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The best dog food for one dog may not be suitable for another. There is a good reason for this; you should consider age, unique requirements, and current weight before deciding which product to buy. These parameters are applicable both for wet and dry dog food. Following a few simple rules will make your best friend remain healthy. It is essential to give your dog nutrient-rich foods.
Issues to consider
All dogs require healthy fresh dog food every day. The quantum of nutrients depends on the dog's health issues, age, and lifestyle. If needed, give your dog a few more nutrients to stay healthy. Consult your veterinarian on the best course of action to take if your canine has specific health conditions and food sensitivities.
All dogs need six nutrients - proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, vitamins, fats, and fiber. Any quality dog food will have all these nutrients in balanced amounts. The formulations are done so that a dog can easily absorb the nutrients. Keep the age of your dog in mind while feeding it. Like you, the dog also transitions through several life stages and requires a few particular nutrients and vitamins to stay healthy.
For example, puppy food must have B12 included, as this assists in development and growth. Calcium and Vitamin D are essential to healthy teeth and bones. Phosphorus is also a must in the growing phase. If you have any doubts, do not hesitate to consult your veterinarian.
The doctor will prescribe a specific nutrient for a healthy pet. The veterinarian will go through oral health and skin issues. Overweight problems, if any, will be solved. Ask your vet for an exhaustive set of nutrients.
Healthy foods and a warning
It would help if you did not go overboard while spending money. It is possible to purchase food anywhere- at a pet store, online, or at the veterinarian's office. Most quality dog food brands retail their products at all three places. The dog manufacturing company website will point you in the right direction in this respect. A few company websites permit a narrow-down search option that fits the canine's health needs, activity level, and age.
Do not be afraid of the exorbitant cost of vet-recommended dog food. Healthy dogs come from eating healthy foods and not the most pricey ones. Pet food companies provide coupons if you "Like" them on social media. Note that not all dog food ingredients can be healthy for the canine. A few fly-by-night pet food manufacturers produce cheap food with misleading labels. The language is too obtuse for a layperson to understand what the dog will eat.
When Might I Need a Prescription Dog Food?
Veterinary diet dog food is only available through a veterinarian's prescription. Like prescription medications, these foods treat specific problems and aren't always safe for everyday use. The manufacturer has to prove that these foods work as advertised, and the vet has to monitor the patient's progress to see if the treatment works.
Are Prescription Diets Similar to Other "Healthy" Dog Food?
Over-the-counter, store-bought dog foods are advertised as more healthy or good for specific medical issues. These foods must only meet the minimum nutritional standards that all dog foods must meet. Because the manufacturer's claims are vague ("heart-healthy!" for example), there is no legal requirement to prove that the claims are valid. Some are healthier, and your vet might recommend one like Hill's Science Diet dog food, but they aren't prescription diets unless you must have a prescription to buy them.
What to Look Out for with Prescription Dog Foods
Just like pet medicine, prescription foods aren't foolproof. No treatment works perfectly in all cases, so you and your vet must do your homework to use these treatments properly.
What Issues Might Prescription Diets Address?
Standard prescription diets address kidney, heart, joint problems, or allergies like Hill’s Prescription Diet. Manufacturers are making more types of prescription diets all the time, too.
Kidney Diets: Prescription diets for dogs with kidney failure have less protein and phosphorus than ordinary dog food (for example, Hill's Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care Canned Dog Food). Reducing these nutrients slows the degenerative process in the kidneys. (Some diets sold for weight loss are also low in protein. Note that these diets do not help with kidney problems and are inappropriate for dogs with kidney failure.)
Another possible kidney problem in dogs is kidney stones. There is no single anti-stone diet because there are several different kinds of stones, and each type requires a very different diet. If your dog has kidney stones, your vet can decide what type of diet will help.
Cardiac Diets: Cardiac diets feature restricted sodium -- although sodium is not the cause of heart problems, limiting sodium can, for some dogs, help the heart to work better. Some cardiac diets also include supplements suspected to support heart health. These diets may or may not work.
Joint Health Diets: Joint health diets contain glucosamine and chondroitin, often taken from various cartilage and green-lipped mussel sources. Extracts of this shellfish also contain long-chain omega-three fatty acids that can help reduce inflammation in human arthritis patients. They don't prevent arthritis, and there are limited studies on whether these extracts help dogs.
Most commercially available joint health diets for dogs probably don't contain quite enough of the ingredients to have a real and lasting effect. Additional joint supplements for dogs are often needed. (Mobility Plus by RC uses these ingredients in very high concentrations.)
Diabetes and Weight Loss Diets: Diabetes diets for dogs feature high fiber. The extra fiber slows absorption, so blood sugar remains more stable. The extra fiber also lowers the total calorie content of the food, so diabetes diets and weight loss diets can be similar.
Allergy Diets: A lifetime of exposure to a particular ingredient can lead dogs to develop allergies. Sometimes changing proteins or brands isn't enough, and dogs exhibit consistent intolerance. In this case, a prescription diet might be necessary.
As lamb and rice foods have become popular for general use, vets have started to switch to even more exotic ingredients for their allergy patients. If your dog has an allergy or a food sensitivity, it might take several tries to find appropriate food.
Vets also recommend products like Hill’s Urgent Care a/d as diet options for dogs recovering from surgery and severe health condition. Another option is hypoallergenic foods or hydrolyzed protein dog food, in which common culprit ingredients have been hydrolyzed, making them unrecognizable by your dog's immune system and therefore non-allergy-causing.
Several gastrointestinal problems, like inflammatory bowel disease, may be related to food allergies or sensitivities but require more specialized prescription diets. If your dog has a chronic health problem, it's worth asking your vet if a prescription diet could help.
More on Dog Nutrition
Pet Nutrition Dos and Don'ts for a Healthy Pet
Your Dog Food Questions Answered
Find the Right Food for Your Dog
This information is for informational purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for the professional advice of, or diagnosis, or treatment by, your veterinarian. It has however been reviewed for accuracy by Dr. Joe, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and graduate of Cornell University's program for Veterinary Medicine.
