It is essential your dog receives the right diet with all the necessary nutrients. Broadly speaking, dog food can be classified into three categories: commercial, raw and home-made. While no category is deemed the best, there are clear advantages and disadvantages to each type of food.
Like every person, each dog is unique and what may work for one dog may not necessarily work for another. The main purpose is to ensure that your dog gets the best nourishment and enjoyment from every meal.
Commercial dog food includes food that is dry, wet and specialised. Considered the most cost-effective, dry food balls or pellets are prepared through extrusion and baking. A mixture of raw plant material or meat is steam-packed at high pressure and allowed to settle. Once dry, the pellets are further fortified by adding oils, fats, vitamins, minerals and any other nutrients not affected by the heat. These puffed up pellets are packed and, unless stored properly, the oils used in them may go stale. These ready meals can be bought in bulk. Another advantage of dry food is that while eating it the dog is likely to break up a pellet with his/her teeth and in the process scrape off tartar or plaque that may have built up.
Wet or canned food, on the other hand, is high in moisture and more hygienic as it is sterilized after being canned. Canned food also has a longer shelf life. The high water content leads to various health benefits for the dog by reducing the risk of tract disorders, diabetes, constipation and obesity.
There is also a specialized range of dog food to suit a pet that may be allergic to certain substances, for example corn or wheat. Specialized foods substitute normal proteins with new ones like beef or duck.
Homemade dog food, as the name suggests, is prepared at home keeping in mind the dog’s likes, dislikes and health benefits. There is also raw dog food for those who believe that a natural diet, as a dog would find in the wild, might be the most beneficial for a pet. No scientific study has yet supported this theory and often the argument is that the risk far outweighs the rewards.
The main thing is to understand what best suits your dog and what your dog likes, and to feed him/her a balanced diet high on nutrition and taste.
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