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Dog food analysis of your Golden Retriever food brands will help you find the best food for your furry friend. It will show you the dog food ingredients in each brand. A superior brand of food should contain the right balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber.
We'll provide some guidelines to use when you go shopping for the best dry dog food for your canine companion. We'll also discuss some information about the dog food industry.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) monitors the ingredients of your pup's vittles to ensure that all brands are appropriately balanced. It also regulates what nutritional values can be put on the labels of that chow and allows such statements as "complete and balanced."
When you see that statement, it means it lacks no essential nutrients. That should give you a bit more confidence in your dog food analysis research.
The National Research Council (NRC), a division of the National Academy of Science of the United States, has compiled vast quantities of data in an analysis study entitled "Nutrient Requirements of Dogs."
This report establishes the minimum amount of each nutrient needed to maintain the health of the average adult canine, as well as the requirements for growing puppies.
Most dog food manufacturers use the NRC's analysis report to help formulate their products.
In order for commercial dog foods to be certified as "complete" in the U.S., they must meet or exceed all of the nutritional requirements established by the NRC. They must also pass actual feeding tests on dogs. That makes your dog food analysis research a lot easier!
In general, if you stick with large, reputable companies, your dog's health should be in good hands. Top dog food brands in the U.S. include Pedigree, Purina, Science Diet, Iams and Eukanuba.
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Ingredients are listed in descending order by dry weight. The first three or four ingredients will tell you the bulk of what the package contains.
Look for the highest-quality ingredients, like meats and grains, to be among them.
The guaranteed analysis tells you what levels of protein, fat, fiber and moisture are in the product, in that order. You also need to keep an eye onbioavailability. For example, protein bioavailability is the amount of protein that your pup can actually use.
If a dog food analysis only lists the total protein, without specifying the protein bioavailability, you should skip over that product and move on to the next one.
Protein supplies amino acids.
Those amino acids are essential for the growth, development, and maintenance of strong bones and muscles.
Amino acids promote the production of infection-fighting antibodies. They're also essential in the production of enzymes and hormones.
The absence of quality protein and its accompanying amino acids can result in poor growth, weight loss, a dull coat, and energy loss.
Protein deficiencies may also result in a reduction in antibodies. That can make your pup more susceptible to numerous diseases. You need to get this one right!
In nature, Golden Retriever dogs are omnivores and like to eat both vegetables and meat. That ensures they get a large variety of protein.
Dog food analysis reveals that most commercial dog foods are made primarily of vegetable protein. (generally corn, soybeans, wheat and rice). They're balanced with animal protein (usually from lamb, chicken, turkey, beef and their by-products).
Surprisingly, an all-meat diet isn't generally as healthy for dogs as one that contains both meat and vegetable protein. That's because cereal grains supply the amino acids that the animal products don't. Dogs need both.
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For active large breed dogs like Golden Retrievers, the range of protein intake for an adult should be somewhere between 18 and 25 percent.
If your pup is a canine athlete, you may want to bump up that protein level to about 28 percent during his active seasons.
Each stage of your dog's life calls for a different amount of protein.
You don't want to overload a puppy with protein, as excessively rapid growth could result in structural problems for your pup. Puppy food brands should contain up to about 28 percent protein.
As dogs mature and slow down, their protein and calorie needs are much lower than younger dogs.
Careful dog food analysis shows that a good-quality senior dog food provides this proper balance of nutrients for your Golden Oldie.
It's also a great source of energy, prevents constipation, and makes their food tastier.
Fat content of either animal or vegetable origin contains essential fatty acids for dogs that help protect them against dry skin.
Use careful dog food analysis to keep your Golden Retriever in excellent condition.
For best results, select one of the top quality dry dog foods containing eight to ten percent fat.
You can increase your working dog’s fat content during hunting season to maintain his energy and stamina by mixing a teaspoon of vegetable oil in with his food.
Dogs deficient in fat, usually from dog food brands containing less than five percent fat, may have coarse, dry coats and scaly skin.
On the other hand, too much fat in his diet can cause obesity.
Dogs have a minor need for carbohydrates. But because carbohydrates are an inexpensive source of calories, most dog food companies use them.
Fiber, primarily from plants, is included to help dogs feel fuller. Better-quality fiber sources include beet pulp and rice bran.
Even these good types of fiber should be used in small quantities. Too much fiber interferes with digestion and can cause diarrhea, gas, and larger stool volume.
All aspects of canine nutrition affect your dog's total being, including his physical and mental health, immunity, temperament, behavior, trainability, and personality.
On the other hand, dogs that are fed a low-quality diet often have chronic ear infections, eye discharge, diarrhea, frequent bouts of vomiting, skin problems, allergies, and hyperactive temperaments.
Of course, not all of these ailments are caused solely by a dog's diet.
But poor dog nutrition doesn't support a healthy immune system, which leaves your pup wide open to all kinds of health problems.
The best way to help your Golden Retriever get a balanced, high-quality diet is to educate yourself, as a consumer and a dog owner, and to buy the very best dry dog food you can, based on careful dog food analysis.
You owe it to your furry friend to help him look and feel his best.
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