Choosing the right food for your dog

Stores are filled with all kinds of dog food from kibbles to raw and wet food. It can feel exhausting to hunt down the best dog food for your own dog, when you have dozens, or even hundreds, of different options to choose from.

The most popular and often the easiest way to feed a dog is dry food. High quality dry food contains all the nutrients your dog needs in daily basis and helps to keep the dog in shape.

Is THE FOOD right FOR MY DOG?

Every dog is an individual. What suits one dog can cause stomach issues or allergies for another. Observe your dog’s fitness and health. It is easier to choose proper food for your dog when you know how your dog’s digestion system normally works and how the dog reacts to new dog foods. Learn more how to chance your dog’s diet.

Easy steps to evaluate is the food right for your dog

• Skin and coat: The dog’s skin is not itching, and the dog doesn’t have constant yeast infections on paws or in the ears. Proper diet helps to keep your dog’s coat shiny and smooth.
• Weight: The dog maintains normal body weight and has good general health.
• Healthy stomach and good digestion: The dog’s digestion system should work regularly. Also, your dog’s poop tells a lot about the dog’s gut health. The dog poop should be solid, soft, moist, and easy to pick up. Check the dog’s diet if the dog suffers often from diarrhea, flatulence, acid reflux, constipation or nausea.

how to choose the best dog food

Commercial dog foods are available for many different needs. When choosing food for your dog make sure it is appropriate for the dog’s age, size, activity level, and other characteristics. For example, an active dog needs food with high energy content. Accordingly, a dog that doesn’t exercise much should have lower fat and calory content so that the dog won’t get overweight. Also, the dog’s old age and possible castration or sterilization will reduce energy consumption. The dog’s size matters as well, since a small dog needs relatively more energy than a big dog

Basic guidelines for choosing a right dog food

• The main ingredient in the dog food should always be meat or fish. Make sure meat or fish is listed first in the product label. The order of the ingredients is set from the highest quantity to the lowest. Read more about the basics of dog's nutrition.
• Does your dog have allergies or food intolerance? All animal-based proteins don’t fit to every dog. Find the best protein sources for your dog by trying different meats. For example, if your dog has a sensitive stomach, you should try well tolerated protein sources such as lamb or venison.
• Grain-free dog food or regular dog food? If your dog has skin problems or other allergy symptoms, you could consider a grain-free diet for your dog. PrimaDog dog foods are always wheat-free, and we have a good selection of grain-free dry foods and wet foods.
• Dog’s age and size. The nutritional needs of a puppy, an adult and a senior dog vary. A puppy must get complete and balanced puppy food that supports healthy growth. Learn more about feeding a puppy. In turn, an aging dog might need a diet that contains joint supplements and less energy. Dog foods designed for small dogs usually have appropriate kibble size for tiny mouths and a bit higher energy content compared to foods made for bigger dogs.
• Dog’s activity level. Hunting dogs, working dogs, and dogs that train dog sports are typical active dogs who demand high-energy dog food. PrimaDog Grain-free Duck & Herring for active adult dogs is dry food that is developed for dogs with high calorie consumption. Besides the high-energy content, this dry food supports the dog’s joint and muscle health.