Just like the saying goes that a dog is a man’s best friend, it is fair enough to say that they become an important member of our family with time.
A large number of dog food brands present in the market might often make it a difficult task for the owners to choose the best one for their four-pawed friend.
Even though every owner wants what’s best for their dogs when it comes to their health. There are certain common mistakes one should avoid while buying dog food.
- Check the expiry date: Just like we give importance to checking expiry dates of medicines. It’s important to check the date in case of buying dog food as well. A marking on the calendar or simply setting up a reminder on your mobile can help you to avoid this mistake.
- Store the food properly: Dog owners often tend to buy more than one bag of dog food at a time. It’s done basically to avoid visiting the shop every once in a while. But even the best dog food can get stale if it is not kept in an airtight container after using some of it. Hence it’s recommended to keep it in a cool or dry place without excess moisture.
- Formulate a balanced diet: According to nutritionists, it’s extremely important to follow a balanced diet for dogs if the owner wants to cook the food themselves. This is because it might happen that the homemade food does not contain the important nutrients needed for the dog’s health.
- Check calories present in the food: One can always check the calories present in every bag of dog food before buying them. It’s listed as kilocalories or kcal per cup at the back of the packet. Veterinarians can create a “Calorie Conscious” diet for the dog to have a healthy weight consisting of all the important nutrients as well.
- Limit to dog treats: Giving treats such as biscuits, rawhides are quite common among dog owners. But a limit of ten percent of the dog’s daily calories has already been set by vets. This is because excess dog treats can cause a lack or excess of certain nutrients.
Some interesting facts about dog foods:
- In a study conducted in 2017, it was found that Norway leads the chart of highest spending countries on dog food. An average dog owner spends fifty-three dollars per month on dog food.
- The United States of America is on top of the chart of revenue generated by the pet food market worldwide in 2020. Approximately 31.14 billion U.S. dollars was generated by this market.
- Some companies even release a pet food feeding chart that contains which of their products would suit a dog best based on age, breed, activity and more. Like there are certain foods which are best for sporting, moderately active dogs and some for the lesser active or older ones.
Conclusion
The dog food charts help the owners to get a good idea about the food best suited for their pet on the basis of nutrition and some other factors as well. But still, it’s preferred to get such a chart checked by a vet so that they plan it in the best possible way for the dog.
