What is truly good dog food? Five points to consider

There's a lot of information out there about dog food, but have you ever wondered what truly makes good dog food?

• High-end or affordable?
• Appearance or scent?
• High reviews?

Each owner has a different idea of ​​what truly makes good dog food.

But truly good dog food is one that your dog can eat safely, maintains its health, and that you can continue to feed it to your dog with peace of mind.

In this article, we'll introduce five key points for identifying truly good dog food. We hope that learning how to identify truly good dog food will help you maintain your dog's health.

Determine the Purpose of Feeding Your Dog Good Dog Food

The concept of "good dog food" will vary depending on your goals.

Dog food is required to be labeled with a classification stipulated by the "Fair Competition Code for Pet Food Labeling." By checking the labeling, you can determine whether the food is suitable for your pet's needs.

For example, if you want to feed your pet dog food as a staple, we recommend a "complete food" that contains all the necessary nutrients, requires no deficiencies, and only requires water.

If you want to add side dishes to a complete diet, choose dog food labeled "general food." If you want to give your dog treats, choose "snacks" or "between meals." If you give your dog treats, adjust the staple food to avoid excessive calories.

Otherwise, if you want to supplement nutrients, choose "nutritional supplements." If you want to use them for dietary therapy, choose "therapeutic foods."

Five Points to Consider When Choosing a Good Dog Food

The key to good dog food is that it's safe for your dog to eat, helps maintain its health, and is something you can continue to feed it to with peace of mind.

So, what criteria must be met to be considered a good dog food that can safely maintain your dog's health and be safe to feed to your pet? Here are five points to consider when selecting a good dog food.

Animal Protein as the Primary Ingredient

Dogs are naturally carnivores. Therefore, they have a better ability to digest animal protein than plant protein. Therefore, it is said that a food made primarily of animal protein is best for dogs.

In addition, bones, muscles, hair, and skin are made of protein, so for a healthy body, it is recommended that dogs eat a food containing at least 40% animal protein. Dogs generally enjoy dog ​​food with a high animal protein content. Keep these criteria in mind when choosing a food your dog will enjoy.

No artificial colors or preservatives

Some additives, such as artificial colors and preservatives, are suspected of being carcinogenic.

In recent years, the number of dog foods that claim to be additive-free has increased, but some products may still label themselves as "additive-free" even if they only partially exclude artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, etc. When it comes to additives, such as artificial colors and preservatives, labels that state "100%" or "complete" are reassuring.

Nutritional Balance

Nutritional balance is very important when it comes to dog food, which is eaten every day.

First

• Water
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Protein
• Vitamins
• Minerals

Make sure the food contains a balanced blend of nutrients your dog needs.

Furthermore, if your dog food contains additional nutrients such as the essential fatty acid omega-3, which is said to be good for tear stains and coat care, and glucosamine and chondroitin for joint care, there's no need to feed your dog a nutritious diet.

Grain-Free

Dogs have difficulty digesting plant-based protein.

If you choose a dog food that contains more grains than meat because of nutritional or dietary concerns, it can raise your dog's blood sugar, potentially leading to weight gain and allergies. For this reason, we recommend grain-free dog food.

Grain-free dog food often contains animal protein, which is easily digestible for dogs, preventing intestinal problems like constipation and diarrhea and obesity. It's also said to help prevent food allergies and improve your dog's coat lustre.

Dog Food Prices

The average budget for dog food is generally said to be around 2,000 yen per kilogram.

Dog food is something your dog eats every day. However, choosing an overly expensive dog food just because it's good will put a strain on your household budget and make it difficult to continue feeding it to your dog. Therefore, cost-effectiveness is important.

However, focusing too much on cheap options can result in unbalanced nutrition or poor quality, so when choosing dog food, it's important to consider the balance between nutritional value and price.

Focus on your dog's health after eating dog food

To determine whether a dog food is right for your dog, it's important to assess your dog's physical condition after eating.

Even if you think you've found a good dog food, if your dog shows symptoms such as persistent diarrhea, scratching, or redness of the skin, it could be that they're experiencing indigestion or an allergic reaction, and the food may not be suitable for your dog.

Allergic symptoms are likely due to a reaction to the ingredients, so if you know your dog's allergens, you can choose a dog food that doesn't contain them. If you notice any symptoms that suggest an allergy, consult your veterinarian immediately.

If diarrhea persists, fast your dog to allow its stomach and intestines to rest, and monitor its condition for a day while providing fluids to prevent dehydration. If this doesn't improve your dog's condition, consult your veterinarian and ask for a prescription for a supplement to improve its intestinal environment.

Gradually Switch to a New Dog Food

Even if you find a good dog food, suddenly switching to a new one can put a strain on your dog's stomach and intestines, which can make them sick. Therefore, rather than switching to a new dog food all at once in one day, it's best to gradually switch over over the course of 1-2 weeks by gradually adding small amounts to your dog's current food.

Recommendations for Really Good Dog Food

So far, we've looked at the criteria for good dog food.

When choosing dog food, it's important to ensure that it's safe for your dog, helps maintain its health, and is something you can continue to feed it to with peace of mind. Here, we'll introduce three types of good dog food that meet these criteria.

Mishwan

Mishwan is a platinum food that is suitable for all breeds and ages of dogs and is grain-free, additive-free, and high-quality. This dog food contains no artificial colorings or sweeteners and is made with high-quality, human-grade meat that can be eaten by humans.

Contains omega-3, which is said to be beneficial for skin conditions, as well as glucosamine, chondroitin, and methylsulfonylmethane, which are indirectly beneficial. It contains over 60% easily digestible, high-quality animal protein (chicken, turkey, salmon).

Mogwan

Mogwan is a grain-free dog food made in the UK with coconut oil, no artificial colors or flavors, and is characterized by its delicious taste, born from a homemade recipe. Its main ingredients are human-grade meat and fish. This dog food is easy to eat, with over 50% animal protein and a well-balanced blend of carefully selected ingredients.

Made in a secure facility that meets the strict standards of the Federation of European Pet Food Industry Associations (FEDIAF), each food is individually numbered, allowing for tracking down the production date and ingredient lot.

Alan's Natural Dog Food

Alan's Natural Dog Food recreates as faithfully as possible the diet of wild dogs in the wild. This simple, low-fat dog food is made with natural ingredients and carefully selected to provide only the nutrients dogs need. It contains no dairy products, grains, or beef or pork, which are known to cause allergies.

The food is made with high-quality raw lamb from the UK, providing a balanced blend of nutrients essential for dogs of all ages.

Summary

Dog food is what your dog eats every day. It must be safe for your dog and something you can feel comfortable giving to your pet.

Before you become too picky about what's best and end up trying everything, try these points one by one to find the perfect dog food for your dog.

The best dog food is one that your dog will enjoy eating and be happy to eat. Please use this article as a reference to find a dog food that satisfies both you and your pet.