Is Premium Dog Food Worth It for Your Pet?
You love your dogs, and you’d do just about anything for them, but even the most dedicated pet parents might wonder if they really need to spend exorbitant prices on the fanciest pet food. To understand if premium dog food is really worth it, we need to understand a bit more about canine nutrition.
Is Premium Dog Food Worth It For a Growing Pet?
Nature designed dogs' lupine ancestors so they could get everything they needed from the prey they hunted in the wild. For a growing puppy, it's hard to beat simply feeding them processed deer or beef but for most, this is expensive and impractical.
Like people, dogs need several basic ingredients in their food:
- Fats
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Minerals
- Vitamins
All nutrients are best absorbed when combined with water and minimally processed.
The problem with cheap pet foodhttps://tploinfo.com/blog/10-ingredients-to-avoid-in-dog-food/ is that many brands pack their formulas with cheap fillers, dangerous ingredients, and artificial dyes. Substances like wheat or corn may be acceptable for people, but they aren't necessary for dogs. Cheap brands also tend to use animal by-products and highly processed materials that provide little nutrition but require significant digestive resources. Worse, cheap canned foods are often full of contaminants and bacteria.
How Can You Determine Whether Pet Food Is Worth It?
Like us, canines need a balanced diet to develop optimum health. Dogs, however, don't need vegetables or grains to balance their diet because in nature, they’d eat a combination of organ meats, bone matter, lean protein, and fats.
When you look at the labeling on your pet food, make sure there are no human-sounding ingredients. If you see garlic, onions, nuts, or corn, it’s a sign the brand doesn’t understand canine nutrition and they’re relying on consumers' ignorance to sell their product. Brands that use simple-sounding ingredients are usually preferable to ones that read like the periodic table. There are exceptions, however.
Because most pets don't get what they need from their kibble, using supplements is a legitimate/supplements way to make sure they're getting every nutrient possible. Supplements can sound scary or unnatural, but plenty of them have been approved for dogs. Before giving your animals a supplement, just make sure to do a quick search online to see if that supplement is safe.
Is Premium Dog Food Worth It For Helping With Behavioral Issues?
Premium dog supplements and meals aren't just good for your dog — they're good for your sanity. Ingredients like L-theanine and taurine can bring their anxiety and energy in balance, lessening behavioral issues caused by dysregulation. Your canine buddies can process premium supplements as a regular part of their diet, just like you would.
So, is premium dog food worth it? At Front of the Pack, we believe in giving your pets the best, scientifically proven ingredients to keep them happy and healthy. We offer targeted supplements to treat a range of issues from joint pain to gut support/products/soothe. Shop online today.