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Due to these reasons, larger breeds need to have a diet filled with omega-3, glucosamine, and omega-6 to keep their joints and bones in the best condition, while smaller breeds need a diet rich in protein and fat as well as easily digestible carbs to keep their metabolism running. Big dogs are not too picky about the size of their food, but small dogs tend to prefer small, bite-sized pieces.
Initially, wet food was the dominant choice of food served to the dogs, but dry food became the more dominant choice for the dogs with time. Majorly owing to ease of storage, better shelf life, and more convenience to serve than wet food. Pet food is also referred to as kibble. The major difference between the two is moisture content; Dry food has around 8-10%, whereas wet food has around 60-90% moisture.
Dry food includes treats like oral chew sticks and meat jerky, amongst other food items. Wet food is good for occasional meals. It is important to give your dog hard and fibrous food as soft food can lead to plaque and tooth decay. If your dog is old and missing teeth or had some jaw-related problem, then wet food should be a priority.
Puppies need many more calories, vitamins, protein, and minerals because they grow and spend a lot more time running around. Older dogs wouldn’t be able to stay healthy with such a heavy diet, though, and need more fatty acids like omega-3, as well as vitamins and minerals like glucosamine and chondroitin to keep their aging bones and joints healthier.
Although, once the puppies start weaning, i.e., the transition of the puppy's diet from mother's milk to a solid food diet which happens when they are around 4-8 weeks of age, you must gradually switch back to your dog’s normal feeding routine.
As consumer awareness rises, there are multitudes of factors that one needs to balance before finalizing the right thing. The ingredients used and the nutritional information available at the back of the pack is a strong indicator of what's actually you will be feeding your dog. There is the right information, and there is a right way to evaluate that information. Let's look at that.
Man's best friends are omnivorous and can eat vegetables and grains as well, along with meat. There are few essential elements you need to keep in mind when selecting a kibble for your pooch. There's a fine way to find whether the product you are opting for has good ingredients or not. The first five ingredients make up about 65-70% of the dog foods available.
Good products mention the name of the meat added and the composition of it as well. For example, Salmon (70%) A good product shall be a combination of different meats in the top ingredients. A bad dog food formula shall not state the name of the meat clearly and use terms like by-products or a vague term like meat. Avoid such products.
Vegetables and easy-to-digest grains are the main sources of vitamins, minerals, and carbs, and while most vegetables work well in their diets, it is the grains bit you need to be careful about. Look for grains like rice, oatmeal, millet, amaranth, or even vegetables like potato and sweet potato, to fulfill your dog’s carbohydrates requirements, as all of these are easy to digest for dogs.
Do keep in view a grain diet is overall not bad for dogs. There is a perception that dogs should be fed a completely grain-free diet. This doesn't hold unless your dog has allergies; if you're feeding your dog grains already and find their health and fur coat healthy, continue to feed them grains in the diet.
Certain products use natural preservatives, which are much better; natural ones like rosemary extract, green tea extract are added. Do keep a note; some manufacturers use alternate names for some ingredients to hide information.
For example, salty and sugary foods are not good for dogs, but since they act like preservatives too, some companies use alternate names like malt, starch, glucose, galactose, etc., and for salt, sodium carbonate, or sodium nitrate. A healthy tip, ingredients that end with "ose" are sugars and ones ending with "ate" are sodium-based. So keep a keen eye when checking the ingredients.
Meat by-products can mean anything from feathers to eyeballs to feet, so we recommend avoiding it or making sure it’s not part of the top five ingredients. The same goes for cereal by-products; they often include grain husks, fermentation waste from mills, and occasionally even wood particles.
You must also stay away from foods that mention “animal” fat, as that term is too vague and could mean recycled fat from unknown sources. Sugar and artificial sweeteners should be limited because just as they add unwanted calories for humans, they do the same for dogs.
Orijen is a Canada-based company creating dog food for dogs of different ages and breeds. This kibble is made for puppies of all breeds. Orijen follows a specific composition for their kibble preparation. 85% of food consists of meat, and the rest 15% is vegetables. Major ingredients of this one are deboned chicken, deboned turkey, eggs, pinto beans, green peas.
Acana and Orijen are different brands from the same company. They both hail from Canada. This kibble, like Orijen, has good quality meat and vegetables, but the composition and preparation differ. The kibble contains no grains but oats. The top ingredients are chicken meal, red lentil, cage-free eggs, lentil: cranberry, blueberry.
The product contains no artificial additives and preservatives. It derives its major protein from animal protein which is good for growing puppies. There are different pack sizes available from 2kg to up to 17kg. Many reviewers have rated the product as highly recommended.
This dry dog food by Taste of the Wild is a good kibble option for your dog; The product is made in the United States and imported here. The top 5 ingredients of this kibble are Salmon, Ocean fish meal, peas, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
This product contains no grains. The food composition is higher in carbs and low in protein and fat than other similar dog foods. This kibble is ideal for adult dogs. There are different sizes available as well, ranging from 2 kg to up to 18kgs. A good fact about the product it contains no artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors.
Wag and love is an Indian brand creating good quality dog food for pets. This one is amongst the different food styles available. This packaging contains 2 mini-packs. The packing is storage-friendly. The top ingredients of this kibble are fresh chicken, sweet potatoes, salmon oil, mango, banana, apple.
A feeding chart is provided per weight and age to help you feed the dog his daily requirement. Compared to other brands, it has a good content of proteins constituting up to 31% of the total composition. Many reviewers on different discussion forums have appreciated the quality of food and packaging too.
This another product by Wag and Love is for adult dogs, mainly large and giant breeds. Its main ingredients are boneless fresh chicken, peas, chicken fat, flaxseed, banana, carrot, cranberry. The food is sourced from Europe though the company is Indian.
This large pack contains 7 small packs of 500gm each, which helps store and give it good shelf life. There's a feeding guide provided as well to help you feed the dog in the right quantity. We would recommend this product for its good quality and nutritional composition.
If you're looking for something like Chai Patti or Garam Masala, we have built a full section with a comprehensive buying guide for kitchen supplies ranging from regular items to monthly refills.
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