What are premium dog foods and are they really any better for my dog than your garden variety dog foods? How can you tell what a premium dog food is? Is it listed on the bag somewhere? Is it more expensive? What makes a premium dog food premium?
The quality of the ingredients in the dog food is what differentiates a premium dog food from an economy one. Dog food companies will try to lure you in with great advertising about how great their food is for your dog. Many now show delicious pictures of food on the bags. Don’t be fooled though. The only way to really tell a premium dog food is by looking at the dog food ingredients.
Look at the first 2 ingredients to see if you are purchasing a premium dog food. Economy dog foods use a lot of low quality grains and meat by-products. Premium dog foods list an animal meat as the first ingredient.
Grains: Economy dog foods usually have a grain as the first ingredient, premium dog foods will not. Dogs are able to digest some grains well, like rice and oats, but have difficulty with corn and wheat.
Other problems with some grains is that they are a common food allergy for some dogs, such as corn, wheat and soy. These grains are usually by-products from processing of some other type of food and have very little nutritional value for your dog. They are simply cheap, useless fillers – used to “fill up” your pet’s tummy without providing much nutrients for your dog’s body.
Animal meat by-productsare another top 2 ingredient that just are not found in the best premium dog foods. Meat by-products are what is left from a slaughtered animal after all the human-grade meat has been removed – bones, feed, heat, lungs, brain, etc.
Meat by-products, like grain by-products, just do not have the quality and quantity of nutrients your dog needs. It is used as a cheap substitute for meat, with the dog food companies hoping pet owners don’t really inquire about what a by-product is.
Premium dog foods almost always have a meat or meat meal as the first ingredient, unless it is a special need dog food. This is because dogs need animal protein – plain and simple. Meat by-products just don’t cut it.
Is price an indicator of premium dog foods? You certainly won’t find any ‘cheap’ premium dog foods – quality ingredients cost more money. However, you will find some ‘expensive’ economy dog foods. These dog foods have high prices to make you think you are feeding a premium dog food, when in fact, all you are doing is increasing their profits. Always look at the ingredients list to see what you are paying for.
And now there are even more types of dog food, like organic and all-natural. For more information about the different types of foods available for your dog and how to carefully select the best premium dog foods for your beloved pet at the Healthy Dog Food blog.
