Admit it. You skip right past the “marketing” on pet food and head right for the Nutrition Facts panel. You're human – you'd like to think you're making an informed decision on what you're feeding your furry companions, but let's be honest…those lists of ingredients can get a little daunting!
How do you know which one is best for your pet? Which is best for their coat and health? Could something in there cause skin problems or allergies? As with anything, the more informed you are, the better decisions you'll be able to make.
Here are a few things to look out for when selecting food for your pet:
Ingredients high in water content (i.e. fresh meats, vegetables) may appear higher on the ingredient list than dry ingredients due to the weight contributed by water, even though that ingredient may contribute fewer nutrients to the overall diet. For example, rice (or corn, etc.) could contribute more protein to the complete formulation of a food than beef, even if beef is listed as the first ingredient.”
Grains and non-grain ingredients such as potatoes, rice, corn, peas, pea meal offer little to no digestibility for dogs and cats vs. animal based proteins which are very digestible.The less digestible, the more by-product of daily waste.For example, compare your pet’s dry food ingredients list to My Perfect Pet Knight’s Blend recipe (which easily has 2x as much animal protein than your dry pet food): Beef Round, Yams, Potato, Green Beans, Zucchini, Beef Liver, Broccoli, Celery, Spinach, Cranberries, Safflower Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Iodized Salt, Dried Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement.
Myperfectpetfood.com states 90% protein is from beef, (not the yams or potatoes!).So, just replacing a small portion of your pet’s daily dry food with a food that contains higher amounts of quality animal protein will make a difference for your pet!
At Lily's, our team is dedicated to helping you make smart decisions for the health and wellness of your pet. Stop by today or reach out to us with any questions you have and we'd be happy to help. Stay well!