Pet Food

However, not all foods for pets have the same ingredients, and sometimes the ingredients that are in food for domestic pets are not as wholesome as they should be.  Knowing what types of food offer adequate nutrition can help you in deciding what foods you should buy to keep your pets healthy.

Features And Benefits Of Different Types Of Pet Food

Wet, canned pet food for dogs usually contains 2 to 5% fat, 8 to 15% protein, and 75 to 80% water.  The advantage of offering your animal canned dog food products is that such products prove palatable for your dog, even more so than dry food.  Moist dog food is another form of pet food that is offered in pouches or in boxes. This type of food is very palatable too, but it is also high in salt and sugar content.  Out of all the types of dog food available, moist pet food is often the most costly. It contains 30% water, 25 to 35% carbohydrates, 5 to 10% fat, and 15 to 25% protein.  Some pet owners prefer dry pet food products because when it is stored in an appropriate pet food storage container it lasts longer.  Dry dog food typically contains 10% moisture, 12 to 50% carbohydrates, 7 to 22% fat, and 18 to 40% protein.

Whether you buy pet food wholesale or you buy pet food at retail prices while using pet food coupons to save money, the store bought varieties of food are not all equal in what they can nutritionally offer your pet.  There are some features you should look for in pet food so you can ensure your pet is getting everything it needs to remain happy and healthy.  The best pet foods usually do not include ingredients like corn, wheat, or soy.  They are also absent of ground animal digest or byproducts and preservatives.

Ingredients like corn can cause some pets to have an allergic reaction, and the ingredient is used as a filler to keep the cost of the pet food down while limiting the nutrients that the food supplies.  A good dog food selection will have no corn filler added, and instead of soy products, it will have real grains and meat, thereby offering your dog more protein with each meal.  Wheat, like corn, is used as filler in some organic pet foods and homemade pet food recipes too. Some dogs will demonstrate an allergic response to the inclusion of wheat in pet food products.

Healthy pet food selections are absent of animal digest products too. Animal digest products includes some of the content found within an animal’s stomach, some of which might not be very healthy for your animal.  Meanwhile, good dog food selections are absent of Ethoxyquin, Sodium Metabisulphite, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, or Butylated Hydroxysanisole, all of which are used for the purposes of preserving the food, but which also prove as sources of liver toxicity in dogs.  Many pet owners are opting for organic pet foods or holistic pet food selections in order to avoid some of the toxic or non-nutritional ingredients founds in different pet food brands.

Importance Of Pet Food Recall and Pet Food Ingredients

On occasion, even top quality pet food is subject to a pet food recall.  When recall on pet food occurs, it is often because the product has been contaminated in some fashion.  In other instances, if a pet food does not meet the standards for nutritional value, it can also be recalled.  When a pet food is the subject of a pet food recall, it means that the pet food ingredients are no longer considered safe for your pet. This can happen if during the production process the food is exposed to bacteria or fungi.

If the pet dog food you have purchased has become the subject of a pet food recall and you have already given some of the product to your pet, you will need to watch your pet carefully for any symptoms associated with illness.  If your dog’s personality changes, or if you note that your dog is lethargic, vomiting, or it is not eating as much as it should, you will want to get in touch with your vet as soon as possible.  If your dog has consumed food that is contaminated, symptoms can appear from one to three days after the food has been consumed.

The ASPCA® offers an up to date pet food recall list that you can watch to see if the food you use is recalled.  You are provided with the date of the recall, the name of the product, and information on why the food was recalled.  For more information visit http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-food-recall-overview.aspx.

Find Pet Food Ratings And Recipes Online

Petfoodratings.net

Petfoodratings.net offers you ratings of cat and dog food.  You can access a quick list of pet food ratings that tells you the name of the pet food and you are given a live link to a review of the pet food in question.  Pet foods are rated with one to five stars, five being the best, and the price of the pet food is rated with one to five dollar signs.  For more information visit http://www.petfoodratings.net/cattable.html.

Gourmet Sleuth™

Gourmet Sleuth™ is a site offering a wide array of pet food recipes.  If you plan to make your own pet food recipes, make sure you get the right supplies for proper pet food storage too.  This site has tips on how to make dog food at home, the nutrition that your dog requires, foods that should be avoided when feeding your dog homemade recipes, and you get a basic dog food recipe including nutritional pet food ingredients like rice, water, oats, milk, parsley, ground beef, eggs, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots.  For more information visit http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Homemade-640/dog-food-recipes.aspx.