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What is the most Popular Dog Food ?
One thing that you should remember
before choosing the food for your doggy is that it must be
absolutely healthy. Ideally you should consult your vet before
picking up any pack of the commercially available dog food. Try
to stick to brands that have more of natural food stuff with
lots of minerals and vitamins. It is important to read the
ingredient label behind the pack to get a clear picture. Of
course opinions about natural food and various chemicals
incorporated in the meals, vary from one person to another and I
really don’t want to get into a debate. What I want to imply is
that you must do some amount of homework before freezing on any
brand and also seek some professional guidance.
List of some popular dog food brands
Some of the popular dog food brands available in the stores
today include:
• Flint River Ranch
• Pedigree
• Alpo Prime Cuts
• Kibbles ‘N Bits
• Eukenuba
• Bil-Jac Select
• Nutro Max
• Lams
• Triumph
• Purina Beneful
• Science Diet
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The main ingredient of Pedigree,
Alpo Prime Cuts, Purina Beneful and Kibbles ‘N Bits is ‘ground
yellow corn’. Ground yellow corn is actually the whole corn
kernel that is either chopped into very small pieces or ground
to a fine powder. Though this is a very nutritious for the
humans, it is supposed to be extremely allergenic and is very
difficult for digestion in dogs. So, it is advisable to avoid
these or any brands that list corn in its label.
Pedigree, Alpo Prime Cuts and
Kibbles ‘N Bits also contains a large portion of ‘beef and bone
meal’. This is the product that is made from the beef that even
includes the bone. This is definitely not suitable for human
consumption and is also not recommended for dogs as in most of
the cases, the quality pieces of meat are never incorporated.
Pedigree, Purina Beneful and Triumph uses ‘corn gluten meal’ in
their products. Corn Gluten Meal is derived after removing the
starch and germ and separating the bran. This is a cheap
alternative for the protein filler and hence should be avoided. |
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Another ingredient used in Eukenuba,
Alpo Prime Cuts, Kibbles ‘N Bits, Pedigree, Science Diet and
Triumph is ‘animal fat’. Animal fat is obtained from the tissues
of the chicken or poultry or other animals and is reported to
contain very low percentages of linoleic acid that keeps the
dog’s skin and coat healthy and bright.
My personal favorite is the Flint River Ranch which (according
to me of course) sells the best and the most premium dog food in
today’s market. You can use Flint River Ranch in every stage of
your pet’s life – if you are the owner of a larger breed, make
your pick from the Chicken/Lamb/Rice Formula Kibble or Nugget
size; if your best friend has become extremely lethargic and
lazy choose from the Senior Adult Kibble and Senior Plus; and if
your little fur friend is allergic or very sensitive to wheat
and chicken, pick the Fish & Chips that has Trout and sweet
potato to satisfy his or her taste buds.
Let me give you a list of all the
ingredients in Flint River Ranch. I have arranged them according
to their volume percentages
Flint River Ranch
• Chicken
• Whole Wheat flour
• Well ground rice
• Lamb
• Poultry fat (this is different from animal fat)
• Ground wheat
• Flaxseed
• Whole egg (dried)
• Lecithin (essential for the metabolism of fats)
• Fish
Flint River Ranch Lamb/Millet/Rice
• Lamb
• Whole millet (ground)
• Whole rice (ground)
• Bran (rice)
• Menhaden Fish meal
• Oil of grape seed
• Flaxseed
• Lecithin (essential for the metabolism of fats)
• Garlic
• Rosemary and Sage extracts
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According to AAFCO, this brand of
dog food is very well balanced and complete in nutrition. Unlike
the other products available in the market, Flint River Ranch
does not contain any chemical preservatives like BHA (Butylated
Hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), artificial
colors and flavors and by-products. It contains all natural
ingredients with the necessary vitamins and minerals that will
give your dog a healthy and wholesome meal.
Concerns with the dog food brand,
Pedigree
Pedigree was taken away from the market in 2004 after several
cases of dog illness (renal or kidney failure) were reported in
Taiwan. The company admitted that the cause can be attributed to
the quality of the raw material used at the manufacturing unit
in Thailand. The vets in Thailand have confirmed reports that
dogs fed on Pedigree developed kidney failures.
The things that you should generally
avoid while selecting the dog food
• Unspecific meats like meat meals or any animal by-product
meals.
• Unspecific fats like animal fats and vegetable oil.
• Any plant proteins like corn gluten meal and soybean meal.
• Corn syrup.
• Beef tallow.
• Chemical preservatives like BHA, BHT and Ethoxuquin.
• Artificial colors.
• Artificial flavors.
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Corn syrup is a sweetener that is
generally added to cheap food to enhance their taste. This sweetener
is the root cause of a variety of health disorders including
diabetes. BHA and BHT are chemical preservatives that have been
banned in many countries as they are believed to be cancer causing
agents. Unfortunately it is still legal in the United States to use
these preservatives in pet food. Beef tallow is derived from the
cattle tissues and though very tasty, contains very low percentages
of linoleic acid that is important for a healthy skin and coat.
The things that you should look for
while choosing the dog food
• Specific meat and meat meals like chicken, turkey and lamb.
• Whole ground grains like ground rice and barley.
• Specific fats like chicken fat, salmon oil and flaxseed oil.
• Specific organ meats like chicken liver and beef lungs.
• Preservatives like rosemary and sage extracts and mixed
tocopherols.
Some good dog food brands available in
the stores
• Merrick Pet Foods (Merrick)
• Timberwolf Organics – Herbal Natural Pet Food (Timberwolf
Organics)
• Old Mother Hubbard (Wellness)
Those brands that should be avoided
• Pedigree
• Kibbles ‘N Bits
• Alpo Prime Cuts
• Purina Beneful
• Eukaneuba
• Lams
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Article Contributed By: Sukanya
Banerjee
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