Maximizing Your Dog s Health The Benefits of Choosing Bella Pet Food

Types of dog food and how to choose the right one

Just like with humans, there are specialty diets or dietary choices designed with considerations for a dogs age, health, or breed. Lets explore the six types:

1. Lifestage food

This term refers to a diet in which different food is given to your dog at each stage of their life. Sometimes these stages can be as simple as puppy, adult, and senior while other brands utilize more specific stages like weaning, juniors, nursing, etc. Many kibbles on the market are all stages foods meaning they can be fed to your dog no matter their age.

Theres currently debate on whether specific lifestage or all stages food is a better option, but there is no definitive answer one way or the other. If youre curious about this style of feeding, consult with your vet.

2. Prescription food

If your dog has been diagnosed with a health issue or is recovering from surgery, your vet may prescribe a special prescription dog food diet. These dog foods are only available with a prescription from your dogs veterinarian.

There is a wide variety of prescription dog foods for illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, kidney issues, and weight management, to name a few. These diets include extra nutritional support or exclude ingredients that can further exacerbate your dogs health issue.

3. Breed-specific food

These foods are formulated with the idea that certain breeds have specific dietary needs. While many breeds can thrive on general diets, breed-specific diets may be helpful in specific contexts.

Larger dogs are prone to joint pain while dogs like Dachshunds may be prone to back problems. Certain diets can promote bone density and ligament support.

On the other hand, you may have a dog with small teeth who finds it tough to chew larger chunks of food in which case small bites may be easier. If you have a large breed puppy, like a Great Dane, youll want to get them a kibble that supports their growth.

All in all, breed-specific food may not be the answer so much as what is specific to your dog and their needs.

4. Grain-free food

A few years back, grain-free dog foods were trending. Then the FDA got reports that dogs who ate grain-free diets were being diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathyTrusted SourceVCA HospitalsCommunity of veterinarians with up-to-date veterinary information.Go to source (DCM), a disease of the dogs heart muscle that results in an enlarged heart.

The FDA has since continued to investigate any connection between heart disease and grain-free foods. Veterinarians now recommend avoiding grain-free dog food unless your dog has a serious grain allergy (which is quite rare!).

5. High-protein food

Like with any food option, this one will be determined by your dogs specific needs. Protein is an essential building block in both the human and canine body, but sometimes certain dogs may need more than others.

Puppies, for example, need more protein than dogs that have already finished growing and those that hunt, play sport, or are highly active may also need more protein.

6. Sensitive stomach or limited ingredient food

Chronic stomach sensitivity in dogs is usually caused by allergies and intolerances and food made specifically for these situations can help ensure your dog gets the nutrients they need.

Many sensitive stomach foods contain probiotics and prebiotics that help promote healthy digestion. In that same vein, these foods may stray away from protein sources that have a history of causing tummy upset like beef or chicken, and opt for fish, venison, or lamb.

Limited ingredient food follows a similar path and has a shortened ingredient list that is free of common allergens like soy, beef, and chicken. If you suspect your dog has stomach issues or allergies, chat with your veterinarian about which option is best.

Best and worst dog food brands

There are hundreds of dog food options available, from dry to grain-free to raw, but which ones will have your furry friend licking the bowl clean?

We surveyed 2,304 dog owners about the pet food they buy to uncover the brands that customers (and their dogs) love and which offer the best value for money.

See how brands such as Burns, Harringtons and Royal Canin are rated by customers, as well as supermarket options from the likes of Aldi and Lidl.

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Dog food brands rated

Our top-scoring dog food brand achieved an impressive customer score of 82%, and five-star ratings for how much pets liked it, as well as their wellbeing when eating it.

At the other end of the scale, two brands scored less than 60%, with just two stars out of five each for how healthy the dog seemed when eating food from that brand.

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Make sure your furry friend is covered see our guide to the best pet insurance for your dog

How to choose the best dog food for your pet

Deciphering all the pet nutrition information on the internet can seem like an impossible task. It can range from confusing to completely contradictory.

We spoke to real pet nutrition researchers to understand what actually matters. Good news: it isnt as complicated as it seems.

The most important part of choosing a food is actually monitoring your pet, said Dr Teresa Hollands, senior lecturer in veterinary nutrition at the University of Surrey. If you're feeding your pet a particular brand of food, and they have plenty of energy and seem well in themselves, then you are on the right track.

Dr Nigel Kendall, lecturer in nutrition at the University of Nottingham, agreed: If your pet is on completely the wrong diet, then there will be physical signs.

Signs that your pet is eating a nutritious diet, and the right food for their needs, include:

• good overall health
• plenty of energy
• good sleeping habits
• regularly passing firm stools
• maintaining a healthy weight.

Also a cat owner? See our guide to thebest and worst cat food brands

How to feed your dog the best and healthiest diet

As well as choosing the right food, you can also maximise the nutritional value of your pets diet by feeding them in the right way.

We spoke with Dr David Gardner, professor of physiology at the University of Nottingham, to find out more:

Choosing a complete food

Start by making sure you are feeding your pet a complete food, he said. Thats really important, but it isnt always clearly labelled.

Complete foods are designed to give your pet all the nutrients they need, so you can feed them the same thing every day without causing a nutritional imbalance or deficit.

Weighing your pet food

David also highlighted the importance of weighing your pets food every time you feed them.

Remember, you may not notice that you're overfeeding your pet if you increase the size of their feed very slightly each day.

Varying your pet food

If you want to take additional steps to ensure your pet is getting the best nutrition, David also suggested varying the food you give them, provided that this doesnt upset their stomach.

These changes could be as small as varying the flavour of food that you give to your pet.

If you buy a bag of lamb dog food one month, try the chicken next time, David suggested.

If you do want to try changing the type or brand of your pet food, remember to do so gradually. Your pet's meal should be no more than 25% new food for the first couple of days, increasing over the course of a week.

Dogs can be fussy, so know that varying your pet food is not essential. The main thing is that they eat and enjoy their food and that it's nutritionally complete.

Best dog harnesses see our pick of the best and worst as tested by dog owners

Is wet or dry dog food better?

Both wet and dry foods can be nutritionally complete, meaning that they should contain all the nutrients your pet needs. That means there is no significant advantage to either food type.

David recommended feeding your pet a mixture of wet and dry food.

Evidence suggests that there are slight differences in the nutritional composition of wet and dry food. That means you are going to cover more nutrients if you mix them together.

If you want to feed your dog exclusively one type of food, then wet food does tend to be more appealing. However, it is often more expensive and it can predispose pets to dental disease.

In contrast, dry food is beneficial to dogs teeth and gums, and it is usually easier and cheaper to use and store. Just make sure that your dog has access to plenty of fresh water, as they will not be getting hydration from their food.

Best food and drinkwe've rated the tastiest food for humans too. Discover our top picks, from chicken soup to red wine

Can dogs be vegan?

Yes, provided you are careful about the type of food you give them.

There are commercial dog foods available that are vegetarian or vegan and nutritionally complete.

Some people may want to prepare homemade vegetarian or vegan meals for their dog, which is not typically recommended by experts.

This is because evidence suggests that homemade food (including meat-based diets) is typically not nutritionally complete even when people follow recipes labelled as such.

Is raw food good for dogs?

Raw pet food has become more popular over the past few years, especially for dogs, but experts don't generally recommend it.

I would not recommend a raw food diet due to the risk to human health, says Dr Heather Bacon, dean of veterinary medicine at the University of Central Lancashire.

Bacteria present in raw meat can include salmonella, listeria, campylobacter and E-coli. These cause significant illness in humans and animals, particularly young, old and immune-compromised individuals.

These can be spread around the house during food preparation and eating. They can also be passed from animals to humans if your pet kisses your face after eating.

All of these bacteria are destroyed when meat is correctly cooked.

How much should my dog weigh?

According to a 2022 survey by UK Pet Food, 50% of dogs (and 43% of cats) are overweight or obese.

Your pet being overweight can have a huge impact on its quality of life, including limiting their ability to exercise or sleep properly. According to the RSPCA, it also predisposes them to illness including:

• diabetes
• heart disease
• cancer.

How to if tell your dog is overweight

Dr Teresa Hollands recommends an easy method for checking your pets weight.

Create a fist with your hand, and feel your knuckles with your fingers, she said. If your pets ribs feel like that, they are underweight.

Then lay your hand flat, and feel your knuckles again. If their ribs feel like that, they are the perfect weight.

Finally, keep your hand flat, turn your hand over, and run your fingers over the pads on your palm at the base of your fingers. If their ribs feel like that, they are overweight.

Physical signs that your dog is overweight

• Very thin(more than 20% below ideal body weight) Ribs, spine and hip bones easily seen (in short-haired pets), obvious loss of muscle bulk, no fat can be felt under the skin.
• Underweight (10-20% below ideal body weight)Ribs, spine and hip bones easily seen, obvious waist and abdominal tuck, very little fat can be felt under the skin.
• IdealRibs, spine and hip bones easily felt, visible waist and abdominal tuck, small amount of fat can be felt.
• Overweight(10-15% above ideal body weight): Ribs, spine and hip bones are hard to feel, waist barely visible, broad back, layer of fat on belly and at base of tail.
• Obese (more than 15% above ideal body weight)Ribs, spine and hip bones extremely difficult to feel under a thick layer of fat, no waist can be seen and belly may droop significantly, heavy fat pads on lower back and at base of the tail.

How we rated dog food brands

To uncover the best and worst dog food brands, in July 2023 we surveyed 2,304 Which? members who had bought dog food recently, and asked all about their experiences with their chosen brand.

We asked them to rate the brand on various attributes including value for money, how their dog responded to the food, and its perceived wellbeing on the food.

Overall customer scores are based on how satisfied customers were with the brand overall and whether or not they would recommend it.

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