Choosing River Run Pet Food A Decision That Makes a Difference in Your Dog s Life

Choosing the Best Dog Food

When it comes to choosing a dog food, you might find yourself overwhelmed with the number of types available. With so many brands and formulas, deciding which is the best dog food can be difficult. But there are certain things to look for when determining the best option for you and your dog.

The old adage, "You are what you eat" holds true for dogs, so it's important to remember that nutrition is essential. Adequate nutrition helps your dog grow, stay strong, maintain a healthy coat and immune system, and provide energy for playtime. When breaking down nutrition and choosing a food, there are some key factors to consider.

Balanced Nutritional Formula

When choosing the best dog food for your pup, the nutritional value of the food is the first factor you should inspect. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has established guidelines for regulators to govern claims a pet food company can make on its label. A balanced food should contain healthy ingredients, such as protein from an animal source, vegetables, whole grains and micronutrients like omega-3 fatty acids.

When it comes to individual ingredients, it's important to note that foods said to contain a single ingredient must include at least 95 percent of said ingredient, not counting water. For instance, if the formula claims to be made solely of beef, beef makes up 95 percent of the food. Another idea to consider is the food type. Phrases and the labels "dinner," "platter" or "entree" require that the food contains at least 25 percent of the named ingredient. So a chicken dinner might actually only contain 25 percent chicken.

There are wet foods, dry foods, dehydrated foods and even frozen-thawed foods that are available to your dog. You'll have to decide which offers the best nutritional value for your particular pup and make sure that your dog enjoys eating it. For example, freezing food changes the taste of canned wet food, so there's a chance your dog won't be a fan of it.

Once you know how to identify the ingredients you want in your dog's food and which you'd prefer to avoid, you can use your dog's opinion to decide which is the most flavorful delivery. The best dog food is a completely balanced food that your dog will enjoy!

Age and Lifestyle

Your dog is unique and needs to be treated as such. This means that the best dog food for one dog might not be so great for another. First, consider the size of your dog. A Great Dane and Chihuahua are going to need very different amounts of nutrients and different amounts of food altogether. There may be various sizes of kibble and cans that are geared toward the size of your dog.

Next, evaluate your dog's age. A puppy is still growing and is going to need different nutrients than a sedentary senior dog. Puppies generally need vitamins and minerals that encourage healthy growth and development, while seniors need fewer calories and added supplements to help their aging bones and joints. Again, a Great Dane puppy is going to need nutrition that supports a very large, quickly growing body while a Chihuahua puppy will likely need a more steady intake throughout his life.

Pregnant and lactating females require a special formula to sustain their and their puppies' bodies. For example, because she's expending a lot of energy sustaining her puppies, a pregnant dog needs a calorie-rich food. Special nutrients, like protein and DHA, are needed to promote healthy puppy development. If you have a pregnant and lactating dog, be sure to ask your veterinarian what dog food you should be feeding her.

Your dog's lifestyle determines the amount of food and nutrition needed as well. Working dogs such as police dogs and search and rescue dogs are constantly on the go. Their hard-working bodies are going to need a lot of nutrition for active energy to keep up with them. They'll need a lot more food that your average couch potato dog won't need.

The less your dog moves around, the fewer calories he needs, says PetMD. You want to prevent obesity and maintain a healthy weight and body condition throughout your dog's life, so tailored nutrition is key.

Ailments and Illnesses

Certain ailments and illnesses require a change in food or a new food altogether. In fact, there are many foods made for dogs suffering from specific conditions, such as diabetes and renal failure. These foods were developed by veterinarians and scientists to make up the ideal nutritional content for dogs living with these diseases. They contain ingredients known to assist in the recovery and management of said ailments and ensure that your dog is getting the right nutrition at the right time. Sometimes you might need to have your dog on a special food after a procedure or during a short-term recovery before you switch back to his regular food. (Remember, if you're switching from one food to another, do so gradually.) Other times, this special food may be the staple for the rest of your dog's life. Whichever is best depends on your dog, the condition and your veterinarian's expert opinion.

What Is the Best Dog Food?

So, is there a one-size-fits-all dog food that is the best? The answer: no. It all depends! Every dog is different. Before choosing a dog food, take stock of your pup's age, lifestyle and medical conditions to find the best one. One of the biggest things to take into consideration when choosing the best dog food is the care that goes into crafting it. Does the company spend lots of time on research and nutritional advancement? Do they employ active veterinarians and pet nutritionists qualified to determine a food's nutritional efficiency for your pup? Do they source their ingredients from reputable suppliers, and adhere to strict quality and safety standards? There is a lot more that goes into choosing a dog food that is best for your pup than understanding the ingredients that go into it.

Finally, never fall victim to fads and trends that you see from non-reputable, non-qualified sources. This includes human food trends and applying your food preferences to your pet. In this day and age of information, you have ample ability to do research on each food you are considering. Do your own dog food comparisons, looking at things like nutritional value, price valuation, ingredient comparisons, manufacturing and quality standards, industry experience and more. You know your dog the best, and you want to do best by him, so make sure to do your due diligence when deciding. If you're still not confident, consult your veterinarian. Not only can they give you recommendations, they can inform you on the exact nutrition your pup needs to be his healthiest. Take their input and apply your own research, to make the best decision for your pooch.

If you have any questions about Hill's products, do not hesitate to use our web chat feature and speak to a Hill's representative.

Contributor Bio

Katie Finlay

Katie Finlay is a Los Angeles-based dog trainer and writer. She has been working with dogs and their owners both in person and through her articles for over six years.

An Insiders Guide to Finding Superior Dog Food Brands

These days, there are lots of dog foods on the market. So, finding a good one can be overwhelming.

After all, on The Dog Food Advisor website alone, there are now:

• Over 950 dog food reviews
• Hundreds of product lines
• More than 4,100 recipes

So, how can you find a good brand? Here are 9 tips to help you find a superior food for your dog.

Tip #1Check the Label

Pet food labels are loaded with lots of valuable information. Yet they can also be difficult to read. So, save yourself a lot of time and effort and

Favor dog food brands that include multiple product lines with higher ratings.

Thats because lower rated recipes are more likely to contain:

• Less meat
• More by-products
• Controversial preservatives
• Anonymous meat ingredients

Tip #2:Consider the Company

Many dog owners tend to distrust larger pet food companies. They mistakenly believe smaller brands are more likely to make better and safer products.

However, the facts tell a different story.

Consider this: 93% of all pet foods sold in the U.S. are produced by just 3 companies Big Heart, Mars and Purina.¹

Yet 73 of the 88 recall events documented on this website during a recent 5-year period² are linked to products of smaller brands.³

In other words

Even though smaller companies account for just 7% of the pet food and treats sold theyre responsible for an eye-popping 83% of the recalls.

In addition, after conducting hundreds of interviews, its become apparent that

A significant number of dog foods are not likely to meet the claims of nutritional adequacy printed on their labels.

Thats because many smaller companies have willingly admitted to us that they make no effort to verify the nutrient content or the safety of the foods they sell.

And theres no law requiring any pet food company to do so, either.

The truth is, the smaller the brand, the less likely the company has the financial ability to perform all the steps needed to ensure the quality of its products.

So, although there are always exceptions, its important to keep in mind that larger companies are far more likely to:

• Employ real food scientists, animal nutritionists and other veterinary professionals to design their products
• Test raw materials for impurities and nutrient content
• Conduct regular safety and quality control procedures
• Own and operate their own manufacturing facilities
• Verify finished goods before they are shipped
• Maintain in-house testing laboratories

So, what should you do? Are dog foods made by larger companies better?

No, larger companies may or may not be better. However

The smaller the dog food brand, the more critical it is for you to look beyond its label.

Tip #3Identify the Manufacturer

Most dog owners assume their pet food company actually makes the products they sell.

However, today, many companies use third-party co-packers to manufacture some or all of their foods.

Yet others make their own.

In any case, whether or not a company makes its own dog food is neither good or bad. Whats more important is to

Know the identity of the manufacturer of any brand you feed your pet.

Otherwise youll never be able to track its recall history or judge the safety of its products.

Tip #4Question Product Design

What may surprise you is that theres no legal requirement that a pet food be formulated by an animal nutritionist or any other veterinary professional.

In fact, over the years, weve uncovered a shocking number of dog foods that have been designed by amateurs.

So, to ensure the nutritional health of your pet, you should

Contact each brand youre considering and determine who actually designs its products.

By the way, just knowing who formulates a product is not enough. Youll also want to know what qualifies that person to do so.

Tip #5Confirm Nutrient Testing

Its also important to know how the company can be certain each formulation is nutritionally complete and balanced.

And how often nutritional content testing is actually performed.

Does the company conduct laboratory analysis? Or do they run feeding trials?

Surprisingly, we have found many (mostly smaller) companies that never do any testing at all. Thats why its so important to

Find out what a company does to test each product to be sure it actually meets AAFCO nutritional guidelines.

Tip #6Investigate Ingredient Sources

No dog food can ever be magically better than the ingredients that were used to make it. Yet labels reveal little about the quality of the raw materials actually used to make the food.

Some ingredients are purchased from commodity brokers on the open market from the cheapest bidder. Others can come from countries known to have inferior food quality standards.

However, superior companies tend to source their ingredients only from established local or regional suppliers they do business with on a recurring basis.

Whats more, Federal law does not currently require any pet food company to disclose country of origin or any other sourcing information on its label.

Thats why its so important to

Know the source of all ingredients that are used to make any dog food you buy. Avoid brands that will not share this information with you.

By the way, imported ingredients arent necessarily bad. In fact, many can be of exceptional quality. For example, some vitamin and mineral supplements are pharmaceutical grade and can actually be superior to those sourced from the U.S. or Canada.

Tip #7Demand Transparency

Some pet food companies work hard to conceal critical information about their products.

For example, weve actually stumbled upon a number of companies that attempt to create an artificial sense of customer support by using voice mail to take messages. Yet no one ever returns the calls.

Some brands dont even maintain a product website.

And others resist being questioned by independent websites like The Dog Food Advisor.

These companies make it difficult (or impossible) for us to get important answers while blaming their own unwillingness to cooperate on the fact we are not veterinarians.

Think about it. Are there any questions presented in this article that would require the knowledge of a veterinarian to answer?

Obviously, hostile or defensive companies like these are the ones that most likely have something to hide and should not be trusted.

For all these reasons

Never buy any dog food made by any company that is not transparent about its products or its manufacturing practices.

After all, you have a right to know.

Tip #8Verify Quality Control

At the time of purchase, all pet foods are at risk for containing:

• Disease-causing pathogens (Salmonella, Listeria)
• Mold toxins (aflatoxin, vomitoxin)
• Environmental pollutants
• Unsafe nutrient levels

And although many pathogens can be killed (pasteurized) during cooking, deadly toxins can remain in the food throughout the manufacturing process.

Whats worse, re-contamination can occur anytime living germs from uncooked food accidentally come in contact with a finished food product.

Thats why you must

Never buy a pet food from any company that ships finished goods before obtaining negative test results for any form of contamination.

Some companies are more diligent about this safety measure than others. A few test every batch while others test only randomly. And yet some never test anything at all.

In any case, even for us, it can be extremely difficult to determine just how carefully any brand administers its own quality control program.

Tip #9Study the Recall History

Dog food recalls can provide some valuable clues about a brands manufacturing habits.

Pet owners tend to misunderstand and overreact to dog food recalls. And theyre inclined to overvalue the real significance of these events whenever they occur.

They forget that when it comes to any process involving human beings, errors are inevitable. Accidents are going to happen.

And thats what makes dog food recalls so unpredictable. In fact, trying to forecast any pet (or human) food recall has proved to be impossible.

Just the same, even though no pet food company can completely prevent a recall, it can control how it responds to such an event when it does occur.

Unfortunately, while some companies work hard to prevent a recall, others work even harder at covering them up.

For example, some misguided brands have been known to conduct silent recalls informing only their distributors about an event. And not the public.

Or they withhold the news about a recall and only release that information at the very end of the business week just so they wont have to deal with consumer questions.

Avoid buying dog food made by any brand that makes any attempt to hide recall events from the public when they occur.

Remember, most recalls typically involve only a limited number of product runs and batches. Just because a particular recipe has been recalled doesnt mean the entire brand is defective.

So, please dont make the same mistake made by so many other well-meaning pet owners. Dont overreact and exclude a quality food just because of a few isolated events.

In the end, your dog could be missing out on some of the very best canine diets out there.

The Bottom Line

Of course, no system can possibly guarantee your dogs food will never be recalled or that your pet will approve of your choice.

However, any time you find a product that meets the majority of these guidelines, you can feel confident youre likely to have found a superior dog food brand.