How to Evaluate a Dog's Food

Dogs are our best friends, and we want them to live a long, healthy life. Therefore, selecting the right dog food may be the most important choice you make as a dog owner. While many people stroll the pet food isle, grabbing the cheapest, biggest bag of food they can find, it is best to take a closer look and really evaluate the list of ingredients before you select a dog food.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Evaluate the protein source, as protein is the most important ingredient and should be the first ingredient on the list. Be careful with protein sources such as soy, corn or wheat, which are difficult proteins for your dog to digest and absorb. Instead, look for animal sources of protein such as beef, chicken, lamb, fish and even eggs.
2. Read between the lines. A protein source that includes the words "meal" or "digest," such as chicken meal or animal digest, is not meat, but ground up bones, hair, teeth, feathers and other generally useless body parts. Also, even if the protein source on a less expensive brand seems to be fine, it's not necessarily the case. Many dog food manufacturers use meat that is not fit for human consumption, including dead, diseased and rotten meat, simply because it is cheap.
3. Look at the label for the words "mill run," such as wheat mill run or corn mill run. Mill run is literally what is swept out of the mill machinery and sometimes even off of the floor. The nutritional content and even the actual items found in mill run are not guaranteed.
4. Check the label for preservatives such as propylene glycol, BHT, BHA and ethoxyquin, which have been deemed toxic and will eventually cause serious health problems in your pet.
5. Ask yourself if you would be willing to eat your dog's food in an emergency. It may seem silly, but this is one of the best methods of honestly evaluating the quality of the dog food you choose.

Tips & Warnings

• It is always best to thoroughly research your brand of dog food before buying.
• Purchasing a more expensive bag of dog food may actually save you money in the long run. A happy, healthy dog means fewer trips to the vet, and you will also notice that, as your dog adjusts to a higher quality dog food, he will consume less food, meaning you purchase fewer bags.