We all want to feed the best to our furry family members but it is often difficult to see through fancy ads and big business messages to get an accurate understanding of the food we are actually putting into our dog’s bowl. Implied nutritional quality is not the same as accurate representation. Dog food TV ads and packaging can be very effective ways to educate pet parents about nutrition but they can also mislead and misrepresent.
Be your pet’s advocate and learn ways to see through the hype and feed your dog confidently.
READ PET FOOD INGREDIENT LISTS THOROUGHLY
Many dominant brands of dog food are full of fillers and synthetic vitamins instead of nutrient dense (and more expensive) whole food ingredients. The best way to know what is in your pet’s food is to look past the sales pitches and emotional call outs of many ad campaigns. Focus on the Ingredient List and Guaranteed Analysis. Do you see a wide variety of real foods that you recognize and would buy for yourself in the grocery store? Or, does the list contain fillers, chemical additives and a limited number of actual whole foods? Dogs need protein and a variety of whole food nutritional sources. The wording on a package may claim high protein or highly nutritious superfoods but the Ingredient Label and Guaranteed Analysis do not lie; read them carefully. You’d be surprised how often pet food brands whose packages “look” healthy actually have ingredient lists that only include a limited number of whole food ingredients.
INGREDIENT TRANSPARENCY
The Ingredient List shown below is from Nature’s Diet Beef Simply Raw®. This list is made up of whole foods that are easily identifiable. When you are reading ingredient lists, if you see an ingredient that you do not easily recognize, look it up online. Be sure to also compare the Guaranteed Analysis on any Brand you are considering. Look at the Nature’s Diet Simply Raw® Guaranteed Analysis below and compare it to others. You will find it is much higher in protein than other fresh, frozen, freeze dried and refrigerated brands. Always compare the nutritional labels of several different brands to make an educated decision.
ALL BRANDS OF REFRIGERATED AND FROZEN DOG FOOD DIFFER IN QUALITY
Some brands of pet food which have set up refrigerators in dog food aisles and deliver meals in fancy insulated containers have positioned themselves to look like a higher quality pet food but when you actually read their nutritional labels, the results will astonish you. Advertising blitzes for these brands attempt to position them as something that their ingredient list does not support. Many are VERY low in protein and contain high percentages of filler. These companies have spent a lot of money to create a marketing buzz; money that would be better served creating higher quality food for our pets. There are high quality options out there, so be sure to check labels and compare.
WHY CHOOSE RAW FRESH FREEZE DRIED
“Fresh” refrigerated and freezer options are often an inconvenience to many pet owners. Not only does it take up valuable refrigerator and freezer space in your kitchen but potential spoilage is always a concern. And, if you see a long expiration date, that product is probably loaded with unhealthy preservatives to make it last longer. Often these pet foods are cooked at high temperature which degrades nutrients. With products like, Simply Raw®, fresh freeze dried dog food, spoilage is not a concern because freeze drying removes the water and with it, the risk of spoilage while retaining essential nutrients. A bag of Simply Raw® can be stored in the cupboard until ready to rehydrate and feed. You can even identify and see many of the ingredients that are listed clearly on the Nature’s Diet Simply Raw®Ingredient List. Watch the attached video to learn how easy it is to prepare Simply Raw.
Ingredient transparency is the key to understanding and then selecting the dog food that is the right choice for your pet.
Happy Feeding!