Just as the human body needs food to nourish itself and make sure that it can function well, the body of your favorite hairy buddy also needs its sustenance. Dogs can be picky eaters. Dogs that were not properly taken care of are probably used to eating leftover scraps from neighborhood dumpsters or thrown food from restaurants and other food establishments. However, if your dog has been eating dog food since he was a tiny pup that would usually the main source of his nutritional intake. Have you ever wondered how to read Dog Food labels? what’s inside that dog food and what effects can it have on your dog?
Dog food is a lot like your breakfast cereal. They are meant to be consumed easily and thus, are extremely popular because there is less effort you need when you prepare it. It has some good and bad things to it though. Unlike a proper meal, you have to carefully watch the ingredients that it contains. Don’t recklessly pick out any dog food because contrary to popular belief, they are all not the same. So the million dollar question is: how do you read dog food labels?
It’s quite easy actually. The product name and main points are located at the front and the information, along with the ingredients are located at the back. The ingredients are usually listed from heaviest to the lightest. This is always the case though, especially when dealing with meat or protein.
First commandment: Thou shall watch out for thy ingredients. It’s easy to get confused with all the big words written at the back of that dog food. Though the list of ingredients and the amount your dog should take is listed, you might be scratching your head now because none of it makes any sense. Don’t worry, the FDA and Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) makes sure that every dog food has been tested and has passed their rigorous scrutiny. Preservatives can be very dangerous when they are consumed to much. It doesn’t hurt to be familiar with what Cobalt Carbonate, Ascorbic Acid and Crude Fat are.
You should also watch out for the manufacturer. If the dog food manufacturer has been stamped as a good producer, it should be safe to say that he has passed most health-related issues. Do your homework and research which manufacturer do you want and the past products that they’ve made as well. Another thing you should remember is that not every label is quite true. Even when it says that it contains 75% protein, most of that is water. Keep all these things in mind and you and your pet should be just fine.





































