The first rule of thumb: If there is a cartoon on the front of the bag or can DON'T BUY IT!Usually these brands of dog food are packed full of preservatives and lack nutritional value.
But don't take my word for it, read the labels yourself.
The Second rule is: If it is sold in a convenience store, grocery store, or your local pharmacy DON'T BUY IT!Choose Premium Brand dog foods instead of Economy Brand dog foods.
The cheap ingredients rarely equal healthy ones.
You wouldn't expect to find the best food for humans in a dog boutique so why would you expect to find a good dog food in a store for humans? The best way to choose thepuppy chow right for your dog is to do a lot of label reading.
You want to make sure that meat protein sources are high in the ingredient list.
3 of the first 5 ingredients on the labels should be for protein sources such as chicken, lamb, venison, bison, turkey, whitefish, etc.
On some labels the word meal will appear.
"Meal" means that the meat is precooked and won't reduce down anymore during the final cooking process.
(It is estimated that 5 pounds of the animal meat will cook down to 1 pound of animal meal.
) Many manufacturers will include animal by-products such as chicken beaks, feet, bones, heads, intestines, etc.
, but the more reputable brands will not include such "junk" in their dog foods.
It is best to look for food that does not include corn since it is not as digestible as wheat, rice or barley.
Grains are a great source energy for dogs, but cautious because some manufacturers will use it as a filler that will cause your puppy to get fat.
So watch out! Only feed your puppy grains in their whole form to provide them with a fiber, vitamins and minerals essential for their growth.
The best grains for dogs (when used in the proper percentages) are rolled oats, barley, quinoa, millet, and brown rice.
Watch out for preservatives! While they are necessary to keep food edible they do not have to be artificial cancer-causing chemicals.
Avoid chemical preservatives BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin.
Vitamin E & Vitamin C or animal fat are natural preservatives that are much better for your dog.
Many choose to go holistic since these foods are 100% natural and 100% nutritious and contain human-grade ingredients.
Some may consider this rule of thumb: If you wouldn't eat it, your dog shouldn't eat it either.
Keep in mind that you should never feed your dog chocolate, grapes, raisins, white flour or nuts.