Choosing the Best Natural Dog Food

There are currently several well-made brands of healthy dog foods, and it can be hard to tell which is the best natural dog food. Still, over time, companies can change and quality can go down. Your best bet is to do a little research and read labels to choose the best natural dog food around.

Most commercially manufactured dog foods are made with the least-cost raw materials to meet very basic nutritional standards.

Be aware of what not to put in your dog's bowl:

  • Non-nutritive fillers
  • Sucrose: sugar
  • Artificial colors and flavors
  • Propylene glycol
  • Corn syrup
  • Preservatives: propyl gallate
  • Fat additives: potassium sorbate
  • Meat, fish or poultry by-products or meal
  • Dried animal or liver digest
  • Plant fiber products

Strive to incorporate the proper quantities of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals in your dog's diet. The best natural dog food will be free of synthetic vitamins and preservatives. Even if a dog food is branded "natural", that doesn't mean it's nutritious and well-balanced. Establish that the exact amount of vitamins, minerals, protein and amino acids are stated on the label.

Seek out complex carbohydrates derived from whole grains:

  • Brown rice
  • Barley
  • Buckwheat
  • Bulgur
  • Cornmeal
  • Millet
  • Rolled oats

The best natural dog food is high in protein from all natural, human-grade sources. Choose a product with over 20% of crude protein.

A sampling of high-level proteins are:

  • Lamb
  • Duck
  • Chicken
  • Meat/ground beef
  • Turkey
  • Legumes
  • Salmon
  • Omega-6 or 3 fatty acids

Now that you know what to look for, seek out niche pet food stores to get a wider assortment of the best natural dog food products.

 

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