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Ask Yvette

In light of the recent pet food recall by Menu foods, many people are now considering a food change for their companions. All those bags at the pet store can be really confusing. They all say that your dog will love it. They also say that they are healthy.

In January of this year, I gave some broad guidelines on how I choose pet food. Those points still hold true. So let's look at them, and a few other tips if you are now looking for a new pet food for your companion.

Ingredients: Generally, the bulk of the nutrition you are feeding to your animal is found in the first four items on the ingredients list. Look for good, solid products like meat, meat meal and whole grains. Avoid processed items or by-products. Personally, I am not fond of corn. I am also not fond of products that are common allergens. Many people recommend staying away from soy and gluten. Pick a food that focuses on one type of meat. If you're feeding beef, then feed beef. Don't mix your meats.

Nutritional Analysis: I like to take a balanced approach to diet. Eat a balanced diet. I don't think that an animal diet is much different. Fads are…well nothing more than fads. Stick with quality and moderation.

Changes in the formula: Each time you get, “New and improved,” you are getting a food change. If a brand improves continually, then you are possibly changing their diet unaware. Sensitive dogs can have bouts of diarrhea to sudden food changes.

Store brands: When someone recommends a food brand to me, I like to know it is honest. Store brands are only available from one retailer, so pardon me for saying so, but it's a little bias.

Generally speaking, look for quality. This means that I look for a solid company that provides a reliable product. Of course, all companies are susceptible to contamination. There is never a guarantee that XYZ Company won't accidentally buy product that was contaminated at a supplier. But, I figure that the higher the standards, the less likely the company will be tempted to cheap out on ingredients.

Remember that cost should be determined on the basis of a serving. You may find that you have to feed much more of the low quality food. So cheap by the bag can wide up being expensive by the meal. Remember that some stores like Global Ryan's have frequent buyer programs where you buy x number of bags and get one for free. Factor this into your price considerations.

If you do decide to change food, remember to switch gradually if possible. Mix _ of the old food with _ of the new. Increase the amount of new food over the course of a week or two. This helps dogs with sensitive stomachs to adjust.

Some people find that dogs turn their noses up at premium food. As always, I tend to see both sides of the equation. For example, my one dog refuses to eat lamb. So, I'm not going to make her eat it. We feed the Wellness fish based diet instead. She enjoys it, and it fits her dietary needs. There is no struggle.

But, some dogs do not dislike the new food. They just happen to prefer the old one. Sometimes I think it can be a little like asking a child if they want McDonald's or Brussel Sprouts. There might be some exceptions, but usually junk food wins out in the taste department. Liaison with your veterinarian to ensure your dog stays at a healthy weight. But generally I find that mixing a bit of plain yogurt into the kibble goes a long way. It's healthy and most dogs love the taste.

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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