Premium dog foods are definitely better than your garden variety economy counterparts. But how do you tell the difference between the two? Is price the only indicator of how healthy the dog food is? Does a premium pet food have a different kind of label? How do you know what is premium?
The quality of the ingredients in the dog food is what differentiates a premium dog food from an economy one. Dog food companies will try to lure you in with great advertising about how great their food is for your dog. Many now show delicious pictures of food on the bags. Don’t be fooled though. The only way to really tell a premium dog food is by looking at the dog food ingredients.
The first 2 ingredients tell you a lot about the dog food you are about to purchase. The difference between an economy and premium food are the quality of the grains and meats used. Premium dog foods list an animal meat as the first ingredient. Economy dog foods, and premium dog food impostors, will list grains and meat by-products as the first two dog food ingredients.
Grains: Economy dog foods usually have a grain as the first ingredient, premium dog foods will not. Dogs are able to digest some grains well, like rice and oats, but have difficulty with corn and wheat.
Other problems with some grains is that they are a common food allergy for some dogs, such as corn, wheat and soy. These grains are usually by-products from processing of some other type of food and have very little nutritional value for your dog. They are simply cheap, useless fillers – used to “fill up” your pet’s tummy without providing much nutrients for your dog’s body.
A meat by-product is not a top 2 ingredient in premium dog foods. Meat by-product is just what is left over after all the usable meat has been removed. This includes the bones, head, intestines, and blood.
Meat by-products, like grain by-products, just do not have the quality and quantity of nutrients your dog needs. It is used as a cheap substitute for meat, with the dog food companies hoping pet owners don’t really inquire about what a by-product is.
Most premium dog food brands will have a animal meat or meat meal as the first ingredient. This means the major ingredient in the food is an actual animal protein which will have the most usable nutrients available for your dog.
Will the price tell you if it is a premium dog food? Premium dog foods are not inexpensive – they just can’t be, the quality ingredients used will cost more. Where the consumer needs to be careful is where some dog foods imply they are premium with their price and fancy advertising. If you want to know if you are looking at premium dog foods, you must read the ingredients.
And now there are more types of dog food, like super-premium and all-natural. For more information about the different types of foods available for your dog and how to carefully select the best premium dog foods for your particular pet at the Healthy Dog Food blog.
Related posts: