Dog Food - Choosing the Right One Part 1
A number of years ago, after reading the ingredients on a can of dog food, David Letterman snidely commented that his dog "Bob" didn't pay much attention to ingredients, spending "much of his day with his nose in the toilet or the garbage.
" As funny as this is, any dog would be a lot better off if his owner was more concerned with his diet.
He'd live longer, have more energy, and be less susceptible to disease, just as his human counterparts are when they adhere to a good diet.
A plentiful supply of good food will keep your dog healthy and happy, and a happy dog is far easier to control than an unhappy one.
Dog Food Today, approximately ten billion dollars is spent on dog and cats, and the bulk of that money is spent buying food.
There are some 34 million dogs in the US - that adds up to a lot of food.
Dog food comes in three different forms: dry, canned, and semi-moist, and it is estimated that there are 15,000 different dog foods on the market.
Many are regional brands, but many are made for national markets.
The food comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, resembling everything from bones to steaks.
It varies greatly in cost, too.
Dried dog food is cheaper than canned or semi-moist.
It is estimated that to feed dry food to a mid-sized dog, it would cost around one dollar a day, while canned food costs two or three dollars, a sum that can add up over a year.
When you buy canned food, you also should know that only 25 percent of the contents is food; the other 75 percent is water.
Nutritionally, dry dog food is just as good as moist.
If you asked a dog who had never had either canned or dry food which type he'd prefer (and we can't verify this), it would probably be the canned kind.
Canned food has a stronger smell than dry food, and is, of course, closer to what a dog, a descendant of the wolf would eat.
However, dry dog food in addition to costing less, is easier to manage.
You can pour out a bowl full of food and leave it there for a period of time, and the dog will eat it as he wishes.
If you do the same thing with canned dog food, it can attract bacteria that can make a dog sick.
One other advantage of dry food is that a dog will get to use his teeth more actively while chewing it, thus scraping off any built-up tartar.
Some people are concerned that dry dog food is not satisfying, but once you establish your dog on dry food, he will be fine, as demonstrated every day by most veterinary hospitals, kennels, and breeding farms that prefer it over canned.
It is also okay to moisten the dry food with some canned dog food if you wish.
A healthy adult dog should be fed once a day.
If you feed dry food exclusively, and your dog has not consumed all of the food in one sitting, empty it out and add just enough to the dish to equal the discarded portion.
A common problem is overfeeding.
You shouldn't rely on dog food labels - these commonly recommended portions are too large, and if you adhere to them, you'll end up with a dog that needs to go on a diet.
Your best bet on this subject - and regarding any other food questions - is to check with your veterinarian.
In addition to canned or dry food, some table scraps can be included in your dog's diet, including meat, cottage cheese, bread, cooked eggs, and milk (in small amounts).
The amount of table scraps should never be equal to the amount of dry food a dog gets, because this will spoil his appetite for the dry food, just like giving a child a piece of cake before his dinner would spoil his appetite.
" As funny as this is, any dog would be a lot better off if his owner was more concerned with his diet.
He'd live longer, have more energy, and be less susceptible to disease, just as his human counterparts are when they adhere to a good diet.
A plentiful supply of good food will keep your dog healthy and happy, and a happy dog is far easier to control than an unhappy one.
Dog Food Today, approximately ten billion dollars is spent on dog and cats, and the bulk of that money is spent buying food.
There are some 34 million dogs in the US - that adds up to a lot of food.
Dog food comes in three different forms: dry, canned, and semi-moist, and it is estimated that there are 15,000 different dog foods on the market.
Many are regional brands, but many are made for national markets.
The food comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, resembling everything from bones to steaks.
It varies greatly in cost, too.
Dried dog food is cheaper than canned or semi-moist.
It is estimated that to feed dry food to a mid-sized dog, it would cost around one dollar a day, while canned food costs two or three dollars, a sum that can add up over a year.
When you buy canned food, you also should know that only 25 percent of the contents is food; the other 75 percent is water.
Nutritionally, dry dog food is just as good as moist.
If you asked a dog who had never had either canned or dry food which type he'd prefer (and we can't verify this), it would probably be the canned kind.
Canned food has a stronger smell than dry food, and is, of course, closer to what a dog, a descendant of the wolf would eat.
However, dry dog food in addition to costing less, is easier to manage.
You can pour out a bowl full of food and leave it there for a period of time, and the dog will eat it as he wishes.
If you do the same thing with canned dog food, it can attract bacteria that can make a dog sick.
One other advantage of dry food is that a dog will get to use his teeth more actively while chewing it, thus scraping off any built-up tartar.
Some people are concerned that dry dog food is not satisfying, but once you establish your dog on dry food, he will be fine, as demonstrated every day by most veterinary hospitals, kennels, and breeding farms that prefer it over canned.
It is also okay to moisten the dry food with some canned dog food if you wish.
A healthy adult dog should be fed once a day.
If you feed dry food exclusively, and your dog has not consumed all of the food in one sitting, empty it out and add just enough to the dish to equal the discarded portion.
A common problem is overfeeding.
You shouldn't rely on dog food labels - these commonly recommended portions are too large, and if you adhere to them, you'll end up with a dog that needs to go on a diet.
Your best bet on this subject - and regarding any other food questions - is to check with your veterinarian.
In addition to canned or dry food, some table scraps can be included in your dog's diet, including meat, cottage cheese, bread, cooked eggs, and milk (in small amounts).
The amount of table scraps should never be equal to the amount of dry food a dog gets, because this will spoil his appetite for the dry food, just like giving a child a piece of cake before his dinner would spoil his appetite.
