There are many views and theories on what is the best dog food.  In general however, to many pet owners it all boils down to cost.  If we can afford it then that will be the dog food brand we will feed our dogs.  Unfortunately this may not be the best course of action to take.  Price is not a sound qualifier for choosing a commercial dog food.  Feeding our dogs sub par ingredients from “discount dog foods” may save us money, but in the long run we will wind up paying higher veterinary bills when our dogs get sick.  So what are we to do?

First off we can start by being more careful when it comes to inspecting the ingredients found on dog food labels.  Generic brands are not considered a good choice.  Most generic brands use poor quality ingredients.  We should avoid any generic meat ingredients that do not mention a specific species, and avoid such phrases as “meat by-products” and “meat and bone meal” and any brands that use corn as the main ingredient.  Looking for dog food brands that use “chicken or beef meal” is the way to go.

Generic or discount dog foods use many chemicals to enhance the taste of that particular food.  These chemicals only disguise what is really in the food and fool your dog into preferring it.  We should be on the look out such things as texturizers, coloring agents and drying agents.  Avoid any brands that lists these as dog food ingredients.  Premium dog foods use a higher grade of ingredients free from additives but of course at a higher price.  If you are truly into caring for your dog, then you might consider preparing your dog’s food using your own ingredients.

Since the pet food recall making your dog’s food from a collection of homemade dog food recipes has become more popular.  Making these recipes does require some research and extra work,  but with this option we are in control of our dog’s nutrition.  Proper dog food nutrition involves providing our dogs with the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.  One of the best dog food recipes to use is Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s BARF diet .

The idea of the B.A.R.F. diet is to feed our dogs raw whole foods just like their ancestors.  This diet consists of muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat and vegetables.  It does take a considerable amount of time to make these preparations.  Premium commercial dog foods have gone through considerable research in providing the necessary nutrition a dog needs and may have more nutrients  than those found through the BARF diet.

So if we truly care for our dogs, we as dog owners have just two choices.  Either prepare homemade dog food so that we know exactly what our dog is eating, or  buy a premium dog food.  With the second choice we should spend more time in learning about dog food labels and the AAFCO standards. It’s all up to us.

]]> http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/commercial-or-homemade-dog-food/feed/ 1 http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/how-commercial-dog-food-brands-make-their-products-part-ii/ http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/how-commercial-dog-food-brands-make-their-products-part-ii/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:41:37 +0000 mythbstr http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/?p=120 Canned Dog Food

Our dogs are part of our family.  It is only natural that we would only want the best for them.  That goes especially for the food they eat.  If we choose to feed our dogs commercially canned dog food instead of using dog food recipes, then it is important to know how these foods are made so that we can choose which is the best for our dogs.

Once we have chosen a particular dog food brand that we feel comfortable with, we can then examine the ingredients to see just how nutritious this canned dog food will be for our dog.  The canning of all foods, human as well as pet foods, can be a somewhat complex procedure but you will find that the most reputable dog food brands provide nutritious ingredients and have a well maintained canning process for their products.

The process of canning foods has gone through many significant improvements in the last two hundred years, but the basic principles of sterilization and sealing have remained a constant.  Canning is by far the most economical method of food preservation.

Before the food is canned the ingredients must be chosen.  Canned dog food’s main ingredient is a meat product – beef, chicken, veal etc.  These ingredients are first ground into smaller pieces.  They are then weighed and added to a mixture that includes vitamins and minerals.  Grains are sometimes added to this mixture and here is where we should be very careful when choosing our products. Some grains are not good for our dogs so it is important to know what types of grain are added to the mixture.

After these ingredients are mixed they are blended in a mixer.  While being blended the mixture is also heated.  By increasing the temperature at certain times during the procedure the starches in the blend will turn to a gelatin and the protein structure of the food is denatured.  This is done to make the food more palatable.  Certain foods containing larger quantaties of carbohydrates need to be mixed at a higher temperature so that the excess starch is fully cooked.

Once the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed and cooked the canning process begins.  As mentioned before the basic steps in canning are sealing and sterilization.  The cooked mixture is sent to a filler/sealer machine that fills the individual cans with the proper amount of product and places the lids on the cans.  To prevent any kind of spoilage steam is applied to maintain heat.  When the can cools it is vacuum sealed.

The final step is sterilization.  Here the cans are heated to a temperature of 121 degrees celsius to kill any bacteria such as Clostridium Botulinum.  Each can is sterilized for approximately three minutes.  After the cans cool they are ready to be labeled, packed and are shipped to the store.

If we choose to feed our dogs commercial dog food instead of making them food from our own dog food recipes, we should be very particular in choosing the right product.  When choosing commercial products it is vital that we examine the labels for the righ ingredients that would be beneficial to our dogs. It is a good idea to provide a mixture of both dry kibble with wet canned food.