To maintain your dog’s good health, it’s essential to feed him a well-balanced diet, and the right amount of it on a daily basis. There is a wide range of canine foods available, so it can be difficult deciding which variety or make is the best choice for your dog. There are, however, certain dietary nutrients that a dog can’t do without:
- protein
- carbohydrates
- fat
- vitamins
- minerals
- fiber
- water
Along with the aforementioned nutrients, age, health and lifestyle considerations to take into account, and this makes the job of deciding on the most suitable diet much easier.
Dog Food Types
Good-quality proprietary food is the easiest to feed. It contains all the necessary nutrients in the correct proportions, including vitamins and minerals, which could be lacking from a home-made diet of fresh or cooked meat and table scraps.
These are four forms of commercially prepared food.
1. Wet or Moist Canned or Pouch Dog Food
Canned food has a high water content, is available in a wide range of flavors and is usually the preferred choice of dogs.
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Pros:
- Extremely palatable
- Contains all the nutrients a dog needs
- Long storage time if unopened
Cons:
- Bulky to store and heavy to carry
- Fattening
- Strong odor
- Not good for teeth
- Contains many artificial additives
- Spoils quickly
- Expensive
2. Semi-moist Pouch Dog Food
Often containing vegetable protein like soya, this food type contains less water than canned, therefore keeps well in a bowl without drying out and losing texture.
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Pros:
- Palatable
- Contains all the nutrients a dog needs
- Easier to store than the cans
Cons:
- Fattening
- Strong odor
- Not good for teeth
- Very expensive
- Contains man-made artificial additives
- Spoils quickly
