The Dog Food Comparison Blog

According to pet health experts, bad human habits, like eating too much, consuming food with poor nutritional value and exercising too little, are contributing to what is being called an animal obesity epedemic.  There is a need for owners to put their dogs on diets and exercise programs.

One of the main problems with obesity in our dogs is that they can end up with the same obesity-related diseases we humans get including: diabetes, cancer, liver disease and heart diseases. Owners think they are pampering their dogs when in fact they are shortening their lives.

One family learned this lesson with their seven-year-old Jack Russell terrier when they realize he was more than double his recommended weight.  He was so heavy he could hardly walk and spent most of his day sleeping.  After putting him on a strict diet for a year he lost 46 pounds.  Their dog is now playful and energetic dog, swims and goes on walks.

Other dog owners have had similar success helping their companions lose weight and improve in health.  The best strategy is to not let your dog get overweight in the first place, because putting a dog on a diet is not without it’s drawbacks.  Dogs on a diet may become craky like their human counterparts do when going on a diet.  Dogs often become aggressive or hyperactive and may bark incessantly to compensate for the reduction in available food.

The benefits, however, outweigh the negative aspects of helping your dog lose weight.  A very common problem of dogs that are overweight is diebetes.  This is compounded by the fact that many dog food producers add sugar and other sweeteners to their poor quality food to cover up the bad taste.  These sweeteners are something that a dogs digestive system was never meant to deal with and can increase the possibility of dog diabetes.  Again, keeping your dogs weight down and providing high quality dog food that is high in quality protiens and low in other additives will help keep your dog healthy and strong for years to come.

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According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention nearly half the pets in the U.S. are overweight or obese. The association states that 43% of all dogs are overweight and that 13 percent are obese.  Not surprising since many dog owners are overweight themselves and many dogs do not get the exercise necessary to maintain good health.  Couple this with the poor quality of dog foods that are often purchased and you have a recipe for weight problems.

Veterinarians agree that the main contributors to making animals fat are “eating too much and lack of exercise — just like in humans.”  Overfeeding can occur with the dog’s regular food or with getting to many additional treats.  When giving treats to a dog, the dog’s regular diet should be cut back accordingly.

Health risks related to dog obesity include:

Arthritis, ligament injuries, spinal disc problems, hip dysplasia, heart failure, diabetes, kidney failure, blindness, liver disease, pancreatitis, cancer, respiratory difficulties and heat stroke.

Many dog owners don’t even realize their dog is overweight. If you can’t easily feel your dog’s ribs underneath a padding of fat and no waistline is showing, the dog probably needs to lose some weight.

Older dogs that move less don’t need as much food as active dogs and the feeding chart on the dog food package should be used only as a loose guideline.  If you dog needs to loose weight, cut back a little and help him or her to get more exercise.  If you give treats use treats that are low in calories, such as carrots, ice cubes or green beans.  If you do choose to use commercial dog treats, pay special attention to the ingredients to make sure that you are not making things worse.

Remember that your dog values your attention just as much as a treat, so spending time with you exercising will make him just as happy and much healthier.  An added benefit will usually be better behavior on your dog’s part and he or she will live longer, be healthier (which will save money on health care) and be a more enjoyable companion.

Additional Dog Health Resources

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How and what you feed your dog has a big effect on you’re his/her health and over-all behavior. There are so many commercial dog foods to choose from that making the right decision can seem impossible. But let’s tackle the problem nonetheless.

Look beyond the marketing and advertisements and look into what exactly your dog food contains. A partial list follows to help you find out if your dog is getting what he needs in the right quantities.

If your dog has large, smelly stool, has a lot of gas, burps often, sheds constantly, is prone to ear and skin infections, is lethargic or hyperactive and if his immune system is weak,  your pet’s diet may be the problem.  Although any of these symptoms may occur occasionally, having them recur often is a cause for concern and reviewing your pet’s diet is one of the first things you should consider.

Your dog needs 45 nutrients to maintain his health.  Major groupings for these nutrients are protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and of course water. These nutrients need to be in the right amounts and combinations to be properly digested and absorbed by the body.

Protein
Like it or not, your dog is a carnivore, meaning his body mainly uses meat.  It also means that vegetables and grains are not meant to be a major contribution to your pet’s diet.

The amount of protein in a commercial dog food is indicated on the package.  But knowing out how much protein is in the food is not as important as knowing what source the protein came from.

Dog food manufacturers have a wide choice of protein sources to choose from. Aside from meats (beef, chicken, lamb, etc.), plants and grains like corn, wheat and soy are used as sources.

To find what sources have been used most in the package you’re buying, look at the ingredients list. The largest amount of ingredient used is listed first and others follow in decreasing amounts. You should see at least three meat sources on the first 5 items mentioned. Any less than that and you may not be giving your dog the proper protein for his diet.

Carbohydrates
Your dog needs carbohydrates primarily for energy. But dogs do not need a lot of carbohydrates to be healthy. A diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates is ideal.

Since dogs are meant to be meat-eaters, diets that are high in carbohydrates will take a long time for your pet to digest and result in large, smelly stool and gas. The gums can also grow sore from excessive chewing and his breath can develop a bad smell.  Your dog’s diet should only use a small amount of a carbohydrate source such as grains.

Fats
Two kinds of fat exist; saturated (animal fat) and polyunsaturated (vegetable fat). Your dog needs both and taken together these fats supply essential fatty acids (EFA) needed to maintain good health.

Not having enough fat in the diet can cause your dog to have low energy levels, heart problems and dry skin. Don’t get carried away though.  Too much fat can cause obesity, tumors and cancer.  Look for products that have a good balance between animal and vegetable fats.

Vitamins
Vitamins are necessary to release nutrients from the food that the body can use. Your dog needs two types of vitamins: water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins.

Vitamins B and C are water-soluble. Having too much of these will not harm the body much since it is urinated out in 4 to 8 hours. This is the reason they need to be in each meal. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble. They are stored in fatty tissues of the body and the liver.

It is important to remember that vitamins are easily lost in the making of manufactured dog food.  They also continue to break down more quickly as soon as you open the package and expose the food to light and air. Vitamins B and C are particularly sensitive.

Vitamin C is needed for healthy teeth and gums and a strong immune system. While dogs can produce their own vitamin C, it is not enough and therefore needs to be part of the diet. Vitamin B is needed for energy and breaking down protein and carbohydrates.

Minerals
Minerals are a critical component of a dog’s diet.  Since more than half of the necessary minerals are lost in manufacturing, adding mineral supplements to your pet’s food is recommended.

Water
Ready access to fresh, clean water is necessary to maintain proper body functions as well as to aid the body in breaking down foods like meat.

Whether you make your own dog food or buy it, it is necessary to make sure the proper nutrients in the correct amounts are given to your dog.  A little effort goes a long way in helping our dogs lead a healthy life.

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