Here at Pets Roof, we strive to provide the most up-to-date articles on canine nutrition. Your pup will receive the best nutrition once you have equipped yourself with the information below.
The discussion on dog food is prevalent especially among dog owners like us, as we always want the best for our pets.
As we treat our dogs like our own family members, we tend to want to feed them with whatever we eat in our daily lives as well. Afterall, happy and healthy dogs are a result of quality food.
However, in today’s statistics about dog health, there are countless reports of dogs being fed poor quality diet.
- Almost half (45%) of all dogs succumb to cancer.
- Dog kidney, liver, and heart disease are at an alarming level.
- Obesity is found in 40% of dogs.
The above is but a few of the potential health threats faced by your dog daily, due to sub-optimal diet.
The following articles will focus on breed-specific dog foods along with their caloric and nutritional requirement.
This is important to achieve a balance diet on top of having an optimal weight. We would then provide our recommendations on which product to select and the reasons behind it.
Best Specific Breeds Dog Foods
Listed below are the specific breed of dogs, along with the best dog food brands in 2020 for each.
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Border Collies
- Boxers
- Boston Terriers
- Bullmastiff
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
- Chow Chows
- Cockapoo
- Dachshunds
- Doberman
- English Bulldogs
- English Setters
- English Springer Spaniels
- French Mastiff
- Fox Terrier
- German Shepherds
- Golden Retrievers
- Great Danes
- Great Pyrenees
- Havanese
- Irish Wolfhounds
- Italian Greyhound
- Japanese Chin
- Labradoodles
- Lhasa Apso
- Maltese
- Maltipoo
- Miniature Schnauzer
- Newfoundland
- Papillon
- Pembroke Welsh Corgi
- Poodles
- Pitbulls
- Pugs
- Puggles
- Rhodesian Ridgebacks
- Shar Pei
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Siberian Huskies
- Westies
- Whippets
- Wheaten Terriers
- Yorkies
- Vizslas
Best Dog Foods (Category)
Below are the most recommended brands in 2020, segregated by category.
- Best Affordable Dog Food
- Best Puppy Foods
- Best Dry Dog Foods
- Best Wet Dog Foods
- Best Senior Dog Foods
- Best Dog Foods for Allergies
- Best Dog Food made with Grains
- Best Freeze Dried Food Foods
- Best Small Breed Dog Food
- Best Vegan Dog Food
Specialized Dog Diets
Dogs’ metabolism starts to decrease as they age. Does this sound familiar to you? Special diets are often required for older dogs.
A diet rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber is often suggested by veterinarians. Dogs that do not practice an active lifestyle should also refrain from fatty diets.
Many large-breed and older dogs like the Golden Setter, Labrador Retriever, Great Dane, and Irish Setter have a higher chance of suffering from arthritis. The symptoms could be more prevalent the older they age, developing joint pains and stiffness in their later lives.
Special diet is required for overweight dogs. Dogs tend to become overweight if they frequently feed on table scraps, in addition to not having enough exercise. This is especially true when the dog is confined in a crate all day long, and later spoilt with huge amounts of food in the evening.
Below are the top recommended specific diets for your dog, based on their health conditions.
Best Canned Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs
- Best Dog Foods for Arthritis
- Best Dog Foods for Bladder Stones
- Best Dog Foods for Hip Dysplasia
- Best Dog Foods for Sensitive Stomach
- Best Dog Foods for Diabetes
- Best Dog Foods for Kidney Disease
- Best Lamb Dog Foods
- Best Low-Phosphorus Dog Food
- Best Low Residue Dog Food
Other helpful articles on behavior and nutrition:
- How is dry dog food made?
- How to make dog food appealing?
- Can dog food cause aggression?
- Best elevated dog bowls
- Zignature dog food reviews
Regulation
Dog food regulation and labeling requirements must be given top priority as they ensure that what goes into your dog is safe, and the required nutritional ingredients are always present in your dog food.
Sadly, without regulations and rules to keep an eye on the manufacturing process, as well as the correct labelling of dog food, your dog could be exposed to wrong diets.
If a dog food acquires accreditation from AAFCO via its Nutritional Adequacy Statement, is means that is has successfully passed and completed feeding trials on dogs.
Your Dog’s Nutritional Needs
The Nutritional Adequacy Statement from AAFCO is required for all commercial dog food, in order for the term “complete and balanced” to be used on packaging materials.
Their labelling guidelines do not take into consideration the different nutritional needs of different dog breeds. Obviously, a small toy poodle that is used to being pampered at home requires different nutritional diet than a Border Collie that works all day in the field attending to cattle.
To summarize it all, the AAFCO Nutrient Profile can only give a general guideline which is the average standard for manufacturers to aim for. Therefore, if manufacturers were to put the exact same amount of fat, minerals, vitamins, and protein in every dog food, how can this provide the best quality food for your dog, or your neighbor’s dog for that matter?
We are not asking that dog food manufacturers custom make every dog food for every different dog out there. But a blanket copy of dog foods is neither the answer. All in all, it also comes down to the quality of the ingredients, and not so much the quantity of food given to the dogs.
You must consider their diet preferences as each dog has unique requirements from how small they are, how old, their heredity and breed, and individual health issues.
Looking after your dog from a small pup to senior can be taken as an educational process. There are different nutritional requirements at every stage of their lives, so make sure they are met to provide them with a meaningful and wonderful life!
Toxicity
One factor in dogs’ weight gain is due to consumption of our human food. A good example is table scraps, which is a major contributor to obesity in dogs.
The effect of common human foods on dogs will be discussed in the articles below, so that you will be able to ascertain which foods to avoid.
- Can Dogs Eat Bananas?
- Can Dogs Eat Ice-Cream?
- Can Dogs Eat Avocados?
Dog Recipes, Treats, and Chews
The adage “you are the product of what you eat” holds very true. We feel great and uplifted whenever we indulge ourselves in healthy snacks and a balanced diet!
- Best Treats for Puppies
- Best Bully Sticks
- Best Halloween Dog Treats
This also applies to your dog. They love their treats. The word “natural” plays a vital role whenever healthy dog treats or healthy dog food is involved. Natural dog treats simply mean dog treats that are healthy and keeps your dog happy.
VIDEO: Dangerous Treats and Safe Treats for your Dog
This short-length instructional video provides a glimpse of some dangerous and safe treats applicable to your dogs.
Nutrition Topics You Would Be Interested In
If you are interested in seeing other nutrition-related content, please feel free to contact me here.
All suggestions and feedbacks are welcome as we hope for this website to be useful and comprehensive for all pets’ owners out there.
External Resources and Information on Dog Nutrition
Dog Food Advisor is possibly the biggest and most trusted website on dog food reviews. It contains much information on most commercial dog foods (raw, wet, and dry) and I strongly urge you to check it out: www.dogfoodadvisor.com Food Brands A to Z.
