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Ask Yvette

Dear Yvette,

What type of food should we feed our dog?

Fred

As a trainer, there are certain brands that I prefer and some that I dislike. My dogs eat Wellness. But there are other good lines. Here is a short list of things to watch out for when you choose a brand.

Protein levels: In the American Veterinary Medical Association Journal, there is a study on protein levels, aggression and hyperactivity. They concluded that choosing a lower protein food might be beneficial for some types of aggression and hyperactivity. In my observations, I have seen some dogs change dramatically with a food change. For other dogs the change is minimal.

Work: Some foods are formulated for working dogs. Most people have pet dogs. Unless your dog herds sheep all day, they do not need the same amount of energy as a family pet. The food should match your dog's needs.

First Four Ingredients: The first four ingredients are usually a good yardstick. Look for healthy ingredients like meat or meat meal. Whole grains might be part of this mix too.

Corn: It is by no means scientific, but I dislike corn in food. When a puppy in class is hyper, that dog is usually eating a food with corn. It makes sense in many ways. Corn has lots of empty calories. That energy has to go somewhere. I put corn in the “cheap filler” category.

Single Meat Protein: Choose a food with one type of meat. If you ever need to switch to another type of protein for medical reasons, you will have lots of options to choose from.

Allergens and by-products: Soy and Gluten are on many lists as potential allergens. By-products are the non-meat portions. It could be that you're feeding organ meat, or it could be chicken feet. Who knows?

New & Improved: When you switch a dog from one type of food to another, it is recommended that you change over gradually. Some dogs get gas and diarrhea when food is changed abruptly. When companies change the formula, you are technically switching foods. The problem is that you probably don't notice the new formula. You are caught off guard wondering why your dog is temporarily ill. I find that formula changes seem to be hard on sensitive dogs and so I generally avoid brands that frequently do this.

Store Brands: I personally dislike store brands. Perhaps it is the cynic in me. But somehow I always feel like rolling my eyes when a sales clerk is recommending the store line. Is that not a little bias? I like to know that the food I choose is readily available at multiple locations in the area. And I like to know that the clerk is recommending the product because they truly believe in it.

Cost: Before you make a decision based on the price of a bag of food, check the price based on the price per serving. For example: Puppy Yum costs $30 per bag and a serving is 4 cups per day. Doggie Premium is $60 per bag, but you only feed 2 cups per day. Surprise! Both foods actually cost the same per meal.

Your veterinarian is a good judge of the health and weight of your dog. If you have concerns, then discussing diet with your companion's veterinarian is a good option.

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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