Why It’s Time to Check Your Pet Food

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Your dog is family and that’s Why It’s Time to Check Your Pet Food.  Today, I am breaking down the ingredients to look for on a label to guarantee you are feeding your dog the quality ingredients they deserve.

We all want our pets to live long, healthy and happy lives so let’s make sure we are doing everything possible to achieve this starting with the food. I picked up Purina® Dog Chow Complete Adult with Real Chicken Dog Food and Purina® Beneful® Grain Free With Ream Farm-Raised Chicken Adult Dry Dog Food to go over what we are looking for on a label.

About Chance

Chance is our nine year old Boxer-Lab-Australian Shepherd-Beagle mix. Boy-that’s a mouthful there. We adopted him when my son was a baby and fell in love with those droopy eyes and calm demeanor. Chance completes our family for so many reasons but his gentle nature and patience with the kids and other animals is what really makes him a special part of the family.

Chance has never been a picky eater and will devour anything I put in front of him. As his mom, it is my responsibility that I feed him a quality dog food high in protein and supplies him with all the nutrients he needs. With the amount of food Chance eats, I need to make sure the food is also affordable and I am getting a good value. Beneful and Dog chow give my dog real meat at the right price. 

Why It’s Time to Check Your Pet Food

It is time to check your pet food. Flip the dog food over to read the back label. Look at the ingredients including vitamins and minerals and the guaranteed analysis with daily values of protein and fat. Most dogs need around 20% protein- if your dog is very active (sled dog for example) protein needs may be higher.

Make sure to also always read the recommended servings amounts for your dogs weight so you are not over feeding or under feeding. Purina Dog Chow Complete Adult with Real Chicken Dog Food supplies 100% complete and balanced ingredients your dog needs with 23 vitamins and minerals.

What ingredients to look for on your pet food label:

Protein

Dogs are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Protein has amino acids that are essential for muscle mass and regulation of enzyme and hormone production. Proteins to look for include beef, chicken, fish, and lamb for strong muscles and joint health. Your dog food label may show meat by-products that are nutrient rich from sources such as lungs, liver and spleen.

Carbohydrate

Ingredients like corn, brown rice, potatoes and oatmeal supply your dog with energy. These carbohydrates help keep your dog energized for activities like playing fetch or daily walks around the neighborhood. Purina Beneful Grain Free With Ream Farm-Raised Chicken Adult Dry Dog Food has no corn, wheat or gluten providing carbohydrates from ingredients like soybean meal.

Fats and Oils

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential in your dogs diet. Just like humans, animals need a healthy balance of fat for energy, healthy skin and coats, joint and eye health.

Taste, Texture and Variety

Peas, carrots, sweet potatoes and broths will give your dog variety and make their meal more palatable.

Minerals

There are too many to go over today but all those __ sulfates, __carbonates and __phosphates deliver your dog with the minerals needed for all sort of functions including strengthening bones, boosting immune system and maintaining fluid balance.

Vitamins

Vitamins is another area where there are just too many to discuss. Biotin, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B-12, riboflavin are a just a few. Just like humans, animals need a all kinds of vitamins to metabolize their food and convert it to energy. Not to mention, vitamins help support vision, skin, bone, and muscle health.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein – we all remember that from high school science, right? Ingredients like taurine and L-cysteine will help strengthen muscles and promote heart health.

Have you checked your pet food lately? Now you have the information to read your dogs food label to ensure you are feeding your dog a formulation that is supplying the balance of nutrients they need. Make sure you are flipping that dog food bag and reading the label.

What personality trait makes your dog extra special? I want to hear about how your dog is part of the family in the comments below.