A Comprehensive Overview of Dry Dog Food Choices for Weight Management
Ava Wet Food Adult Weight Management Review
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Suitable for all breeds of dogs
Private label(or
white label) pet foods are pre-formulated recipes that companies can order from certain factories, add their own label or packaging and retail to the public as their own brand. They are therefore available from numerous suppliers.
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Mixing bowl composition
This is the ingredients list as printed on the packaging or manufacturer's website.
Think of the 'mixing bowl' composition like a recipe - all the ingredients you would need to put in a 'mixing bowl' in order to make the food.
Ingredients have to be listed in descending order of their weight so the higher it appears, the more there is.
Highlighted ingredients
Ingredients that we believe to be controversial or inferior are highlighted in yellow with particularly low grade, highly contentious or excessively vague ingredients in red.
As fed composition
While the 'mixing bowl' composition is useful for knowing what went into the food, it doesn't always reflect what your dog is actually eating. This is because the processes that turn the ingredients into the finished pet food can significantly alter the relative weights of the ingredients.
For this reason we've calculated the approximate 'as fed' percentages for the main ingredient categories in the finished product.
Please note that these figures are very approximate. They are estimates based on the information provided by the manufacturer in the ingredients list so the clearer the terminology and the more percentages they provide, the more accurate our estimates will be. Wherever information is lacking, we always assume the worst.
Ingredient categories
Meat ingredients: includes all meat and fish ingredients except isolated fats/oils.
Added oils and fats: includes all isolated oil and fat ingredients.
Carb-rich ingredients: includes all ingredients derived from grains, pseudo-grains, potatoes and other starchy root vegetables, sweet potato and legumes (except whole peas which are categorised under fruit and veg) except for isolated protein and extracted oils. Also includes fibre supplements.
Fruit and veg: includes all whole vegetables and fruits.
Other: all other ingredients. Mostly made up by nutritional supplements and additives.
For more information on any ingredient, please take a look at our Dog Food Ingredient Glossary
The dry matter level of a nutrient is the percentage there would be in the food if all of the water was removed.
With water taken out of the equation, these figures allow the nutrient levels of foods of different types (like wet and dry) to be compared on an even playing field.
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The
price per dayof feeding this food based on feeding the manufacturer's recommended daily amount from 395g cans bought at their rrp to a dog of:
Note:All suggested feeding amounts and costs are only approximate and may vary considerably from dog to dog. Be sure to contact the manufacturer if in any doubt.
71 out of 100-Good
Our unique product ratings are calculated based on a number of characteristics including the quality and quantity of the stated ingredients, certain nutritional and technological additives and the processing methods used to create the food. They are designed to indicate how beneficial we think a food is likely to be for the majority of dogs when fed on a daily basis for an extended period. Click here for more information
Country of origin: United Kingdom
A technological additive is any substance added to a pet food "for a technological purpose and which favourably affects the characteristics of feed".
The most common categories of technological additives include preservatives and antioxidants, gelling agents and thickeners and probiotics.
While the primary effects of technoloical additives are certainly 'favourable' (increased shelf life in the case of preservatives & antioxidants, better food texture and consistency in the case of gelling agents and thickeners etc.) some have been linked to health problems in pets and should be treated with caution.
Unfortunately, many technological additives do not have to be declared by the manufacturer so just because they do not appear on the label does not necessarily mean they are not in the food. If in doubt, ask the manufacturer directly exactly what technological additives their foods contain.
The Best Dog Food For Weight Loss
You mightve noticed that your dogs gained a bit of weight recently, and youre starting to get concerned.
Is it time to put your dog on a diet, and if so, whats the best dog food for weight loss?
The good news is that switching to a diet dog food is most likely only necessary if your dogs obese. We spoke to three vets, who explained how you can tell if your dog is obese and why its important to curb those unhealthy habits that cause your pup to gain weight.
Benefits of a weight-loss dog food
The biggest benefit of a dog food specifically geared toward weight loss is that itll be lower in calories, which will likely help obese dogs shed pounds.
However, low-fat foods, [which are also low in caloric density], may not necessarily help your dog lose weight, Dr. Corinne Wigfall, a vet with SpiritDog Training, told The Dodo.
You need to look at overall calorie requirements for your dog per day (ask a veterinarian!) and then work out how many grams or ounces that equates to in food in total, Dr. Wigfall continued. Even though your dogs overweight, his breed may still need more calories than a diet dog food can offer him.
In fact, you may not necessarily need to purchase specialty weight-loss food at all. Before switching to low-fat dog food, I recommend using an adult dog formula but ensuring to measure the appropriate amount of food at each meal and limiting treats to less than 10 percent of the daily caloric need, veterinarian Dr. Michelle Burch from Paramount Pet Health told The Dodo.
But again, consult your veterinarian to get a more tailored opinion.
How to find the best diet dog food
The best dog food for weight loss is one thats low in calories. Changing to a lower-calorie food may help, Dr. Zach Marteney, a veterinarian and medical director at Meadowlands Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey, told The Dodo.
Low-calorie choices may be available over the counter, but there are other dog food formulas made specifically for weight loss thatll require a prescription from your veterinarian.
There are even prescription foods for weight loss that are helpful, Dr. Marteney said. I've used one for my dog in the past with great results.
Its important to pay attention to which foods come widely recommended by vets because thatll help keep your pup healthy on his weight loss journey.
There are many great brands of pet food available, but in general I prefer larger brands as they tend to have higher-quality ingredients with more consistent formulation, and their quality control is much better than smaller brands, Dr. Marteney said.
Dr. Marteney loves brands like:
- Purina Pro Plan (which is what Dr. Marteney feeds his own dog)
- Hills Science Diet
- Royal Canin
- Blue Buffalo
I recommend discussing with your veterinarian the best dog food choice for your pet when choosing a low-fat diet to ensure all nutritional needs are met, Dr. Burch said.
Best dog food for weight loss
We rounded up some great weight-loss dog foods that are low in calories and from brands recommended by vets because of their high-quality ingredients and control standards. Just make sure you always talk to your vet before switching up your pups diet.
How to choose the right dog food
Choosing the right dog food can be a bit of trial and error because it means weeding out any possible sensitivities your pup might have.
You may find that if you give him a chicken-based diet, he gets itchy or develops ear infections, or if you feed him beef, he develops diarrhea, Dr. Marteney said. You may have to try three or four diets before you find one that he can eat long term.
As far as grain-free diets, you should steer clear of them unless your dog is truly sensitive or allergic to grains.
I recommend against grain-free diets for nearly all dogs whole grains bring a lot to the table in terms of nutrition, and a specific type of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy has been associated with grain-free diets, Dr. Marteney said.
And once you find a dog food that works, stick to it.
It's best to use the cruise-control method of feeding, Dr. Marteney said. Find a food that works and just keep using it.
How much food do I feed my dog?
When trying to figure out how much food to feed your dog, its going to depend on two things: your individual pup and the specific food youre feeding him.
On the back of the bag or can there will be a chart that tells you how much to feed based on body weight, Dr. Marteney said. This is a good place to start, but I think about it the same way I think about a 2,000 calorie recommendation on human food packaging: If I'm eating that much and I'm gaining too much weight, I need to cut back a little, and if I'm getting too thin, I probably need to increase my calorie intake.
Consulting your vet on the amount of food you should be giving your dog, no matter if its diet dog food or regular food, will ensure youre helping your dogs weight loss rather than hindering it.
Other ways to help your overweight dog
If your dogs either obese or slightly overweight, there are many different things you can do to get him back down to a healthy (and more comfortable) size besides feeding a weight-loss dog food.
Here are a few ways to help your pup drop his extra pounds:
- Increase his daily exercise. Ideally [with] daily walks, Dr. Wigfall said. Hydrotherapy may also be helpful for very obese dogs with joint issues or older dogs.
- Increase play and use of toys inside.
- Nix treats. Use their daily kibble portion as a treat for good behavior, Dr. Wigfall said. Your dog cannot tell the difference and will still get the same chemical release from the reward of a biscuit of their regular food as they do from a store-bought treat.
- Dont feed him human food. Human food contains significantly more calories than pet food, so even a small portion of food can equal many calories, Dr. Wigfall said.
- Feed your dog based on his target weight, and reduce that target weight slowly so as not to underfeed him. This means you should set an achievable target weight first (5 or 10 pounds less than his actual weight), and then adjust the target as he continues to drop pounds.
- Ask your vet about joining a weight-loss program if they offer one. These involve monthly weight checks, diet plans and exercise goals, Dr. Wigfall said. They are usually free to attend, and often there is a lot of competition to find the biggest loser.
Keeping your dog at a healthy weight will ensure he lives a long and happy life with you, and with plenty of playtime, exercise and healthy food, those extra pounds will disappear in no time.
