1. Price

Generally speaking, dog food should be worth what you pay for, because the price directly determines the grade of raw materials used to make dog food. We can buy relatively good dog food according to our own economic situation.

2. Ingredients

1. Current manufacturers are suspected of misleading consumers. They advertise that the higher the protein and fat contained in dog food, the better. This is not the case. A normal dog needs a certain amount of protein to maintain normal body functions. A normal dog's diet must contain 16% protein, sufficient amino acid composition, 8% fat, 60% carbohydrate, and meet its maintenance needs. However, these amounts are insufficient for growth and lactation. For example, when the protein content reaches 21 to 23%, this amount is not only a little higher than the normal protein requirement (lactation period), but also increases the safe amount. A small amount of extra protein can increase the risk of disease. of antibodies. For some young and normal dogs, excessive protein may not be harmful, but it is harmful to sick dogs because it increases the burden on their livers. For old dogs, it will damage their circulatory system. If dogs with liver and kidney damage are fed high amounts of protein, excess nitrogen will be deposited in body fluids and tissues. For old and sick dogs, feeding dry dog ​​food containing 16% protein can help them reduce the burden of decomposing protein. Excess fat will be digested and absorbed by dogs, making them obese, and the consequences cannot be ignored.

2. The protein content of high-quality dog ​​food is 21-24%, the fat content is 8%-16%, the moisture is 10%, the fiber is 3%-4%, Omega 3 is 0.5, and Omega 6 It is 3, calcium is 1.5, and phosphorus is 1.

3. Manufacturing raw materials

We can know something about the manufacturing raw materials on the dog food packaging bags. However, due to different legal requirements in different countries, this does not apply to domestic dog food. Take pet food sold in the United States as an example. Its ingredient labeling is strictly controlled by the central and state governments and is more consistent with its true contents.

1. The order of the various raw materials in the raw material item on the dog food packaging bag represents the dosage. It should be noted that some manufacturers label certain raw materials separately, such as ground corn, corn gluten and corn bran. Although they have different names, they all come from the same thing and have the same ingredients, which can give people the feeling that they have less corn than chicken, but there may be more corn than chicken.

2. The first two items of raw material items should contain at least one kind of fresh meat, preferably human consumption grade. Pay special attention when looking at this item. For example, chicken (chicken) and chicken meal (chicken meal). Some manufacturers translate meat meal into meat. Meat meal is dried animal tissue that has been pressed for oil. It is essentially different from fresh meat. This Be carefulYou can see this by comparing the raw material tables in Chinese and English.

3. It is best not to choose dog food with unclear raw material descriptions, such as Meat Meal (meat meal), Poultry Meal (poultry meal), Meat By-products (meat by-products), Poultry By-products (poultry by-products) ), because this means that the raw materials are unstable and of unknown origin.

4. Do not choose dog food that contains oxidants (synthetic preservatives) that prevent fat from deteriorating, such as BHA, BHT, ETHOXYQUIN, emulsifiers that prevent oil-water separation, artificial colors and flavors, etc., which can cause serious harm to dogs. .

5. Try to avoid choosing dog food that contains soybeans, wheat, grains, eggs and milk products that can easily cause allergies in dogs.

6. Choose dog food that contains raw materials with relatively high nutritional value. For example, fresh meat (duck, chicken, mutton), unprocessed whole shells (brown rice, oats), vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes) and other food materials.

4. Packaging and appearance

1. High-quality dog ​​food is beautifully packaged in specially designed and manufactured moisture-proof bags. In order to further save costs, low-end dog food is generally packaged in plastic or kraft paper, which can easily cause the dog food to deteriorate.

2. After opening the bag of high-quality dog ​​food, you can smell the natural fragrance, which will make the person smell it more appetizing. Low-end dog food generally uses chemical additives, so it will have a pungent smell after opening the bag, such as strong flavor.

3. High-end dog food has full particles, darker and uniform color, and feels oily from the inside out. Most low-end dog food has uneven particles, lighter color and uneven color due to production process, raw materials and other reasons. It is relatively dry, and some manufacturers like to apply a layer of oil and pigment on the surface of the dog food in order to make the dog food look more marketable.

5. Trial

1. High-quality dog ​​food contains high nutritional content and is very easy for dogs to absorb, so the amount of feeding does not need to be large each time. This can be seen in the dosage table of each dog food packaging bag, and the corresponding Compare.

2. Dogs prefer to eat it if it is more palatable.

3. The dog's feces should be moderately soft and hard, with less feces volume and less odor.

4. The dog did not gain weight or lose weight after eating it.

5. Dogs will not experience skin itching, dryness, dandruff, etc. after eating it.

6. After eating, the dog’s hair should be bright and soft, and there should be no pathological hair loss or hair breakage.

7. There will be no growth stagnation after consumption.

8.There will be no pathological changes caused by lack of vitamins and trace elements, which is ignored by most feeders