What Should You Be Feeding Your Dog?

I think most people question what they should be feeding their dogs. It was a big question I had when adopting Maci. There are so many different brands and I was clueless on what would be best for her. There are 3 different kinds of dog foods you can feed your dogs. There is raw, which is the best option but is expensive for most dog owners. Then there is dry or soft food, each has their own benefits depending on your dogs needs. I'll be addressing dry food, since that seems to be the most commonly used for dog owners. 


When determining a pet food brand make sure you look for a few things. 

1. Make sure the first 5 ingredients are not fillers (corn, by-products or wheat gluten. To fill you in on by-products, it's things other than meat (not used for human consumption) such as eyeballs, tendons, lungs, spleen, kidneys,brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low-temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hooves. This is according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials.

• Although corn is not considered toxic for your dog, there have been reports of allergies and behavioral issues related to dogs who consume corn. I stay away from it since people can't even digest it properly so why would a dog...but that's my 2 cents. 
• Just remember, the more fillers, the more clean up on the other end. Maci only poops once a day...Meeko about 3 times, but he's much smaller. Maybe too much information for you but it shows you that with a good dog food, you don't have as much to clean up.

1. Any meat should be named...such as "beef", "lamb", "chicken", etc. Do not buy a product that just has "meat" as the listing for the meat ingredient.
2. Never buy a product with “by-product meal” or “meat and bone meal.” The quality of these meals can vary from batch to batch and are not a reliable source of nutrients for your animal.
3. Try and find a brand that is labeled “AAFCO guarantee". This means the company has either met a list of nutrients or contents or passed an actual feeding tests. Feed tests are actual clinical studies, although not guaranteed, it is the preferred method to go by.
4. Avoid store or generic brands. These are rejects from the larger manufactures that contain poorer quality and cheaper ingredients.

My thought is, dogs use to forage on the land. Do you think they ate grains and fillers before they would eat meat? The sad fact of the matter is, most dog food is made out of dead, dying or diseased animals. Traces of pentobarbital, the most common euthanasia drug, is found in most pet foods. The common myth of dead cats and dogs in pet food is no longer the case, but it was common practice years ago.

So what do I feed my babies? They are fed Life's Abundance Premium Dog Food. It is shipped right to my house...I even have autoship so I don't have to remember. I know that it hasn't sat in a warehouse, then on a truck and on some store shelf for months before it gets to my dogs. That whole process can take months! No, I don't get any sort of kick back for mentioning this product. I just really like the product. It follows all the guidelines listed above, minus #3, but I did do research and this company has never had a recall on their food. That is huge for me! I guess the little bit of extra cost for dog food is worth it since I know it will save on health related issues down the road. 


What are some other things you look for when buying your pet's food?