Things You'll Need:
- Some people need reading glasses because dog food manufacturers put everything you want to know in the "fine print."
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Step 1
Your dog needs exercise and good nutrition even when the weather doesn't cooperate.The biggest obstacle to selecting the right dog food is learning how to read the labels. That doesn't mean reading the advertising. State laws require dog food manufacturers to list ingredients in order by weight. This means that the first two or three ingredients are highly important. The first ingredient must always be some kind of meat protein, and it’s best if the second one and third one are, too.
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Step 2
Grains are not preferred in the first three ingredients listed. Your dog is not a vegetarian. His teeth are designed for tearing and crunching meat and bone, not for grinding grains. Do not expect your dog to get protein from soy, either. The problem with soy is that it combines with other nutrients and creates a substance your dog will find hard to digest. Oats, barley, and brown rice are the carbohydrate ingredients which might follow the proteins. You dog needs those too, but in lesser amounts than proteins.
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Step 3
The dog food label also tells you what kind of preservatives are used to keep the product “fresh.” BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, and propyl gallate are some substances you might encounter. Ethoxyquin has been linked to health disorders and should be avoided. In lieu of chemical preservatives, the manufacturer can use Vitamins C, E, and rosemary extract. The vitamin E on the label may be termed a “tocopherol.” The trouble with natural preservatives like Vitamin E is that the product has a shorter shelf life (six months) than it would with a chemical preservative.
