How to Choose the Right Dog Food to Keep Your Pooch Healthy

With a bit of research and a consultation with a veterinarian, pet parents today can create a meal plan that clearly defines the quantity, frequency, and types of food and supplements necessary on a regular basis.

Veterinarian doctors all over the world attest that a healthy, nutritious diet, is as important for our canine companions, as their regular grooming, vaccinations, and check-ups. But many pet parents in India are relatively unaware of the importance of choosing the right dog food. Many households still feed them leftovers of food meant for humans, while those that go for packaged dog food, are still not certain about whether it meets all of their dog’s nutritional requirements.

Dog food depends on many factors

This is because food plays a very defining role in the lives of dogs, especially during their growing years, and their dietary and nutritional needs vary greatly based on their age, breed, lifestyle, and even the climate. Hence, a consultation with an experienced veterinarian is a must to create a balanced, tasty, and nutritious meal plan for our furry friends, to give them the best quality of life possible.

Most pet food brands do their best to provide balanced nutrition for dogs in kibble form, but it also comes down to knowing which variety works best, based on their activity level and breed. While some dogs might mature early, growing big and strong very quickly, larger breeds tend to physically grow slower, still being a puppy at one year of age. Hence, there are several factors to consider – the amount of food to provide them, whether to provide any kind of extra supplements or a balanced homemade meal and how to make it.

Overfeeding in dogs

Commonly, most pet parents, in their enthusiastic love for their pets, try to give them too much, of too many things or mix up supplements as well as homemade food. This actually ends up making it a very imbalanced diet, with too much of some nutrients and too little of others, which can end up causing a lot of problems in the long run. Pet parents must also check the kind of protein source used, to make sure the pet food they’re buying is made from fresh, organic meat, and not leftovers or discarded parts from the market.

Adding to this, there is also the price factor, as some pet foods can be very expensive, while others are a lot more affordable, offering much better value for money. There are also many brands today that use minimal preservatives and specialised techniques to provide a balanced diet, designed specifically to also encourage the absorption of nutrients in the gut. Hence, the best course of action is to seek guidance from a veterinarian, while paying attention to the label and instructions on the package of dog food.

Go-to-steps for a balanced meal

With a bit of research and a consultation with a veterinarian, pet parents today can create a meal plan that clearly defines the quantity, frequency, and types of food and supplements necessary on a regular basis. They should also make sure to always buy fresh food from trusted and reputed brands, storing it in a dry and dark space. This can ensure that come feeding time, our pooches will enjoy their meals as much as possible without any adverse reactions, and they meet all of their specific physiological and nutritionary needs!

(Inputs by Dr Vinod Sharma, Head of Veterinary Services at DCC Animal Hospital.)