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Dog Food: You Get What You Pay For!
On the back of every dog food package is information that helps you decide which food is right for your dog. The information lists the ingredients in order of weight, beginning with the heaviest item. The package contains the guaranteed analysis for crude protein, fat, fiber, moisture, ash, and often calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium ratios.
The label may also state that the food is nutritionally complete or provides 100% nutrition for the dog. To make this claim, the food has to meet the nutrient requirements of the Association of American Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) - a guarantee that some form of testing, usually anywhere from two to six weeks, has been done on the product.
A dog food company must also list its name and address and give its telephone number, plus the date of manufacture, the weight of the product in the package, and usually the life stage for which the food is intended. It can be puppy, maintenance, adult, performance, old age, or light food for overweight dogs.
The saying "You get what you pay for" isn't necessarily true with dog food. There is a surprisingly small difference between good and not-so-good food, and some not-so-good foods are higher priced than good foods! A high-quality food is labeled performance and lists an animal protein in the first two or three ingredients - usually two kinds (chicken and lamb, chicken and fish, beef and chicken, and so on).
Although these foods are marketed primarily for working or breeding animals, they are the best-quality foods on the market for all dogs. Performance foods also contain the correct quantity of fats and oils needed for energy, good coat, and skin. Performance foods don't contain soy, which dogs can't digest.
The next category of dog food is called Super Premium 1, and it usually contains an animal protein first, followed by several grains. Although it provides energy for your dog from high fat levels, it's not as good as the performance foods because it contains less animal protein. Premium foods do contain a high level of protein, but you need to look at the source because the protein can come from grains and not animal protein. These foods may also contain soy.
Foods listed as Regular, Econo, Low/Protein, or Light (Lite) are full of grains and are guaranteed to make your dog into a couch potato. They are animal protein deficient and, although marketed for the older dog, in our opinion should be taken off the market. They produce voluminous smelly stools, caused by the inability of the dog to break down and digest this food.
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