The Healthiest Dog Food for Hungry Pups
There’s no question that dogs are incredibly motivated by food. They love to eat! But sometimes the food in their bowl can actually go against their greater health. When issues begin to occur, it can seem like an impossible challenge to land on the right food for your pup. With aisles full of options, and possible digestive reactions to common ingredients, the quest for the healthiest dog food is not without guesswork. Have no fear–we’re here to help!
Importance of Nutrition
Providing a balanced diet is crucial to your dog’s overall health and well-being. As omnivorous mammals, dogs benefit from a daily mix of plants and meat. The exact sources of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates is not as important as the body’s ability to digest and use the nutrients available to them. All of the right ingredients combined help to support all bodily systems.
The healthiest dog food will have recognizable ingredients, whole foods, and a balance between all the necessary components. The nutritional information printed on packaging comes from guidelines set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), an entity that ensures proper oversight of pet food.
Your Best Source
As your dog’s veterinarian, we are proud to be your source of relevant, informed nutritional advice. Because of unreliable or inaccurate information readily available online, we encourage dog owners to seek expert guidance from people that not only know your dog, but care about their future.
We are always happy to answer any questions or address concerns about your dog’s diet, weight, behavior, and genetic predispositions at their regular wellness exam.
The Healthiest Dog Food
We recommend following portion guidelines extremely closely. Any extra weight on a dog can cause serious, long-term health problems. Obesity can lead to or complicate diabetes, osteoarthritis, and more, but can be prevented with great food and modest portions.
Water Content
Whether your dog prefers dry kibble, wet canned food, or a combination of both, an important component of their food is, of course, water. Choosing between the two food types could depend on your dog’s preferences, your budget, and meal frequency.
Sensitive Stomach?
Commercial dog foods have come a long way, and really seem to deliver tasty, flavorful food to our pets. That said, however, some dogs negatively react to certain ingredients, textures, or flavors.
Food allergies are critical to address, and we can help determine what triggers your dog. If/when allergies are ruled out, we may suggest slowly introducing different types of food to your sensitive dog. Sometimes, they may benefit from taking a day or two off from digesting protein-rich food. Replaced with broth, rice, or cottage cheese, many dogs are back on track in no time.
Any signs of inappetence, vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy should be promptly reported to us.
Healthiest Dog Food
At Hampton Veterinary Hospital, our team is happy to help you find the healthiest dog food that meets your dog’s age, lifestyle, medical history, and weight. Please call us at (603) 926-7978 with any questions or concerns.