Choosing the Right Diet for Your Dog

Dog Breeds

With so many different types of dog food on the market today, it can be a confusing experience trying to decide what diet to feed your dog. To help you choose the right diet for your dog, here are some helpful dog diet guidelines to follow.

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Introduction

With so many different types of dog food on the market today, it can be a confusing experience trying to decide what diet to feed your dog. To help you choose the right diet for your dog, here are some helpful dog diet guidelines to follow.

Age Matters

Puppy, adult, and senior dog foods are specifically formulated to meet your dog’s nutritional needs during those life stage periods. Puppy food should be given to puppies for no longer than 6 months of age; at that age, slowly introduce adult food into your growing puppy’s diet. Adult food should be fed to your dog between 6 months and 7 years of age. At 7 years of age, you should begin feeding your dog a diet formulated for senior dogs; slowly introduce a senior diet to your dog’s regular adult food, and overtime eliminate the adult food from the diet.

Choosing the Right Dog Food

When you are choosing a diet for your dog, be sure to purchase pet foods that meet the requirements and standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Choosing a diet which meets these standards will ensure that your dog is eating a diet that is nutritionally complete. The majority of your dog’s diet should also be composed of hard, crunchy, foods that help to keep your dog’s teeth healthy and clean.

While cheaper dog foods may meet your dog’s nutritional requirements, they may also contain a lot of filler ingredients and other substances which are not always healthy for your dog. Try to avoid purchasing dog foods that contain artificial colors, sugars, and other sweeteners. Dog foods which have meat as the main ingredients may be more expensive than dog foods made out of primarily wheat and corn, but meatier dog food diets are healthier for your dog.

Some dog owners want to feed their dogs home cooked meals. This is fine, as long as the diet is complete. Plenty of fresh meats, vegetables, and vitamin supplements should be included in a home cooked dog diet.

Choosing the Right Dog Food