If you want to know how to choose good dog food, you have arrived at the right place. This guide can help you provide your pooch with a healthy diet and show some love for those four-legged friends of yours.

Proper diet must be chosen according to the size, breed, lifestyle, metabolism rate, and health condition of your pet by consulting with your vet first.

Many people wonder whether they should feed their pets with brand foods or prepare their own recipes, but it all comes down to the dog in question. While one may suffer from specific food allergies, others can be sluggish on a homemade diet without proper supplementation. In doing your research, you must always compare different brands according to the ingredients used.

What Dogs Should Eat?

As stated, the type of food for your pet may depend on its breed, lifestyle, and health condition. Listed below are some of the most popular options available at stores today:

Dry Kibble

Dry kibbles are more commonly chosen because they keep their shape better than wet food. Dogs that have tooth conditions or very dry mouths find it convenient to eat kibbles as well. Moreover, these crunchy substances are easy to digest for an old pooch with weak jaw muscles.

Protein-rich dog food

For all those hungry hounds out there who love meat dishes, protein-rich foods are an ideal choice during dinner time. Their digestion rates are sped up by animal flesh rich in amino acids and smaller amounts of carbohydrates.

Fatty Acid Rich Foods

Almost all types of kibbles for pets have these ingredients on the list, as they provide a good source of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids on top of promoting healthy skin and a shiny coat. In doing so, it also keeps your dog’s heart working properly.

Low carb dog food

Those dogs that have been diagnosed with diabetes or suffer from obesity can benefit from low-carbohydrate diets. The high fiber content of these foods assists in weight loss and also lowers blood sugar levels.

High Protein Dog Food

If you’re looking for a good amount of protein for your pet, then high protein dog food is a very popular choice among dog owners as well as vets. It consists of animal meat, fish, eggs, and milk products which make an excellent source of essential amino acids to keep your best friend healthy and happy.

Raw Meat Diet

Some people choose to feed their dogs with raw food because they believe that dogs are natural carnivores who should be eating fresh meat just like wild animals do. Others state that the raw meat diet is the healthiest one for man’s best friend because it contains so many essential enzymes and nutrients.

Homemade Dog Food

As previously mentioned, if your pooch has some food allergies or other conditions, you may want to consider preparing its meals yourself rather than buying them from pet stores. Some owners find it easier to mix in an allergen-free kibble with homemade dog foods instead of changing their pet’s menu entirely. It is important to note that dogs are unable to digest fibrous substances such as vegetables, fruit skins, dry beans, or uncooked pasta properly.

What dog food brand type should you pick?

Although there really is no ‘best’ dog food, you will see some brands advertised more than others. There are hundreds of these foods on the market with almost identical ingredients, so consider choosing those that have been rated as the safest and most efficient by veterinarians and pet owners alike.

Premium Dog Food

Premium-grade kibbles cost a lot but prove to be highly beneficial for special breeds or older dogs who need additional care. These foods promise to contain no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, by-products, and other chemicals your pooch may not like. If your pooch has allergies or is simply picky about its food, this one might do the trick!

Natural Dog Food

The majority of natural dog food products seek to satisfy the nutritional needs of your pet without using potentially hazardous substances. Their main goal is to provide your dog with a healthy, natural diet rich in protein and nutrients for better health.

Naturally preserved kibbles are considered general-purpose ones that do not contain added coloring or flavors. They usually make use of safe preservatives such as mixed tocopherols when needed.

Organic Dog Food

With so many dog owners aware of GMO issues and other dangers presented by common ingredients found in regular kibbles, organic dog food has become an extremely popular choice among buyers. By purchasing foods labeled USDA Organic, you will be ensured that all ingredients used inside it were grown without the use of codes, pesticides, growth hormones, or antibiotics.

Imitation Dog Food

I’m sure that you know what fast food is, but your pets aren’t something you want to become a direct equivalent of it. Imitation dog food brands are not 100% healthy but they still offer some benefits due to their low prices and excellent taste most pooches seem to love so much.

However, even the best imitation foods are not recommended for puppies or lactating females unless otherwise stated by your vet. These foods usually contain large amounts of fat which can cause obesity when fed on a regular basis.

What Dogs Should NOT Eat?

There are certain foods that dogs should never try to eat, mostly because their bodies don’t seem to like them very much. For example, onions and garlic contain substances dangerous for your dog’s red blood cells. These plants can cause fainting, weakness, or even death in some cases due to the hemaglutinins they contain. It could lead to problems with the stomach and digestive system (often resulting in a big mess, and the urgent need for good bathroom ventilation!)

Onions

Onions cause gastroenteritis (inflammation of the digestive tract), diarrhea, vomiting, and a host of other unpleasant symptoms which you really don’t want to deal with. Drugs such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen must be kept away from dogs at all times because they can lead to fatal cardiac issues combined with internal bleeding.

Grapes and Raisins

Even though you may have heard time after time that these are good for your dog, they actually are not. Grapes can prove to be highly dangerous for pooches of all breeds, with the worst-case scenario being death if they eat too many grapes or raisins at once. Even eating just a few of them may result in vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, dehydration, kidney failure, and muscle weakness.

Macadamia Nuts

These nuts may have some unexpected benefits for dogs if eaten rarely but it is usually not recommended due to their high level of toxicity which causes slow paralysis and digestion issues. They must never be given to your dog even if he begs because an amount as tiny as five nuts can cause problems.

Chocolate

Never feed your dog chocolate! Even the tiniest amount of it can cause poisoning, seizures, diarrhea, vomiting, elevated body temperature, rapid heart rate, lethargy, or even death if consumed in large amounts. If you think this simply falls under ‘don’t let your kids eat it’, you couldn’t be more right! Even though it may seem like common sense to avoid feeding dogs foods that are poisonous for them, you cannot possibly avoid every risk completely. There are cases when people think they are doing great by giving their pooch a little bit of something nice and end up causing major problems instead. It’s always better to play it safe rather than sorry.

Peas

Even green peas can be dangerous for your dog’s health if he eats too many of them. They are mostly known to cause gas in dogs so it’s best not to let them have more than one or two per day at most unless they are split into smaller pieces. Large amounts may cause bloating which is an extremely uncomfortable condition for all dogs, cats, and other living creatures alike.

Beans

Beans probably fall under the same category as peas but even though they don’t seem to pose the same kind of risk, you should still avoid feeding dogs any kinds of beans on a regular basis. The reason behind this is that dogs usually lack the enzymes needed in order to properly process legumes to their carnivorous nature, especially in the case of larger beans.

Fish

Canned fish, especially sardines, contain high amounts of sodium which is not good for your dog at all so it would be best to avoid feeding him something like this on a regular basis. Sardines may also cause diarrhea and vomiting if fed in large amounts due to their higher than usual concentrations of mercury molecules found in small fish.

Please note to always check with your vet about the foods you feed your dog if they’re not on this list or in case you notice any weird changes in his behavior or physical appearance.

The information in this article is not a substitute for professional veterinary help.

All of that being said, it’s better to be safe than sorry, and keeping your dog away from any potential sources of danger always pays off! Don’t forget that you’re his only friend – he needs you to take care of him!