Look for a good
dog food manufacturer with certifications that recognize their compliance with health and production regulations, but make sure you understand what certification really means and whether it's of any benefit to you and your puppy.
Not exact matches
Doctors promote the connection in humans, veterinarians do the same
with dogs, and
dog food manufacturers illustrate the connection in their advertising — all to the benefit of retail sales of quality
food and nutritional supplements.
Christine Hackett, owner of Petropics, which makes Tiki Cat and Tiki
Dog gourmet
food, also believes there is a need for pet
food manufacturers to be more honest
with pet owners.
The focus on
food safety has also led to a preference for USA - made
foods and treats, says Steve Duensing, president of Wholesome Hide, Inc., a Dolton, Ill. - based
manufacturer of rawhide
dog treats and specialty products made from ground rawhide blended
with fruits and vegetables.
Berwind already owned Eagle Pack / Holistic Select, a
food manufacturer with a strong history of creating high - quality, natural
food for pets and a rich heritage of nourishing Alaskan sled
dogs through the grueling Iditarod race.
Sometimes playtime overlaps
with feeding time, as more
manufacturers introduce products that encourage
dogs to hunt for
food or play
with a toy to get some kibble.
However, single protein
food choices — also known as limited ingredient diets (LIDS)-- are more than simply a fad; they are a conscientious attempt by pet
food manufacturers to help pet owners deal
with food - related allergies that can plague some
dogs.
And it is also true that a few rare cases of
dog remains being processed by rendering plants that also supplied pet
food manufacturers with ingredients have been documented.
The seller and
manufacturer state that the product will, ``... improve skin and coat
with less shedding, supports immune system, sustains natural joint and heart health, improves energy level in older
dogs, and the fresh fish flavor enhances the
foods taste.»
Although many
manufacturers make
food specifically formulated for pets
with medical conditions, some cats and
dogs don't like the taste of these products.
It is always been advised to be more selective and precise in choosing the best
dog food for your pet because there is a lot of
dog food manufacturer out there that is more concerned
with their profit than to your
dog's welfare.
Understanding that the skin and coat health matters a lot in
dogs, the
manufacturer has stuffed the
food with Omega fatty acids that boost the dermal health in your
dog.
With the many types, brands and
manufacturers of
dog food without gluten or grains can be confusing and frustrating.
Finding a balance may seem complicated, but that is why
dog food manufacturers provide you
with the feeding guidelines on the label.
Regardless of whether you feed your
dog dry or wet
food, start
with the
manufacturer's guidelines on the label for the amount to feed.
The
manufacturers of Blue Buffalo
dog food have come up
with four varieties of dry
dog food.
It's a relatively inexpensive ingredient and,
with such a high protein content,
dog food manufacturers tend to like it a lot — sometimes too much.
It seems a growing number of pet
food manufacturers have discovered a new sales niche and are hoping to appeal to
dog owners who exercise
with their pets or get them involved in canine - oriented activities and competitions.
Quality pet -
food manufacturers work hard to include the right amount of nutrients so that supplements are not needed, but
dogs with allergies and / or sensitivities still might need to experiment
with different brands and formulations to discover which
food works best for them.
A proposed class action lawsuit filed in California against Blue Buffalo Pet Products, Inc. alleged that the
dog food manufacturer knowingly made, marketed, and sold
dog food contaminated
with material and significant levels of lead.
Check the formula used to manufacture the
food: The top
manufacturers offer solutions like
dog food for liver disease as well as the low protein diet for
dogs with kidney disease that are made
with specialized formulations to accomplish these objectives.
Along
with these different formulas, most pet
food manufacturers also make
foods for
dogs of different lifestages and sizes.
While the research is not always of the gold - standard variety — double - blind, placebo - controlled trials that are published in veterinary journals only after passing muster
with a team of independent scientific experts who review the trials for study design and overall quality — preliminary studies do exist, and some
dog food manufacturers have gone ahead and tested products on their own.
Any
dog food manufacturer that claims to make products that have a completely balanced nutrient profile for a certain life stage must have its claims validated by laboratory analysis and sometimes, laboratory analysis coupled
with feeding trials.
With cheaper
dog foods,
manufacturers add filler to «fill them up» instead of nutrients and
dogs will have to eat more of this
food to make up the nutrients they are missing.
Also very notable, Hill's is one of the only
dog food manufacturers to make prescription grade
dog food which is made
with extra care to prevent any cross contamination for
dogs special needs — skin /
food allergies, weight management, urinary care, and kidney care to name a few.
The USA makes sure
dog food is beneficial to pets and
manufacturers have to stay in line
with requirements in order to stay legally open
If the
food contains any type of fish meal — which is required by law to be preserved
with ethoxyquin unless the supplier has a special permit allowing them to use a different preservative — the
dog food manufacturer must have stipulated that their fish meal supplier has such a permit and that the fish meal used in the
food is ethoxyquin free and preserved
with natural antioxidants.
Pet
food manufacturers have also frequently resorted to decreasing the size (total weight) of their bags, and in many cases (especially
with the veterinary diet
dog foods) have significantly increased prices while also decreasing the
dog food bag size.
Generally speaking, puppy
food is higher in protein and enriched
with vitamins, minerals, and fats essential for growth — that is, when compared to
dog food made by the same
manufacturer.
One thing to be wary of
with this ingredient is that it contains up to 19 % protein — some
dog food manufacturers use high - protein plant ingredients to boost the protein content of their products without adding more meat.
To sell their
dog food cheaply, some
dog food manufacturers have no qualms about loading the kibble
with filler: wheat, corn, and meat and vegetable byproducts.
It would be prudent for all pet
food manufacturers, especially after the massive pet
food recall in the U.S. in the spring of 2007 that resulted in the suffering of uncounted numbers of
dogs and cats, to clearly indicate on the pet
food container labels how they can be reached by pet owners and veterinarians
with product related questions and concerns.
With the recent spell of product recall by certain
dog food manufacturers, maybe it is high time you switched your
dog from regular
dog food to the raw meat or BARF diet.
In grain - free
dog foods,
manufacturers often use carbohydrates that provide less nutritional value than grains and substitute filler ingredients like corn
with plant based fillers such as peas.
Some
dog food manufacturers combine freeze - dried
food pieces
with dry
food for a mixed
food.
The grains are brown rice and the main protein source is whole chicken
with fresh fruit and veggies and
with 20 years of holistic
dog food preparation, the
manufacturer can be trusted.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) have set nutrient profiles which pet
food manufacturers must comply
with and / or undergo feeding trials on real life
dogs in order to be branded «complete and balanced» [63].
However,
dog owners should know that the doses of US - produced heartworm preventive agents recommended by
manufacturers and approved by the
Food and Drug Administration are safe for
dogs with the mutation.
** Disclaimer: Our
dog food reviews are based mostly on (1) our expertise and that of the experts
with whom we consult and (2) the information provided by the
manufacturers.
Even as other pet
food manufacturers began to move in this direction, however, Dr. Morris remained steadfast in his previous formulations, stating that, «when I remember in wartime thousands of
dogs in this country were kept alive and healthy on diets of cooked cereals and vegetables fortified
with soybean meal, the effort to lure the American public into feeding pets an all - meat diet consisting of meat by - products is ridiculous».
Commercial
dog foods with an AAFCO nutrition claim need to be backed up by the state and pet
food manufacturer, which can give owners some peace of mind.
Matt Koss, president and founder of San Francisco - based
food manufacturer Primal Pet Foods, Inc., points out that this format enables people to derive all the benefits that go
with feeding their
dogs a raw diet, but without all the muss and fuss.
Essentially, just as
with dog food and nutrition, a lot of shampoo sales come down to trust in the
manufacturer.
While there's no denying there's an economy out there that must be reckoned
with,
dog food manufacturers continue to offer a dizzying array of new diets and formulas.
And, they connected
with Rescue Bank, a nonprofit that runs a national pet
food distribution program by partnering
with major
dog food manufacturers to donate products to them.
Party Animal, for instance,
manufacturers canned and dry
dog and cat
food made of mostly organic ingredients,
with flavors such as Chillin» Chicken (organic turkey, sweet potatoes, pears and cranberries
with vegetables) and Heavenly Venison Recipe (venison
with organic sweet potatoes and carrots).
Dog food manufacturers have responded
with gusto and they have, along
with distributors and marketers, done a better job of informing and educating consumers about nutrition and quality.
Heather Acuff, customer care and product development manager for Nulo Pet
Food, an Austin - based
manufacturer of grain - free dry and canned
foods for
dogs and cats, says pet specialty retailers need to be aware that, in some cases, grains are being replaced
with ingredients such as white potatoes or tapioca starch, or even higher - glycemic ones — something she says is «counterintuitive to feeding a grain - free product in the first place.»
Pet Care, a
dog walking, pet sitting and boarding franchise, joined forces
with natural pet
food manufacturer Halo, Purely For Pets, not too long ago to launch a pilot program designed to fight pet obesity and promote healthy pet lifestyles.