Choosing the Right Dog Food and How To Switch a Dog to New Food

Choosing the Right Dog Food and How To Switch a Dog to New Food

If you own a dog and have gone through the process to find dog supplies online or otherwise then most likely you've thought about which dog food would be best to feed your dog. Perhaps you have already made that decision and for whatever reason you want to change dog foods. Either it's time to make the switch to dog food from puppy food. Or perhaps there's a price issue. Whichever the reason there are several important items to keep in mind when you are looking through dog supplies to try and find the right dog food for you dog.

When it comes to dog food it is obvious that the most popular and used brands are though which you would find at your local supermarket or grocery store. In most cases these are the ones that have commercials on television with various dogs jumping and eating dog food. Brands such as Pedigree, Dog Chow, Ol' Roy and so on. The truth is that the majority of dog food which you normally see when shopping at a supermarket are of low quality. That is to say, they are low in quality in regards to what is healthy for the dog. Most of these foods contain little of anything that is beneficial for the dog's health. Dogs need meat; real meat. Usually, the only meat that you would find in any of these dog foods are animal by-products such as eyes and feet. Essentially the same things found in hot dog wieners. Other then by-products the rest is filler. Vegetables and whatnot. Some dog foods even contain soy. Soy is actually a common allergy among dogs.

So if these brands are not good for the dog then why are they the most popular and why do dogs still remain healthy eating them? Well they are popular because they are cheaper to manufacture which allows for more money to be spent in advertising. All those commercials showing those healthy dogs eating the grocery store brand name dog food is what is actually causing the lower quality food. These foods obviously won't kill a dog but it won't help either. It would be like a human constantly eating fast foods and items with very little nutrients. We'll survive but it won't help in the long run.

Which is another difference between these dog food brands. Since the popular brands contain a whole lot of fillers it requires the dog to have to eat more and therefore to poop more. So you run through a bag of dog food quicker than you would if the dog was being fed less because a smaller portion held enough of what the dog needs in a single day.

If the brands you find at the supermarket are no good for the dog then what is? Pretty much if you're trying to find dog supplies online or otherwise and have some across a whole section of foods that you haven't heard of and cost a little bit extra than it's grocery store counterparts then you've probably found the good foods for a dog. The brand names in this category include: Innova, Taste of the Wild, Wellness, and so forth. The contents that you would find in these foods are usually meats. At least the first two or three ingredients should show up as meats. Chicken, Turkey, things like that. This indicates that this particular dog food is high in protein and actual meat, which again, is what the dog needs most. Other than that, some of the foods may have combination's of grains or some vegetables with very little filler.

Feeding your dog these types of foods from dog supply stores or when you find dog supplies online will be a little different. You may notice that the amount that you have to pay for these foods will probably be a little bit higher than what you see for lesser foods. This is because more attention goes into what the dog food is made of as opposed to making a dog food filled with junk and then marketing it like crazy. Also since there are indeed less fillers within these dog foods you'll notice that you dog will probably poop less. And less poop is always a good thing! These dog foods also contain no soy. The people that manufacture them are usually intimately involved and concern as to what goes into their dog food formula. Knowing that soy isn't a good thing for dogs, they usually avoid putting it into their dog foods. Makes sense right?

Now, if you've been feeding you dog regular, popular brand name dog food which you picked up from the grocery store of from the dog supply store and you want to change to a more healthy choice then there are some things that you should know before you go ahead and switch your dog to the new food. Mainly, it is not a good idea to just immediately get rid of the bad and start right away on the new. This can make the dog sick and cause for some upset stomach for a period of time until the dog finally adjusts to the change in diet. (And when it comes to changing from supermarket dog foods to the lesser known quality dog foods, it is quite a change. Think of going from McDonald's to Salads in regards to healthy factor.)

The best way to make sure the change from old to new is going to be successful is to gradually change it over. This means that however much you would normally feed your dog within the run of a day, change it so that 1/4 of it is the new food. Keep this up for a few days until changing it so that both foods are half and half. Continue this and after a two week period is up you should be complete transitioned over to the new food. At that point you can complete get rid of the old dog food and keep going with the new.

Once your dog has made the change monitor it for a while to make sure that there are no drastic changes in behavior or pooping. There might be some change but that is expected. Eventually the dog will go back to normal. If there is any of the old food left there is no need to let it go to waste despite it essentially being trash. You could decide to keep it around and give it out as a treat now and then. After all it is more akin to a snack food then anything else for dogs. Not too much, just a small portion. Maybe one or two bits.

So, when trying to find dog supplies online, keep these things in mind if you're shopping for a new dog food. Feeding you dog the right food will help keep it healthy and extend its life so can enjoy it for years to come. Check beck for more information on how to find dog supplies online.