DOG FOOD DECLARATION
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THE DECLARATION ON DOG FOOD AND HOW TO FIND HIGH-QUALITY DOG FOOD.
When searching for great canine food, finding the right dog food is a challenging mission for some owners. Nowadays, when the number of dogs allergic to some of the foods is increasing it is more important to be aware of what the owners feed their furry friends with especially when feeding with ready-made food.
THREE TYPES DOG FOOD DECLARATION
Not all manufacturers list the ingredients in detail and refrain from using misleading descriptions. Especially in the case of cheaper production, low-quality ready-made foods often list only the type of food instead of every single ingredient.
1. The closed declaration on dog food, meaning only food groups are mentioned - not a particular ingredient -> does not indicate quality dog food. Animal by-products - consisting of cheap slaughterhouse waste containing beaks, claws, hooves, fur, and many more which a dog would normally decline to eat are also part of the closed declaration - we do not recommend purchasing this type of products as this misleading information may lead to health problems for dogs with allergies.
2. The semi-open declaration is a bit more transparent than the closed declaration, as it lists all ingredients plus the individual ingredients. YET, it does not include the exact percentages. This declaration has the advantage over the closed declaration as all ingredients are known in detail but it is not known how much grain, oil, and how many herbs are added.
3. The open declaration on dog food:
Transparent and detailed, it also indicates what percentage of which ingredient the dog food contains. Yet, this declaration does not necessarily promise good canine food as the ingredients do not have to be healthy and good for the dog.
ANIMAL PROTEIN SOURCE DECLARATION AS A QUALITY INDICATOR
The key factor in the declaration on canine food is the meat information in terms of what kind of meat it contains and how it has been processed. Information to look out for:
● animal meal (just chicken parts such as chicken feathers or chicken beaks) / animal meat meal (real chicken meat)
● the percentage of meat (most cheap feeds contain about 4%t meat according)
● Crude ash should be less than 10% as a high percentage of crude ash s indicate that the food contains a high proportion of indigestible components, such as bones or feathers.
● Crude fibre should be at 2 to 3.5 % max as it belongs to the indigestible plant components yet it fulfils the regulation of the dog's digestion
ORGANIC DOG FOOD DECLARATION
Buying organic feed from pasture-raised animals not only actively counteracts factory farming but also feeds higher-quality meat without antibiotics, genetic manipulation or residues of pesticides and therefore it is almost always the case that organic dog food is more expensive in comparison to the others. If this is not the case, only some parts of the dog food are BIO.
DECLARATION OF VEGETARIAN/ VEGAN DOG FOOD
Yes, it is possible to feed a canine a vegetarian or vegan diet, yet the ingredient must be exactly adapted to the needs of the dog to avoid the suffer from severe deficiency symptoms. Vitamins from
animal meat must be added to the diet in some form, too.