Pet Food – So many options!
New and old pet owners alike have difficulties choosing the best pet food. We’re shedding some light on the problems you may face when it’s dinner time for Fluffy and Fido. Let’s go over what to look out for when choosing a new food.
Size? Color? Shape?
From kibbles to ingredients, the differences in brands can be intimidating. What’s important is making sure the nutritional content is appropriate for your pet. Pet foods that contain many “filler” ingredients and not enough nutritional value can lead your pet to overeat to get the nutrients they need. The ingredients list on the back of the bag lists items by weight, but pay close attention to duplicates. Manufacturers can hide the true weight of ingredients by listing items such as corn flakes and ground corn separately. Dogfoodadvisor and CatFoodDB can be good resources while you’re in the pet food aisle.
Pet Food Fillers – cheap bulky wasted calories and other unnecessary junk
When checking through ingredients, here are a few to look out for:
Dyes – Dye offers no nutritional value to your dog or cat. It’s purely aesthetic to look nicer to you.
Artificial Preservatives – Artificial preservatives have been linked to cancer in humans and pets.
Corn Syrup and Artificial Sweeteners – Your animals do not need a sweetener in their food. These are excess calories and can cause a blood sugar spike.
Allergens – Seen your pup or kitty itching or licking themselves a lot lately? They may be allergic to a primary ingredient in their food!
How much is too much?
After you’ve chosen a food that’s nutritious, the amount they should eat varies by their age, breed, and weight. The first place you should start is the back or the side of the food bag. The bag will have guidelines that correlate to your pet’s life stage. Typically, the manufacturer will call for 1-4 cups per day for dogs and 1/3c – 1/2c per day for cats. If you’re giving treats on top of the food, be sure to take those additional calories into consideration.
There’s no one perfect pet food!
It’s not possible for us to squeeze all the information about pet food into a blog post, and frankly, we don’t have the expertise! But these guidelines should assist you in finding something that lets your pet be happy and healthy. There isn’t just ONE perfect food out there, but there will be a few that will suit all of Fido’s and Fluffy’s needs!
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