Last Updated: October 23, 2024 by Lisa Melillo
Ready-made dog food is very convenient for the owner and useful for the pet. Of course, provided that the composition of the dog food perfectly matches the dog’s needs. But how not to get lost among the abundance of packs and cans with food? How to choose dry or wet food for a dog? In fact, everything is quite simple.
What Types of Dog Food Are There
According to consistency, dog food can be dry and wet. Ready-made industrial diets for pets can be everyday, specialized and therapeutic. Specialized is a diet for dogs with health issues, for example, for sterilized dogs. Therapeutic is a special diet that is usually selected after consultation with a veterinarian.
According to quality, the following classes are distinguished: economy, premium, super-premium and holistic. The latter can be singled out as a separate type or considered part of the super-premium class. The higher the class, the less “empty calories” of dubious origin in the food and more meat. The best dog food is not necessarily the most expensive. But the fact is that the advertised economy-class dog food is not suitable for daily use. Only dog food of at least premium class can be used as a permanent diet.
What to Look for When Choosing Food
You have been thinking for a long time whether to cook for your pet yourself or entrust it to professionals. And your decision is industrial wet or dry dog food. How to choose the best?
Based on who you are choosing food for – the age of the dog, its breed, activity, health, allergies. The calorie content of the diet, the size of the pieces of dry food, its components depend on this.
You should be interested in the composition of the dog food indicated on the package. The more complete the description, the better. Also, of course, the price is important. It is not recommended to change the established diet without necessity, so you should choose one that will not go beyond your budget.
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What Should and Shouldn’t Be in the Food
Obviously, the food for a predator should contain meat, the more the better. But this does not mean that vegetable proteins and carbohydrates are prohibited. Vegetable proteins are often needed to hold together the granules of dry food. And vegetables included in the food help the dog’s digestion.
However, some vegetable proteins are poorly tolerated by pets. First of all, we are talking about gluten from wheat. Such a component of dog diets as soy is also controversial. There is nothing harmful in soy protein itself, it even contains useful vitamins and minerals. The question is in quantity. If there is more soy or any other vegetable protein in the food than meat, this is not suitable food for the descendants of a wolf.
For the nutrition to be balanced, even dietary food should contain fats. It is good if their source is specifically indicated – chicken fat, linseed oil, etc.
Dry food cannot do without preservatives. Otherwise, the meat and fat included in its composition will spoil. Preservatives (antioxidants) can be both natural and synthetic. Natural ones are vitamin E (tocopherol), vitamin C, rosemary extract. But synthetic preservatives are unacceptable in high-quality food. Food of any price category should not contain dyes, they are not beneficial for the body and can provoke allergies.
You should also pay attention to the analysis (analytical composition) of the food, where proteins, fats, etc. are indicated in percentages. By comparing these indicators, you can choose a more “protein” food. But keep in mind that not all manufacturers write whether plants or meat served as its source.
The Main Differences Between Dry and Wet Food
Wet food is as close as possible to the dog’s natural diet. After all, in nature, the canine family does not eat dried processed pieces of food. As a rule, even capricious pets eat canned food well. But it cannot be said that wet food is better than dry. Everything depends on the composition of each diet.
Advantages of wet food:
- close to the natural diet;
- provides the pet with water;
- does not overload the gastrointestinal tract.
Advantages of dry food:
- convenient to store;
- cleans plaque from teeth;
- wide selection of diets.
Each food has its drawbacks – wet dog food cannot be stored in an open container. Often, canned food is not balanced in composition, that is, it can be used as a supplement to the diet, and not a main food product. Price is also important. Daily feeding of a dog with wet food will cost more than dry food. This is especially noticeable when keeping large breed pets.
With a dry diet, it is very important to ensure that the dog drinks enough liquid. For puppies or demanding four-legged gourmets, dry food can be soaked in a small amount of water.
Both types of food can be combined, offering your pet canned food from time to time. Wet food is also useful for dogs with a small appetite. Especially if the lack of appetite is associated with illness or stress. In such a situation, the pet may prefer a wet diet.