A LITTLE LIGHT (LABEL) READING FOR DOGS

Check the first few ingredients on the pet food label to determine whether a food is meat-based, but the ingredients list isn't the only information to read. A puppy food meets the minimum nutrient profile requirements for growth and reproductions; it has undergone feeding protocol standart set by the Association of American feed control officials; or it is for supple mental feeding only-meaningit doesn't meet either of the other requirements and isn't an adequate diet on its own, according to rodney j. Noel,ph,D pet food chairman for AAFCO an organization of state agriculture officials based in west lfayette. Ind.

Everey ingredients listed on a pet food bag also must meet  particular standart as listed in the AAFCO manual. look at the first few ingredients (see "label lingo" this page)and fine a food that lists meat  or poultry first rather han corn or another grain product "therenb is nothing wrong with corn or other grains" Dunn Said "They simply should not be the foundation for a dog's diet over vegetable based foods for optimum healt for dogs.
The best bet for the puppy owner is to buy a premium food from a reputable manufacturer, said Rebecca Remillard, Ph.D.. staff nutritionis at Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston. "They willmhave their individual specification and quality standards for ingredients when they come in as they go through the manufacture  process and for their final product.
Still unsure which food to choose leininger suggested consulting your veterinarian. Most are happy to help you wade through the information and reccomend food that will best suit your puppy and its circumstances.

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PUPPY NUTRITION BASICS

Feeding your puppy a proper diet isn't as complicated as it seems

You have intoduced your puppy to the kids, cat, parakeet and iguana, you have shown the puppy its bed,its elimination satation. But one important task remains: you need to take over where your puppy's mother left off,providing it with the optimum nutrition for growing into a strong, healthy dog.

if you have researched puppy nutrition, you may feel able from a wide vriety of sources. Scanning bookstore shelves or surfing the internet quickly reveals masses

of information some of it conflicting, some of it down right dangerous often presented as logical sounding arguments by profesional sounding

people Even with the regulation regarding pet foods and pet nutrition, you'd be hard pressed to discover one commonly accepted answer to what, exaactly constitutes the best nutrition, for your puppy.

Are all commercially prepared puppy foods basically the some significantly better than other? Is meat the best main ingridient, or meal, or by products, or grains, or turkey or lamb-or 

should your dog be on a vegetarian diet? Should you chuck it all and make yuor own food, or will your pup keel over if 

any thing other than manufacured kibble passes its lips?

what's a whell meaning puppy owner to do? 

"I come down on the side of being a little conservative" said Mary Beth Leininger, DVM, Former president of the american Veterinary Medical Assosiation and a companion animal practitioner

 in plymouth,Mich. "One of the primary reasons dogs are living longer these days is better nutrition, so my rule  of thumb is simply to use a good quality (commercial) food"

Sound simple, but the information on what constitutes good-qualityvpet food is profuse and sometimes conflicting. Your best bet is to consult your veterinarian whowill bw able to recommend the mos appropriate

diet for your puppy based on the breat. Activity level and other special circumstances. it boil down to common sense, said T.J Dunn Jr., DVM, a small animal nutrition consultant 

who lives in Rhinelander, Wis. Dr Dunn estimates he examined about 2500,000 dogs during his 27 year in veterinary medicine.

Primarily, dogs fed a quality, meat-based diet feel, act, look and perform better than dogs evolved eating meat, not foraging in the field for grains, so it makes sense that a good dog food should be meat 

based, he added.

To fine a qualilty, meat based diet read the label to see if meat is one of the primary ingredient and like it or not reconsider the price tag "pet food is ingredients and intensive, "Dr Leining said 

"That means most of the cost of a dog food is based on the cost of the ingredients, so a much less expensive food will have lower quality ingredients" Dunn agreed: Ahight quality diet includes high quality protein 

sources.The higher the quality inggredients, the greater the nutritive value for the dog.

For example a diet made of protein based but low quality ingredients may be high in protein but if those protein sources aren't digestible the dog won't absorb them. Heigher qualiy protein sources, such as muscle meats

like chicken and lamb, are more digestible higher quality food can be a better bargain, too, because dogs don't need to eat as much it,

Watch the following  things

1. A LITTLE LIGHT (LABEL) READING
2. FEEDING TIME
3. FAT CHANGE

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