Dog food is any plant and meat material you feed to your dog. Some dog owners feed their dog with what they eat. Others make their own dog food. Yet others rely on a more practical commercially available pet food.
Which one is the most suitable for your dog?
As if it is not enough, there is also a special kind of dog foods given as a reward, and not as a staple. This type of food is useful for dog training. We call it dog treats.
Homemade, Premium, Natural Dog Food
There are many different recommendations on what dog diet is the best. Some argue that commercial or premium dog foods contain materials or meat of lower quality. Others even say that they are dangerous to your pet.
Different homemade diets are recommended by various experts, from natural diets consisting primary of raw meat to vegetarian diets. On making raw food diet for dogs, there should be a balance in nutrition. Vegetarian diet for dog requries mixtures of ingredients such as brown rice, brown pasta, and vegetables.
A dog's eating habit are controlled by its brain, its experiences, and its environment. Your pet can get accustomed to the food you feed her to certain extent, so it is wise if you balance the nutritional properly.
Commercial and Premium Dog Food
Commercial dog food can be categorized into three different types, based on its water content (from less than most):
- Dried
- Semi-moist
- Moist
The Making of Dog Food
Dried pellet dog food, called kibble, is made in two different ways: extruding and baking. During extruding, a mixture of raw materials is fed into an expander while pressurized steam or hot water is added. When removed from the pressure, the pellets puff like popcorn.
The pellets are allowed to dry, then sprayed with vitamins, grease, or any other ingredients that are not heat-tolerant. The down side of extruding is that the fats added after cooking often turn rancid and the vitamins may be destroyed by heat during storage or shipping.
Dog treats are usually higher in grease or fats. Due to its use, these are usually designed to be held in a person's hand without being messy, and are often designed in fanciful shapes and colors.
Special Varieties
There are dog foods specially formulated to dogs that are allergic to wheat, corn, and/or chicken. These foods usually contain lamb or fish meat. Some dog foods are designed for dogs with maladies such as urinary tract infections, and some foods are tailored to the dietary needs of especially young or old dogs. There also exist vegetarian dog foods marketed to owners who do not wish for their dogs to consume meat products.
Contents
Most commercial dog foods are made from materials unusable or less desirable for human consumption. These may include:
- Meat by-products or digests
- Meat-and-bone meals
- Grain by-products
- Restaurant grease
Less expensive foods generally include less meat, and more meat by-products and grain "fillers". The most expensive dogs foods may be made of ingredients suitable for human consumption, organic products or free-range meats.