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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There are several kinds of nutrients that dogs need to survive, namely: amino acids from proteins, fatty acids from fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and good quality water. First, make sure the foods being compared contain the essentials.

A brief review of these required nutrients follows.

Fatty Acids – Dogs cannot create fatty acids that are necessary to sustain life and must eat enough dietary fats to provide for internal body functions such as, carrying fat soluble vitamins, cell structure and function, skin and coat health, immune system functions, vision and brain function.

Amino Acids from Protein – There are 10 essential amino acids dogs bodies cannot make, thus dogs can’t survive without eating proteins. Quality protein should come from animals rather than from ingredients known as “animal byproducts”.

The National Academy of Sciences suggests that an average size adult dog (weighing 33 lbs.) needs approximately 25 grams of protein and 14 grams of fat on a daily basis. Puppies and pregnant or nursing dogs actually need more than twice that amount.

Carbohydrates – Dogs get some of their energy from carbohydrates. Studies suggest that an adult dog’s diet can include up to 50% carbohydrates with preferably no more that 2.5-4.5% coming from fiber that contributes little by way of energy or nutrition for your dog.

Again puppies require more than twice the calories required by an active adult dog. Pregnant Dogs need between one and two-thirds more calories than an active adult dog. Nursing dogs may require as much as 2-4 times the calories than an adult dog depending on the number of puppies being nursed and the age of the puppies. Older dogs that are less active may need 20% less calories than middle aged adult dogs.

Vitamins & Minerals – Many vitamins and minerals are known to be essential to your dog’s optimal health. They include the following: Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin B1, Riboflavin, Vitamin b5, Niacin, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid and Choline, Calcium, Potassium, Chlorine, Iron, Copper, Zinc, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, Manganese, Selenium and Iodine.

These provide vital nutrients that are neccessary for strong bones and teeth, nerve impulse transmission, cell signaling and enzymatic reactions, just to name a few.

Once you have made sure that the dog foods you are rating include these essential nutrients you can then focus your efforts on rating the quality and quantities provided by each dog food source.

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