Dog Food: Even Fido's Gotta Eat
Copyright 2006 Allen Shaw
You've brought home your new best friend. You've read all the
books. You've purchased all the latest gadgets. He has more toys
than you ever had as a child. And you've made the appointment
with the vet to get Fido his first set of shots. You're
done...right? WRONG! Your new pup still hasn't eaten yet. So
what do you feed him? Dry dog food, can dog food or people
food...what's the best choice? Well, all have their pros and
cons. But some dogs are very finicky. So just know that if he
gets used to a certain kind of food, he may never want to
switch. So choose carefully.
When you go to pet store to buy food there are a few things you
should look for. First, whatever type of food you decide to feed
your dog, know what's in the bag. What does this mean...read the
ingredients! The first three ingredients listed on a bag of dog
food makes up about 80% of what's actually in the bag. If beef,
chicken or liver aren't listed until Ingredient seven or eight,
how much beef, chicken or liver do you think your dog is
actually ingesting? I'll tell you...not much.
Second, if your dog is still a puppy, you should be looking for
a brand that's high in protein. They need that little extra push
to get them through their day. And if your dog is one of the
larger breeds like German Shepard's or Labradors, you may be
feeding him HiPro (the generic name for foods high in protein)
until he's about two-years-old. Most of the larger breeds tend
to have the energy and personalities of puppies until they enter
the terrible twos. And they need a food that can keep up with
them.
There are numerous brands to choose from. Purina, Iams, Nutramax
and Science Diet are just a few. Most of the brands are
comprised of different types of ingredients, depending on how
young or old, active or inactive, your dog is. This is so you
won't have to change brands as your dog gets older and a bit
slower. Remember, some dogs can be quite finicky. And some dogs
get so used to a certain kind of food that a sudden change can
cause digestive problems. The problems are rarely of the life
threatening kind. But until your dog gets used to the new brand,
you may deal with a dog that won't eat. Or worse, a dog that
will eat, but the food is such a shock to his system that he
gets the squirts. And that's no fun for him or you. The more
consistent you can stay with your dog's cuisine, the better.
Soft dog foods may be an option for some of the breeds who
have...well...a somewhat funny looking face (Pugs, Bulldogs,
Pomeranians). Breeds like these tend to have an overbite or an
underbite making dry food somewhat of a problem to chew. It's
not their fault really, but you should be aware. The same rules
apply though. If they are puppies, get something high in protein.
And finally...to feed or not to feed your dog table scraps. A
question for the ages. Every dog owner in history has come
across those soulful, sad eyes staring at you while eating
dinner. It's hard for most of us to hold out for any length of
time and eventually we succumb to the whiny, cute little face
resting on our leg. But beware, breaking the habit of begging at
the table tends to be one of the hardest habits to break in our
canine friends. If Fido gets used to getting his way when he
begs for your dinner, it may be impossible to get him to go back
to his dog bowl. And why would he? Would you go back to eating
dry, crunchy food that tastes like cardboard (I know this for a
fact, I tried it once to see why my dog wasn't eating) after
eating a well-cooked hamburger? Why should he. So be really
careful before deciding to feed your dog off the table. You may
never get him to go back to regular dog food.