Comparison of dry dog ​​food

Before purchasing a puppy, be sure to read the rules and recommendations for keeping it. Pay special attention to your pet's nutrition.

There are many opinions on nutrition, and there are many myths about the dangers of industrial feed, and many articles have been written, often by non-professionals.

According to these myths, newly minted dog breeders are divided into two camps. Those who feed with natural food, enriching it with vitamins, fruits and vegetables, and those who feed with dry food, in which all nutrients are in the correct ratio. Plus, the packaged feed saves time.

There are no bad, low-quality industrial feeds, they differ only in the composition and degree of assimilation. Thanks to these features, they have the appropriate classification: economy, premium, super-premium and their varieties - holistic and diet food.

Pedigree, Darling, Chappi, Cesar, Meal, Our Brand, etc.

Nutrition in this class has a low degree of assimilation - about 60%. This is due to the fact that meat and bone meal of unknown origin and in small quantities is used as a source of animal protein, and the total nutritional value is replenished by the presence of cereals (rye, wheat, corn) in the composition. Beet pulp is often used as fiber. Having examined and analyzed the composition, we will see that all nutrients and vitamins are in the required ratio, according to the needs of the animal at a certain period of its life. But due to the low digestibility, the dog will not be able to get enough vitamins and nutrients, and he will need to eat more food to be satisfied.

Often, when feeding animals with economy class food, the owners think that the animal is malnourished by adding food from their table, which can lead to allergies, obesity, diabetes mellitus and indigestion. This is how myths about the harmfulness of industrial food are born.

Royal Canin, Pro Plan, ABBA Premium, Hill's, Brit Premium

Assimilation up to 80%. Let's consider the composition in more detail.

The composition contains 15-30% of meat flour or fresh meat. Sometimes by-products are used in the composition. Feeds with meat flour in the composition have a moisture content of 10% and often meat ingredients can be listed in the composition in second place, for example, after corn, as in Royal Canin, but this does not mean that the nutritional value of the feed decreases. The manufacturer indicates the components by volume in the composition from the largest to the smallest. And feed with fresh meat has a moisture content of 20%, in addition, this processing technology allows you to preserve all nutrients in a chelated (natural) form.

These foods are suitable for pets picky about the taste and smell of food. Premium feed contains grains, mainly corn and wheat, sometimes barley, but in smaller quantities. There are components aimed at the prevention of various diseases and focused on the breed characteristics of animals.

Affordable quote, although prices may vary.

Feed in this class is divided into 3 categories.

1st Choice, Grandin (Grandin), Trainer, Monge, Brit care, Pronature Original, Eukanuba.

Meat takes the leading role here (40-80%), also contains cereals, but in smaller quantities, due to which assimilation is achieved up to 92%. It contains complete components of animal origin, which provide the body with all essential amino acids. There is a wider range of ingredients available to prevent the onset of various diseases. A wide variety of flavors.

Acana, ABBA Holistic, Now Fresh, Orijen, Grandorf, Pronature Holistic, Savarra.

New generation feed, which contains high quality ingredients suitable for human nutrition. A high percentage of fresh meat, and legumes, vegetables and fruits have replaced grains in the composition. Having studied the analytical composition of the feed, one can notice a high protein nutritional value, which provides almost 40% of the total caloric value, about 30% of the caloric value are provided by vegetables and fruits as a source of carbohydrates, and 30% are fats.

The main disadvantage is the high price.

Specific nutrition aimed at preventing or treating certain diseases (digestive disorders, diabetes mellitus, liver and kidney diseases, obesity, treatment and prevention of urolithiasis, etc.). These feeds are used strictly as directed by the veterinarian.

All feeds are balanced in terms of nutrients and have only varying degrees of assimilation by the animal's body. Based on this, it turns out that you can feed food of any of the listed classes, the most important thing is that the food is suitable for the animal in taste and does not worsen its health, so that none of the food ingredients causes allergies. It should be taken into account that vitamin and mineral supplements must be used with many feeds.

Price is one of the important selection criteria. The price is influenced by such indicators as: brand awareness, how many starting points from the manufacturer to the store passes the feed, the composition. Lesser known brands offer a lower price for a product in the same class, but if you compare the composition with a similar expensive one, you will not see the difference. These brands go to pet stores directly from the supplier.

For 10 dry food that you shouldn't buy, see below.