Healthiest Dog Food for Healthy Dogs

Premium Dog Food & Dog Treats

If you already know about the different types of premium dog food, just click the category and it will take you to an article describing the type of food and give comparisons between the top premium dog food brands. If you want to learn more about premium dog foods in general, please read on.

Premium Dog Foods

Premium Dog Treats

What Makes For A Premium Dog Food

There are so many ‘categories’ of dog food out there. Premium dog food, super-premium, organic, holistic, all natural, …. So what should you feed your dog? Is a premium dog food good enough?

If money was of no issue, I myself would go for a holistic and organic dog food that is freeze-dried. I think that as far as food quality, this is the next best thing to a healthy, homemade dog food. But money is an issue for me. And with one 50lb dog and another 110lb dog (not to mention 2 cats and a bearded dragon) the amount of pet food that we go through is quite a lot.

What IS a Premium Dog Food?

So back to the original question – what makes for a premium dog food? There is no official definition of premium, or super-premium, or ultra-premium. Truth be told, there is also no legal definitions for holistic or all natural either. There are guidelines and such, but dog food is just not as regulated as well as human food.

Most people agree that a premium dog food has better quality ingredients than your run-of-the-mill brand. Things that a premium dog food does not usually have in the first 5 ingredients (which make up most of the dog food): animal by-products and cheap grains. They also usually do not contain artificial coloring, flavoring, or preservatives.

Premium dog foods can be a certain type, like hypoallergenic, organic, holistic, grain-free, weight management, or it could be just a normal maintenance dog food.

Will A Premium Dog Food Help With Dog Food Allergies?

If your dog has dog food allergies, you may find a lot of relief for your pet just by switching to a premium dog food, like a hypoallergenic dog food, and getting away from the common sources of allergies in dogs that are found in low-grade dog foods.

With better quality ingredients, premium dog food will be more expensive than low-quality (store brands/conglomerate brands). But always beware – the companies know you think more expensive equals better food and some will try to jack up their price and label themselves as premium or super-premium. Always make sure you read the ingredients on the dog food label to verify what you are buying!

You Get What You Pay For

I’ve been burned in the past with dog food – thinking that I was feeding a good dog food, only to find it nutritionally inferior to most others. That is why I had to learn about reading the dog food ingredients label. Some food that you pay a high price for is not worth it at all (and many of these are recommended by vets)! Others, you are getting exactly what you paid for.

When we think of premium dog foods, we typically think of two things: expensive and good for our dog. So it is natural to think that if a dog food is expensive, then it must be exceptionally good for our dog. But just because a dog food costs more doesn’t mean it is any good for your dog. A premium dog food should be nutritionally superior to other dog foods, irregardless of the price.

How To Determine If A Premium Dog Food Is Worth The Money

To determine if premium dog foods are indeed healthy and worth the money, you need to look at and decipher the dog food ingredients label. Ingredients, must by law, be listed by weight. So the first ingredient weighs more than any of the others in the product. Generally speaking, the first 7 ingredients of a dog food will show you whether it is a premium dog food or not.

But what should those first 7 ingredients be? A lot of times it is just as important as what it should NOT be.

Meat/Protein in Premium Dog Foods

The first ingredient should be a protein: meat, plain and simple. And that particular animal should be identified – for example, chicken, not poultry. The first ingredient should not be a meat by-product, but meal is fine (i.e. chicken meal). Meal is just the meat with most of the liquid removed and then ground up. By-products (bone, organs, brain, intestines, etc) are not necessarily bad (out in the wild a dog would eat the parts that are in the by-product), but a by-product should not be a top 3 ingredient.

Grains/Carbs

What about grains? Two or more grains listed in the first 5 ingredients means your food may have more vegetable protein than animal protein, not a sign of premium dog foods. Grains such as soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten can be difficult to digest, which means less nutrition. These grains are also more often the culprit for a dog with allergies.

Fats

What are the fat sources? Some fats are better than others. The primary fat source in premium dog foods should be animal based because animal fats contain a profile of fatty acids that are easily metabolized and thus are generally more available to the body.

Fruit & Vegetables

Look at the fruit and vegetables used — these are usually not in the top 5 ingredients, but give you a better idea of the quality of the dog food. These contain fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy immune system.

Preservative No-No’s

Finally, do not buy ANY dog food, premium or otherwise, that contains BHT or BHA. They are harmful chemical preservatives that are no longer allowed to be used on human food because of health complications.

Compare Premium Dog Foods to Flint River Ranch Dog Food

One of the ultimate premium dog foods that has been around since 1993 would be Flint River Ranch dog food. They use only human-grade ingredients in their dog foods, with no harmful preservatives or nutrition-less fillers. They are the dog food company that is used to compare other dog foods to.

But, luckily for consumers and pets, there are now other dog food companies that have followed the River Ranch example, such as Natura Karma, Sojo’s, Wellness, Wysong, Raw Addiction, Newman’s, and Natural Balance. These companies along with Flint River Ranch produce some of the highest quality organic, holistic, and hypoallergenic dog food on the market. Give them a try, your dog will be glad you did.

Homemade Dog Food Is A Premium Dog Food???

Why do I consider homemade dog food a premium dog food? Simply because the ingredients you use you have complete control over. You get to decide the quality of the ingredients, and the quantity. You determine the proteins, the carbs, the fats. You decide whether you feed it raw and keep all the nutrients in the food, whether you sear the protein, or whether you cook it completely. Even completely cooked meat that you prepare at home is better than any dog food you can by. The trick is making sure your dog gets a complete and balanced meal!

You really should consult a canine nutritionist, or at the very least get a book or e-book on canine nutrition to get all the combinations of foods to feed to ensure all the nutrient bases are covered.