Pet Supplies: Finding the Right Pet Food
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Wondering if you're feeding your dog the right food? As a pet owner, this is your responsibility, so it's good alone that you're asking. What's even better is that the answers are rather easy. To gather more awesome ideas, click here to get started.
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Here are tips to help you get the right food for your pet:
What to Look For
First off, pet foods must be right for your dog's life stage. If he's still a puppy, he sure has different energy needs than a senior. It's not that hard to know the quality of dog food. Simply check the first five ingredients listed on its label and you will have an idea. Ingredients are listed according to weight, which means food with whole meat (75% water) will likely list meat higher on the list than pet food that offers a meat meal, which is practically the same thing without the water. It's good to have meat or meat meal, vegetables and whole grains right on top of that list.
What You Should Avoid
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The rules for labeling pet foods are sometimes confusing. For instance, when manufacturers say, "with," they only need to add 3% of that food item. So if you see pet food that says, "with beef and rice," only 3% of it is required to have beef and rice, and the rest of can be made of chicken and corn. It's always best to read the label. Here's a good read about Petsho, check it out!
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Also, some people don't like the idea of feeding their dogs byproducts, but these viscera (heart, kidney, liver, etc.) are actually very nutritious, so they should be absolutely fine. What you should avoid are artificial dyes and those seemingly endless lists of unrecognizable chemicals. And if a manufacturer can't tell you where they get their ingredients, be wary.
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Homemade Dog Food
Finally, it's great to be able to prepare your dog's food yourself because then, you will have full control over the ingredients. You know exactly where you got them and how much of each item goes into the food. If your pet has special needs - for example, if he has food allergies, kidney disease, and the like - this option may even be ideal.
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However, if you do decide to prepare your own pet food, make sure you seek a board-certified vet nutritionist's advice. This is to ensure your pet will get all the macronutrients (carbs, proteins and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) he needs, and that they are prepared in the right amounts. Kindly visit this website https://www.britannica.com/animal/pet for more useful reference.