and puppies required 17 percent fats in they daily diet. Active dogs or high performance and the average adult dogs should require fats 15% and 20% respectively.

A high amount of fats is required to the sled dogs i.e. 50 percent daily. The oils from vegetable, canola or olive are considered as the best source of fats for dogs however, animal fats is also recommended by most of the veterinarians. You should also give essential fatty acids to your dogs such as Linoleic acid. The fats in dog's diet also support a healthy immune system. Fibre is not an essential constituent of dog's food but it is helpful for dog's bowels and colon health. Moreover, pumpkin and Metamucil are the best source of fibre.



Monday, December 28, 2009

All About Dog Food Comparison



If you are a true dog lover then you must be very cautious about the diet and health of your pet. Various brands of dog foods are available in the market, which claim to provide the best dog food, thereby making it difficult for you to select the best dog food. You can go through the online dog food comparisons and you should also have enough information about the nutritional requirements of your dog. If you are very keen to make your dog active and healthy, then learning about the nutritional requirements of your dog becomes essential.

The most important nutrient required by a healthy dog is protein. If you have a lovely dog with heavy hair coat and nails, and then you should his protein requirements very seriously. No doubt, the protein requirements of the dog primary depends on the age and health of the dog. The vets usually prescribe more protein food to the dogs, which are sick. The daily protein requirements of a healthy dog is 25 percent to 35 percent. The average level of protein recommended to a normal dog is 18 percent. If your dog has some kidney problem then after consulting with a vet, you should not give him protein.

Most of the dog food comparison reviews show that the carbohydrate requirements of a dog are not very high. However, the commercial dry food products usually contains 30 percent to 70 percent carbohydrates.

Another interesting observation is that most of the kibble brands of dog foods have high content of carbohydrates or starch. Therefore, you should have enough information about the carbohydrates requirements of your dog before choosing a commercial brand.

The dogs get major source of energy through fats therefore, fats are considered very important as a nutrient in dogs' food. However, you should ensure your dog activity level and age to determine his fats requirement level. If your dog is pregnant then you should give him 17 percent fats daily. You should give your dog about 15 percent to 20 percent daily fats, if you think that he has high activity level. The fats requirement of a dog may go up to 50 percent, if he is a sled dog.

The dog food comparisons can also make you aware about sources of different nutrients in dogs such as the fats requirements of the dogs can be fulfilled by giving him vegetable oils whereas, protein requirements can be fulfilled by giving him meat. Giving your dog, Linoleic acid on daily basis is also recommended. For the health of your dog's bowels, giving him adequate level of fibre is also essential. Hence, if you follow the above mentioned guidelines, you can surely boost the health of your pet.