How To Recognize Good Pet Food
When we have a pet, it is logical that we care about providing a good quality of life for him. And there are many factors that we must take into account to achieve this. Among them, without a doubt, is the food we provide. So today we’re going to tell you how to recognize good pet food.
Your pet is also what he eats
In addition to the type of food, homemade or commercial, that you choose for your friend, it is important to get advice to ensure a balanced diet at all stages of your life.
The food must also be in accordance with its particular characteristics: the size, the energy it expends, if you have any illness, etc.
In any case, it will be your dog or cat that will tell you, in its own way, whether what he is eating is providing him with all the nutrients he needs.
Feeding an animal, when adequate, is perceived through its expression of health and happiness.
Thus, a pet that receives a quality diet and according to its needs, unless there is a health problem, stands out for :
- A lively and cheerful look
- Energy translatable into wanting to play, walk, etc.
- Soft and shiny coat
- Firm, small stools and no intense bad odor
pay attention to the ingredients
Of course, your pet is best suited to detecting whether the food is good. But if you’ve decided to give commercial food or want to change brands, we’ll leave some advice for buying feed or canned food.
We know the pet products industry is big business. And that, furthermore, the quality of the food does not always come before the desire for profit by some companies.
Therefore, it is important that you learn to decode the ingredient list and get all your questions answered by a trusted veterinarian or animal nutrition specialist.
The information on the packaging must be true, as this is verified by official control bodies. But when it comes to your friend’s health, it never hurts to be cautious.
What a good pet food should be
So what is the most suitable composition for a good ration? Let’s start with the essentials: cats and dogs are mostly carnivores (more the former than the latter). For this reason, your diet should above all be based on animal protein.
So, you should choose dry or canned foods that, according to their labels, prioritize ingredients such as beef, chicken, pork or lamb.
It is important to specify what type of meat was used and how it is presented: concentrated, dehydrated, etc.
Keep in mind that it is not ideal for animal proteins to be incorporated in the majority, such as chicken meal, meat, etc. And much less as by-products.
Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are not essential for our pets. Therefore, they should not be the main ingredients of a quality feed or canned food.
In this section are cereals, both in grain and flour form. And while they provide protein, they’re not the most necessary for dogs and cats.
In any case, rice seems to be the most recommended ingredient in this context.
What else should you note on the label
In addition to protein, a good pet food should contain lipids in the form of animal fats and vegetable or marine oils.
And, of course, the necessary amounts of vitamins and minerals. In any case, you can consult an expert about the specific needs of your pets.
Fiber, however, is important for the proper functioning of our pets’ intestinal tract. The best sources of this element are found in beet, tomato or apple pulp.
If you have cats, pay attention to whether the food you buy contains taurine, an essential amino acid that felines cannot synthesize on their own, in the amount they need. Its absence can cause blindness or heart problems.
