dog nutrition guide pdf

Buying good quality food for your dog is no easy task, especially when shopping in a supermarket where you are faced with shelves packed full of brightly coloured cartons, packets and tins. With so many brands on the market you may not have any idea which to choose from. Dry dog food is ideal for your dog’s diet and is the popular choice for many pet owners but how do you decide which food is the very best for your pet in terms of both nutrition and taste? Here are a few tips which will hopefully help to make the decision a little easier.

Consideration 1 – Brand

Established and trusted brands will have worked hard to build their customer base. They are more likely to invest in research and development, ensuring they have a nutritious and varied dry product range catering for a broad range of animals. Well known brands understand the pets and the people who feed them so you can be confident you are buying a product with the end user in mind.

Consideration 2 – The Market Presence

How have you heard of the brand? Does the manufacturer have a real, strong market presence and do they communicate your product well to you? Does the company have a website, where you can read not only about the products on offer but also how to care for your pet? A caring pet food company will want to do all it can to promote responsible pet ownership. If the pet food manufacturer has a passion for their product and are keen to convey this passion they will have a very strong market presence.

Consideration 3 – Recommendations from Fellow Dog Owners

If you know other dog owners and trust their opinion then ask them about the food they are feeding to their pets. Word of mouth recommendations are a great way of finding out about the best and worst types of pet food on the market. Dogs tend to eat anything and everything but the responsible pet owner will work hard to ensure what their dog eats is good for their health. Feeding a quality food to your dog will ensure strong bones and teeth and promote a healthy glossy coat and skin.

Consideration 4 – Targeted Dog Food

The leading pet food manufacturers will offer a tailored feed for a variety of ages, so throughout your dog’s life the food you will feed it will change. The nutritional requirements of a puppy will be different from the needs of a senior dog. Greyhounds and Lurchers also need a more specific diet. Look to buy from brands that cater for dogs throughout various stages of their life.

Consideration 5- Professional Advice

No one understands the nutritional needs of any pet better than your vet. If you are concerned about your dog’s diet or want some guidance on buying the right food then you should approach your vet.

Hopefully this advice will go some way to helping you to understand that there are choices available on the market and choosing the very best dry dog food really is not too difficult.