May
When you see the words Complete Balanced Dog Food on the packaging for your dog, what does it make you think? You likely understand the term to mean that it is made with a balanced mix of all the nutrients your dog would need to maintain a healthy, active life; and if so, you’d be right – but only partially so!
Complete Balanced Dog Food on a dog food label means that the food should contain a combination of ingredients which has enough of each nutrient needed for a dog’s diet, in order to prevent most diseases caused by protein, fat, mineral, and vitamin deficiencies.
Unfortunately, what you read on the packaging isn’t always what it appears to be and there are many examples out on the shelf that can lead us astray. However, having some understanding and being wary of what you choose for your dog for their dinner time can be the difference between a healthy change for your dog or potentially, a harmful effect on your dog’s health!
If you’ve recently switched to a Premium or even better, a Super Premium dog food from what may have been an inferior diet, you would have likely noticed a difference in both their appearance and overall health and quality of life. Do the research and you will find many, many loving dog owners claiming their testament to this!
This is because adequately nutritional dog food uses and provides higher quality ingredients in a form (and this is the really important thing to remember) that can actually be absorbed and digested by your dog to help them grow up strong and healthy, without the use of any unnecessary harmful additives.
Did you know that most if not all of the brands on our supermarket shelves that still may say Complete Balanced Dog Food include so few nutrients that can physically be absorbed by your dog, that your dog does not actually get what you think they are getting??? Imagine what the ones that do not say this are like? Remember, they are cheaper for a reason!
Because some inferior foods can still advertise Complete Balanced Dog Food without using high quality ingredients, it makes sense to choose your brands carefully, to ensure your beloved furry companion still receives the fully balanced nutritional diet they deserve. Even if you are feeding your dog with a home prepared meal, you may be surprised at what they may be missing out on!
Benefits
The benefits of an actual complete and balanced nutritional dog food are limitless when it comes to your dog’s health. This food should provide all the nutrients and protein your dog needs to live a long, healthy life, as well as all the vitamins and minerals needed to keep up healthy bodily functions. Proper vitamin and mineral intake from Complete Balanced Premium and Super Premium dog food can:
- Act as enzyme precursors in the metabolic process
- Help preserve the integrity of cell membranes
- Aid in blood-clotting
- Aid in the release of energy from other nutrients
- Aid in the transmission of nerve impulses
There have also been many cases where changing to a Super Premium diet has relieved a dog’s loving owner of expensive vet bills and their wonderful companion of unnecessary medication!
So, What’s In It?
In a nutshell, everything your dog needs to be happy, healthy, and energetic will be provided with the right Premium and Super Premium complete and balanced dog food. After all, most dog food is meant to be the only source of nutrition your dog needs, and since that is the case, it has a lot of bases to cover. In foods labelled as ‘Complete and Balanced’ you will generally find the following:
Proteins – which are necessary to repair damaged cells and produce new ones, and aids in the production of healthy hair, skin, and muscle for your dog. Sources of protein may include:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Lamb
- Salmon
Whole grains and fibre – which are required in a dog’s diet to aid in healthy digestion and elimination of waste. Sources of this may include:
- Oats and oat meal
- Whole brown rice
- Potatoes
Fats – to help provide your dog with healthy skin, and also helps make their coat healthy and shiny as well. Sources of fats may include:
- Soybean oil
- Fish oil
Vitamins and Minerals – to boost your dog’s immune system and metabolism and maintain each so that it functions normally, reducing damage done to the body and promoting healthy cell growth. Vitamin and mineral sources may include:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
The difference as we have mentioned earlier, is the lack of quantity of these ingredients in most if not all cheaper dog food
This list is a general view of what you may find listed on the packaging you may have, as some Premium and Super Premium dog food manufacturers will produce different variations to accommodate our dog’s different needs. Some manufacturers believe that when choosing a Complete Balanced Dog Food brand in the Premium and Super Premium category for your furry friend, it is always important to take their age, size, weight, activity level and any possible intolerance or allergies into account. They believe that dogs require different amounts of each nutritional ingredient depending on their health and aspect of life.
Other manufacturers believe that dogs require the same nutrition to remain healthy while they are puppies and again when they become adults. This is because they believe their particular product has the ingredients and the right balance of vitamins and minerals that dogs need to maintain their health in all of their life stages and conditions.
Ultimately, the choice is yours but if this is starting to sound all too confusing for you, it certainly isn’t intentional; and although choosing the right dinner for your dog is important, it doesn’t need to be difficult.
If you do need help making a choice, Just Dog Food makes this task much easier for you because they only stock Premium and Super Premium dog food brands and they are always happy to help you make the right choice for your furry companion to stay happy and healthy!
Advice and information provided in this article is intended to assist in keeping your dog happy and healthy. Please always seek professional veterinarian advice for any specific concerns.
