Dog Food Information

We'd love for you to take our dry dog food selection criteria into account as a starting place – only that, though, because there are a lot of other factors that people take into consideration when buying food for their dogs, and everyone will weigh these factors differently, depending on their individual needs and beliefs. If we made up a pie chart illustrating the weight of these factors, each dog owner's important food buying factors" chart would be different

Vitamin D deficiencies in dogs can cause health problems over time, but so can an oversupply. Because vitamin D is fat soluble, it accumulates in body fat. Overdoses can be toxic and even fatal, but some vitamin D is necessary to a dog's health. Vitamin D will aid in the absorption of calcium and phosphate, increases bone cell activity, influences the formation and growth of long bones, and speeds the healing of fractures. Adequate D levels may help prevent heart disease, joint inflammation, skin and coat problems, cancer, vision problems, depression, mental illness, infections, inflammatory bowel disease, dental problems, hyperparathyroidism, and kidney disease.

Every aspect of an AAFCO feeding trial is meant to ensure that a food is capable of maintaining a population of a minimum number of dogs for a minimum period of time (26 weeks for a maintenance" claim; 23 weeks for a "growth" claim). At a minimum

he knew to sit and wait

When WDJ first reviewed dog food, back in 1998, there was but a handful of companies making what we considered good foods. Seriously, I stretched to find five companies that had products that contained only good-quality ingredients - and more importantly, didn't contain unnamed animal fats and meat by-products. And just about every question I asked a pet food company was answered with, "I'm sorry that's proprietary information!"

The long-term goal of this column is to teach interested dog owners how to formulate safe and wholesome complete and balanced" home-prepared diets for their dogs. We will eventually cover raw and cooked diets

I will occasionally use a bowl, but increasingly my dogs' meals are experiences! One option is a kibble-dispensing ball for each dog, with a closed baby-gate between them to prevent my Cocker Spaniel from stealing the Shepherd-mix's ball when she's done with hers.

Like us, our dogs need both physical exercise and mental stimulation. As a trainer, I see many clients who focus on physical exercise, but don't always consider the benefits of mental stimulation—what I call brain-work. One easy way to add in a bit of brain-work is to get rid of your dog's food bowl and replace it with other fun feeding options. I'm always so excited to share with my clients how fun and effective it can be to ditch the dish! Yes, that's right: Throw that traditional food bowl into the trash and get going with creative feeding.

Pet food manufacturers are fond of saying that their operations are highly regulated. It's true that regulations are in place that, in theory, protect consumers' dogs against poorly formulated products – but it's also true that there is little surveillance and enforcement of the regulations. Rarely (and usually only in response to complaints) do regulators test to see if a food meets the guaranteed analysis for macronutrients on its label, and even more rarely, if it meets the standards for vitamins and minerals. So it's largely up to the market to look after itself.

DVM

Allergies can literally cause a dog to tear his hair out, setting acute moist dermatitis (hot spots") into motion and triggering fits of paw-licking and head-shaking (caused by allergy-induced ear inflammation and infection). When this happens

Owners who don't feel capable of or willing to carry out a rigorous trial may prefer to try a commercial dog food that has been processed in such a way as to render the proteins hypoallergenic, or one designed specifically for use in an elimination diet. Chances are good that your veterinarian carries at least one of these types of food. Some are limited-ingredient diets, available over the counter; others are prescription diets. All cost around 30 percent more than even the best nonprescription dog foods.