What’s in Your Dog’s Food?

Lydia ScarpariHaving spent 10 years in the animal industry, I create articles discussing common issues, concerns and tutorials designed to help all the pet parents out there. I often write articles based on questions from friends and customers so feel free to send me a message!

Health

Hey Guys, I did an extensive article on the ingredients to look out for in your dog’s shampoo but I haven’t gone into any dog food ingredients as yet, so here we go!

Buy pet food made in Australia to avoid the irradiation treatment often applied to imported foods. Pet food is allowed to be irradiated with 20 more kGrays of irradiation than food for human consumption.
More Info Here
Just a side note, many of these ingredients can be labelled slightly different from the words I’ve used, so, If you’re not sure do a quick internet search.

Don’t be confused by the word complete. It means the food is nutritionally balanced to give your dog what it needs to survive. The key word here is ‘survive’. I can survive on eating Mc. Donalds, it doesn’t mean that it’s good for me. I’ve seen first-hand what a dog looks like when it eats poor quality food and the impact switching to good food can have. A shiny coat & clear skin, better stools & digestion (yes poop is important!), more energy, muscle tone and an overall improved condition.

Signs your dog is eating a low quality diet

  1. Runny or dry and smelly stools. Accompanied by a general struggle to poop.
  2. Dull, dry coat and sometimes dandruff.
  3. The opposite of the above, a very oily, flaky and grimy coat.
  4. Bad teeth & Bad breath. This is often from food that is too hard to chew (Bones are included in this) or lacking in nutrients causing breakage or food that is too soft allowing a build-up of plaque & decay.
  5. Poor body condition. Overweight or underweight.
  6. Itching! Can be an allergy to anything in the environment, food included. Altering your dog’s food is the easiest and least expensive way of testing for an allergy.
  7. Flatulance, gurgling stomach & reflux. Your dog is trying to tell you their tummy is not happy with the food they’re eating!
Dog poop should NOT smell disgusting! It can smell like poop, of course, but you should not have to run away every time your dog has to ‘go’. Lydia, Organix Dog Spa

It would take way too long to go through every ingredient possible but I think you guys are catching my drift here.  Before you choose your dog’s food, take a look at the back and have a good read. Research each ingredient and the brand that comes along with it. It can be tricky as basically all companies market themselves as being ‘For The Dog’, so to speak, but the ingredients don’t lie. If you take a look at the back of a bag of Pedigree dog food, a commonly fed brand that is quite cheap to buy, you’ll definitely see why it’s so cheap to buy.

Need help choosing a cost effective dog food?