CANINE NUTRITION

A multitude of commercial dry dog foods are marketed by a host of manufacturers, each of which describe the benefits of feeding their product(s) in glowing terms. The published analysis and material content of these feeds are often bewildering to the layman. Website articles which we have found to be particularly helpful in deciphering manufacturer’s content labels are:

Pet Food: The Lowdown on Labels [www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/FDAVeterinarianNewsletter/ucm130726.htm]
Identifying better products [www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts]
Ingredients to avoid [www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients]

An informed dog owner can better select- or disqualify- an appropriate feed for their canine companions. Your selection should, ultimately, be validated by your own feeding trials. If your dogs eat enthusiastically, maintain good flesh and muscle tone, produce a relatively low volume of formed stool, sustain a good coat without supplementation, and exhibit appropriate stamina, you probably have chosen a good product.