Best Dog Foods are MEAT BASED. Avoid Dog Food with Corn based protein

 LOOK FOR SPECIFIED MEAT or FISH SOURCES: 

Chicken as opposed to poultry by-products. Any named meat or fish is desirable such as chicken, turkey, venison, lamb, beef, herring etc.Chicken meal as opposed to meat meal. Meal is the dry rendered (cooked down) product which will be more concentrated with the good qualities of the meat. This applies to any protein source such as chicken meal, turkey meal, venison meal, buffalo meal, herring meal, salmon meal, etc.

Having two different meat sources is the best product to look for.

Look for statements such as: Food used in this product is fit for human consumption, No outsourcing, Local and Fresh human grade ingredients, organic ingredients, free range poultry/meat sources.

The meat will be human grade which means it is clean and free of bones, blood, feathers, heads, feet, hooves, entrails etc., and also fresh and edible as opposed to rotten or spoiled.

 GOOD CARBOHYDRATES: 

Grains such as brown rice, barley, oatmeal, or if the product is grain free, then potatoes, or sweet potatoes would be choices of excellent carbohydrates.Whole grains as opposed to the highly over processed mill run and flours.

Avoid corn and wheat and any of their derivatives in any dog foods. They are not nutritious, cause allergies and illnesses and are usually used as cheap fillers.

 “WHOLE” FRUITS/VEGETABLES: 

Whole fruits and vegetables as opposed to none in some dog foods.Look for any of the fresh fruits and veggies that we eat such as carrots, peas, spinach, greens, apples, berries etc.

 FAT SOURCES: 

Named fats from quality sources such as chicken fat, sunflower oil, canola oil, salmon oil, or lamb fat, etc. – not animal fat.

 NATURAL PRESERVATIVES: 

Mixed Tocopherols (a natural source of Vitamin E), is the most common natural preservative. A dry dog food with natural preservation will have an expiry date, which is what you want to look for.A kibble that will last indefinitely is over processed and way to synthetically preserved with harmful chemicals.

 HEALTHY VITAMINS/MINERALS/SUPPLEMENTS: 

Premium Vitamins such as Mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E), choline chloride, vitamin A, vitamin D3, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12, folic acid, biotin, Vitamin B6,

Chelated Minerals such as Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, And Copper Amino Acid Chelate.

Probiotic Microorganisms such as Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product for digestive health.

Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids sourced naturally from ingredients such as flax seed, a specified fish oil and canola oil. – Supports healthy skin and coat.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin to help support long term bone and joint health.

Salt is also a necessary mineral and should be iodized or sea salt.

 THE NO LIST: 

There are two types of information to look for. Look for what the manufacturer claims the food DOES NOT CONTAIN, and WHAT IT DOES CONTAIN.

Avoid dog food brands containing these ingredients.

• Beef or Bone Meal
• Meat By-Product
• Tomato Pomace
• Beet Pulp
• Pesticides,
• Animal Digest,
• Antibiotics,
• Growth Hormones,
• Corn,
• Corn or Wheat Gluten Meal ,
• Fillers,
• Processed Grain ,
• Meat &Bone Meal,
• Animal Fat,
• “Meat Meal”, “Meat or Poultry by-product meal”, “Fish meal”, “Bone meal” and/or “Blood meal”
• Poultry By-Products,
• Soybean Meal,
• ground peanut shells, cottonseed hulls,straw ,crushed corncobs, weeds and feathers.,
• Wheat Mids,
• Peanut Hulls,
• Wheat Flour,
• Wheat Bran,
• PEA PROTEIN, PEA STARCH and/or PEA FIBRE,
• BHA, BHT, and Ethoxyquin,
• Artificial Colors or Flavors,
• Sugar
• ARTIFICIAL PRESERVATIVES, COLORS, FLAVORINGS
• Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (this is artificial synthetic vitamin K which is a carcionogenic, , or any other substandard, low quality, by-product from human food processing.
• Ingredients from CHINA
• Genetically Modified Ingredients.
• YES TO Natural Preservatives
• YES TO Human Grade Protein
• YES TO SPECIFIED MEAT or FISH SOURCES
• YES TO Whole fruits and vegetables
• YES TO Named fats from quality sources such as chicken fat, sunflower oil, canola oil, salmon oil, or lamb fat, etc.