I have noticed something promising appear on the dog food horizon this year. Many brands are now available in grain-free options. This is an improvement, as too much grains and carbohydrates are not beneficial to dogs, as their natural diet in the wild is only about 14% carbohydrate. Consider the majority of dry kibble, even the 'high end' brands are 50% or more carbohydrate content. I prefer my dogs to be raw fed, this is the base of their diet. They also have other variety added thru home cooked foods and a handful of kibble in the evening. I will share the brand I like below.
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First up is Purina with their "Beyond" product. Below is the ingredient listing for their 'Purina Beyond White Meat Chicken & Egg Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food'.
Ingredients:
Chicken, chicken meal (source of glucosamine), pea starch, cassava root flour, canola meal, dried egg product, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, dried beet pulp, dried yeast, pea protein, natural flavor, dried apples, potassium chloride, salt, calcium carbonate, mono and dicalcium phosphate, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite
Natural dog and cat food nutrition plus essential nutrients providing all the nourishment your pets need and nothing they don’t.
Available In:
Available In:
- Natural Dry Dog Foods
- Natural Dry & Wet Cat Foods
- Grain Free Dog Food
- Grain Free Cat Food
- Superfood Blends
The hi-lighted ingredients are ones I'm not impressed with, but overall, the ingredients are better than 'generic' brands. Reminder, all those vitamins and minerals you see listed, those are added in after all the processing, these are NOT the nutrients in their original state, as those are destroyed in the high heat process necessary to make dry dog food. I consider these to be 'second class' in nature. Granted there is no 'perfect' dry kibble...but again, not all are created equally. I understand not everyone has the financial ability or availability to purchase raw food for their dogs. 'Old Roy' which is the Wal-Mart brand of dog food isn't fit for ANYTHING! Please do not feed your dogs these cheap foods! I hope you consider your dog family, and thus as I would also hope you feed your human children decently, that you would want your four-legged furry baby to eat well too! Purina's 'Beyond' products has won the 'Paw of Approval' from 'Talk To The Paw In Indy'. It is available in dry and canned varieties.
You can check out their products at their website: https://www.purina.com/
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Next up....one that has always been one of my favorites, Castor and Pollux. Mainly because these are organic products and they have a nice variety of foods and treats. Red meat is an important part of your dog's diet...I really like the 'Beef Tripe' canned variety they carry (see picture below).
They also offer grain-free kibble. These are all a little more pricey, but well worth it. If anything, buy a can or two of this and mix a little in with your dog's other food. Tripe, which is a type of edible offal from the stomach of various farm animals, is a natural part of the 'wild' diet, as wolves and dogs in these environments ingest nearly all parts of their prey. You can view all their products on their website: http://www.castorpolluxpet.com/ They are offering a $5 off coupon at this time from their page.
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Freshpet has been one of my favorites since it became available. This is an excellent food for dogs with allergies. They offer fresh, refrigerated product, treats and kibble, which is what mine get in the evening. (See picture below) Freshpet utilizes a lower heat process, thus yielding a better product. You can visit their website to learn more about their offerings: http://freshpet.com/ And 'like' their Facebook page too! https://www.facebook.com/Freshpet/?fref=ts
Always strive to feed your pets well. They are with us only a short time. They deserve to live what years they do have in good health, and nutrition is their first line of defense against disease. There are no 100% guarantees in life, but what your feed them really does matter.
