Dog Food Comparisons - Read the Ingedients

Doing dog food comparisons is important because the regulations in the pet food industry let manufacturers put things in the pet food that you would never give your pet if you knew you where giving it to them. The importance of reading the label on dog food can not be stressed enough.

Consumer Reports magazine tested both cat and dog food in 1998. When it was found that the results were inaccurate and the tests were not done scientifically there was some upset. This was the last test ran by consumer reports even though they had indicated that the testing would be redone since the minerals and fatty acids in the dog food were inaccurately measured. Since March of 2007 there have been numerous dog food recalls. There are things that should be known about the ingredients in dog food and the process by which it is manufactured to do dog food comparisons accurately. The ingredients should be of a quality people would eat to come up with the best dog foods. Meats, vegetables and whole grains should be used and not a lot of things with virtually no nutritional value to the dog at all.

It is easy to research: start by looking at the ingredients list on the label. The first five things listed on the ingredient statement will play a major role in the nutritional quality of the food. There are some things to consider about those ingredients.

• Does the food contain quality protein? All bodily functions require protein. If you pick up a bag of quality dog food you will find chicken meal contained as a source of protein. Chicken meal should be included in protein as opposed to poultry meal. Poultry meal can mean any type of bird; it could be turkey, geese or anything else for that matter. You want to be able to identify what is in the dog food. The use of grains for protein is done by some manufacturers since they cost less.
• There should be grains in the dog food. Grains have numerous benefits such as being a source of B vitamins, iron, zinc, protein and minerals your dog needs. Some food companies put Oat Groats and Ground Brown Rice in its dog food.
• Some cheaper sources of protein that are often used in dog food are corn, corn gluten, soy, wheat and wheat glutens. Molds are prone to develop in grains and these molds can act as toxins to your dog.
• You want to check for by-products in your dog food. These inferior protein sources can be hard for you dog to digest. Some of these you would not purposely feed your dog as they are not good for them.
• The fats contained in the dog food are important to a dog food comparison. These fats should mostly be animal based because they are easier to metabolize.

When looking at dog food it is important to read the label to check for other ingredients that promote health. Your dog needs these antioxidants and vitamins to ensure their health. This is why reading the label is a key in dog food comparisons.