How to Compare Dog Food

Before I discuss how to compare dog food, let me make clear a truth about food and health that is true for both humans and animals. All foods can fall along a continuum of 'raw' on one end and 'processed' on the other. The more processed a food is, the worse it is for our health, period. The best food you could prepare for your dog is home made food using fresh organic ingredients.

Now, we can't prepare this kind of food everyday. We don't have the time or the money. But regardless, you should be aware of the truth and what you are doing to you and your dog with your diets. You can compare dog food until you are blue in the face, but the best commercial dog food will not hold a candle to homemade food.

How To Compare Dog Food - The Meat

All dog commercial dog food could be divided into two categories: those that use meat by-products and those that use meat.

What Are Meat By-Products?

Sadly, meat by-products are usually everything that has been deemed unfit for human consumption. This stuff should really be thrown out. Instead, it is used to produce pet food and it is believed to be a major cause behind chronic disease in animals. Meat by-products can even include diseased meat, ground up bones and even dog and cat parts. When comparing dog food, the first step is to weed out any brand that uses meat by-products. Stick with the brands that use real meat, the meat that humans can eat.

Grains

To properly compare dog food you need to next examine the grain content of the product. In order to reduce costs, many commercial dog food companies load up their foods with corn meal and other grain. These ingredients are cheap fillers. Unfortunately, they are not good for your dog. In fact, high grain diets are believed to be partly responsible for chronic disease in both humans and pets. More importantly, they don't contain the nutrients your dog needs.
Look for dog foods that contain only whole grain. Furthermore, grain should not be the first ingredient on the bag. Real chicken or beef should be the first ingredient.

How To Compare Dog Food -Organic Or Not?

There are some legal loop holes that allow commercial dog food companies to put the 'organic' label on their product. I'm suspicious when I see the organic label. Look for real meat as the first ingredient and whole grain.

Vitamins and Minerals

Any processed food is going to be deficient of appropriate levels of nutrients. Processing food strips out vitamins and minerals. It's just the way it is. To accurately compare dog food, the final thing you should consider is vitamin and mineral fortification. Without this, your dog will not be getting sufficient nutrients.

Homemade Or Commercial?

As mentioned above, comparing dog food is a mixed bag. In our opinion, comparing commercial dog food is simply comparing various second rate food items. None of them are going to compare with home cooked meals using fresh and natural ingredients.

Learn more now about dog food comparisons. Learn how raw dog food is better than all dog food brands.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gordon_Chase