Buying pet foods made from by-products, soy & corn or real meat?

Your dog is your best friend, right? You care enough about your best friend to ensure they are eating what's good for their health. Choosing the right pet foods for your dog is vital, but with so many dog food brands on the market ranging from all natural dog food, dry dog food, premium dog foods and so on, how can you make an informed decision about pet nutrition?

When comparing pet foods, the first place to look is the list of ingredients on the back. This is a very simple way of knowing what you are feeding your dog. If you start comparing ingredient lists as you shop, you begin to get a feel for what is real dog food, and what is just waste products of other processes with fancy packaging and slick marketing.

Comparing the ingredients of natural dog foods, dry dog foods, canned dog foods, and other commercial foods is a simple way to compare the pros and cons of each. It is a better quality food if the ingredients are whole and human grade meat, and without by-products and fillers such as corn.

Left to their own devices about dog nutrition, dogs would probably pass on dogs food. Treats are much more appetizing! They certainly wouldn't choose diet dog food! But choosing and rationing the right amount of treats vs. food will greatly affect your dog's health.

If your dog suffers from food allergies (a growing trend), then take care to choose the right products that promote good dog nutrition for optimum health. The right balance of food groups, with essential vitamins and minerals is as good for pets as it is for us.

Most people know that natural pet foods are the best, like raw dog food, and some will only settle for organic dog food, but with time restrictions, cost, and nutritional knowledge being important factors in this argument, everyone needs to do what is best for them and their pet.

There are several companies that specifically design their pet foods around the needs of your dog so the he can get the right nutrition. Your dog may need supplements, depending on its overall health, age, and nutritional intake. Keep in mind that a well-balanced canine diet should provide sufficient nutrients just as it does for humans.

When you are trying to decide upon a dog food, or puppy food for that matter, read the ingredient list printed on the side or back of the container. Look at the first few items, as these are what make up most of the contents, and make sure there aren't any byproducts. Never buy a pet food that contains byproducts.

Pets like to eat treats, especially "people food", but many of those foods can pose a threat to your pet. For example, one of those threatening foods is chocolate. For dogs, chocolate is regarded as a toxic food, so people should think twice before giving them chocolate.