How to choose the best dog food: tips and recommendations.

"We are what we eat" and so are our life partners, which is why it is so important that we always provide them with quality food, for their health and well-being.

Factors to consider when choosing dog food

For decades, the nutritional needs of dogs, the nutrients necessary for their bodies to function optimally, have been studied. In addition, this food must be assimilable by their bodies, palatable to their palate and they must be able to chew it, providing a feeding experience.

Throughout their lives, these needs may vary according to the activity they do or the pathologies they may have, so we must adapt them and take great care of their response to the food we give them. 

The first thing we must control is that they enjoy their food, this does not mean that we should give them ultra-palatable food, as most of it is unhealthy and for occasional consumption, such as some sweets, but that we must make a healthy food attractive to them. And the second thing to control is their weight, keeping them at their optimum weight, which will depend on each animal, will help to maintain their quality of life.

If you have any doubts, it is always best to consult your trusted vet, but a complete, top-of-the-range food such as VeggieAnimals is healthy and tasty for our companions, providing all the necessary nutrients together with antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatories that will allow them to grow from puppies, be active in adolescence and youth and have a great quality of life in their senior years.

Age and life stage of the dog

There are a multitude of foods on the market, even labelled for different breeds with identical nutritional needs, the truth is that in many of them the content is the same, only the label changes to increase sales, they play with the potential customer by offering the same or very similar product with different labels that may be more suited to your dog.

The reality is that the physiological nutritional needs do not vary much from one dog to another, and it is mere marketing that there are dozens of varieties for the same purpose, except for the change of ingredients in case of allergies, nutritional adaptations due to diseases or changes in textures, sizes and flavours, there is no real need to justify the existing reality.

Dog's nutritional needs

In the case of VeggieAnimals we guarantee that all the essential nutrients are covered, but we also look after their digestive health, adding natural antioxidants that will strengthen their immune system and joints, and the fatty acid content that will help with skin problems and give them a shiny, glossy coat.

When a food is formulated with the overall health of our companions in mind, it adapts to practically all the stages and needs that they may have throughout their lives, except for allergies to any ingredient or specific nutritional needs, for which we always recommend the advice of a veterinary nutritionist.

State of health of the dog

If the dog has a health problem, it will be your vet who, after a diagnosis, will inform you whether it can continue to consume a physiological food or whether it requires an adaptation in its diet to help it cope with the problem.

In the case of VeggieAnimals, with a veterinary nutritionist, you can adapt the food with a home-made diet to reduce or increase the nutrients that need to be modified.

Types of dog food

As mentioned above, there is such a wide range of products on the market that it can be overwhelming to choose the best product for our companions.

Dry dog food

It is the most economical and easiest to store and administer, and helps to maintain dental health by cleaning tartar when chewed. But in cases of mouth problems it can be more difficult to chew or in dogs with a capricious appetite it can be less palatable.

If we feed our companions dry food, it is essential that they always have clean, fresh water available.

Wet dog food

Its strong point is its palatability and water supply, but once opened, it should be kept refrigerated and will not last more than 3-7 days.

It is easier to chew and swallow, which is important for older dogs or those with dental problems. And its palatability and moisture content make it ideal for convalescent animals or those with a capricious appetite.

Its price is the highest and it is very expensive to keep an animal alone with this type of food, so it is usually recommended in combination with dry feed.

Semi-moist dog food

This is the least common and has some of the benefits of dry food such as maintaining dental health and the palatability benefits of wet.

Being wetter than dry food increases the daily amount to be ingested, which increases the cost, and also because it contains more water it will spoil sooner than dry food.

How to read dog food labels

In the labelling we can detect if the percentage of nutrients is adequate (the products on the market, due to the controls to which they are subjected, are usually adjusted) and above all, we can identify the ingredients contained in that food and really know the quality of those nutrients.

At VeggieAnimals the ingredients are suitable for human consumption, thus ensuring the controls to which they are subjected and their quality.

Ingredients to avoid in dog food

- If we read "by-products of" or "by-products of" on a food, we know it is not a high-quality food.

- artificial preservatives are ingredients that are detrimental to the long-term health of our companions.

- artificial colourings or artificial flavourings are ingredients to avoid, even if they are more appealing to the human eye or palatable to dogs, they are still ingredients that do not contribute nutritionally and can be harmful.

- sugars and sweeteners do not provide any benefit beyond palatability and are very harmful to their health.

- Saturated fats we should always look for quality vegetable oils that provide the necessary fatty acids, and avoid animal or low quality fats which, despite being more palatable, are not nutritionally adequate.

Tips for choosing the best dog food

Choose a complete food that suits your companion and his needs.

Researching high quality dog food brands

Whenever we are looking for a suitable food for our companions we should always research the brand it belongs to and its values. 

At VeggieAnimals we are clear that our priority is the health of our dogs and other animals who will not die in order to feed them.

Consult your vet for recommendations

Ask your vet for advice or refer you to a fellow nutritionist if you have more specific needs.

Make gradual changes to your dog's diet

When you decide to make a change, keep in mind that it should be done progressively over 7 days. 

Food changes should be made in stages of stability, so as not to add more stress to your dog's life. Try not to make food changes when moving house, when new members of the family arrive, when travelling, etc.

In the event that the change is due to adoption, we always recommend that you ask the previous person in charge for the food they were eating, as an abrupt change combined with adaptation can lead to digestive or stress-related problems.