Picking a Healthy Dog Food

Cricket and Cappie want you to choose a petfood right for your dog's age and health issues.

Just as in humans, it is very important where the majority of the calories are coming from in food. The typical healthy ratio for a dog is 50% from veggies, 40% from meat, and 10% from other sources of carbohydrates. This of course can change depending on what stage of life the dog is in, or how high their energy level is. With that information in mind one should start by examining the ingredient list of the food in question. The first thing to look for is if the meat or protein can be found near the top of the ingredient list. It is just as important to determine what the source of meat is. Dog food companies use many different types of meats, and by-products made from these meats.  I would highly recommending only picking dog food which either contains the actual meat (chicken, fish, beef, lamb), or a meal derived from the meat (chicken-meal, fish-meal, etc). Never pick a dog food which simply lists meat as the ingredient, as that could be anything.

The next important thing to watch for is ingredient lists which contain by-products. The AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) maintains guidelines for what these ingredients can consist of. Chicken meal for example is just ground up chicken by their standards. However, by their standards meat by-products are: 

“The non rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low-temperature fatty tissue and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hooves.”

Although it is reassuring to know our dogs are not eating horns, I would certainly stay away from foods containing animal by-products. Some could argue that a dog in the wild would eat the whole animal, and meat by-products provide a similar experience. However, the animal in the wild is most likely in a much healthier state and would have a healthier liver for example. I simply do not agree with the idea of feeding my pets such an unwanted part of an animal.

Aside from the meat source it is also very important to look at where the carbohydrates are coming from. Typically, wheat, soy, corn, and cornmeal are all difficult for dogs to digest and there are much better sources of carbs for dogs. Just as in humans, brown rice, oats, millet, quinoa, and barley are all great. They all are much more digestible for dogs and provide a great source of fiber and nutrients. Don’t forget to see which vegetables the food contains. Vegetables that are great for humans are great for dogs, such as sweet potatoes.

Finally it is important to look for vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C and E are typically used as preservatives in dog food and often means they do not contain artificial preservatives which can be harmful to animals. Keep an eye out for ingredients you have never heard of as they could be artificial preservatives.  Added things, such as Omega-3s are terrific for dogs and can help provide a sleek and shiny coat.

Picking a Healthy Cat Food

Cats are a bit different than dogs in terms of their food guidelines. There are no general recommended daily caloric macros as there is for dogs. Cats require more protein than dogs. One other major difference is cats do not require carbohydrates to properly function. However, it is still typically seen on ingredients lists.

Just as with dogs it is important to look at the ingredient list and make sure protein is at the top, or near the top of the list. As I mentioned earlier, be sure to avoid animal by-products. Next examine the list to see if there seems to be a lot of grain fillers, for dog foods this is less of an issue, but cats need the extra protein so these fillers can be problematic. Just as in dogs, added things such as Omega-3s are terrific. Keep an eye out for artificial preservatives though, which commonly are, BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, BHT, and propyl gallate.

Thor and Loki snuggled up. Proper petcare at its finest.

One good tip for examining cat food is to see what the product calls itself. The AAFCO has set guidelines in what the products can call themselves based upon what they contain. For a cat food to call itself “chicken cat food”, or “chicken for cats”, 95% of the weight of the product must be from chicken itself. For a product to call itself “tuna dinner”, or “chicken entrée”, 25%-95% of the weight must come from the given meat. Lastly, products can refer to themselves as a “stew” for example, “cat stew with tuna”, this means that only 3% of the total weight must come from the meat.

Finally, it is often recommended for cats to receive a wide variety of food. Feeding your cat both dry and wet food is very advantageous, as cats are not an animal that usually drinks enough water, which leads them to absorbing the moisture from their food. Dry food contains far less moisture than wet food which is why a varied diet can be beneficial.

These are just some basic tips for finding a healthy dog, or cat food. Just as with humans, animals also have varying nutritional needs. However, all of these guidelines will still help you pick a healthy food for your loved ones. Lastly, if you have enough time creating your own pet food can be highly rewarding, as well as fun. If you are interested in learning more about natural pet care specifics we feature some terrific books and products to keep your furry friend healthy on our website.