How To Select The Best Pet Food In 7 Easy Steps According To Leading Vets

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When it comes to selecting the best pet food, there are a lot of factors you need to consider. Check for your pet’s breed, size, and age. You also need to focus on the nutritional percentage of the materials in the pet food. Read on.

When it comes to selecting the best pet food for your cat or dog, most pet parents are often confused. With so many brands and products advocating they are the best, arriving at a perfect solution can become overwhelming. 

We all want what is best for our pets. This means that everyone wants to give the best nutritional goodness. We know that good and nutritional food can play a major role in- 

• Keeping them away from health issues
• Ensuring that their coats and fur is in top condition
• Supporting the wellness of their digesting systems
• Extending the length of their life and existence
• Keeping them energetic and active at all times

Pet food is the foundation on which a pet’s healthy life is built. Supplements have their role, but they can never be a substitute for high-quality pet food. 

This means that the food you get for your pet is very important in more ways than one. In this article, we speak with leading vets and try to arrive at a seven-step process to help you select the best pet food. 

Step 1: Understand your Pet’s Exact Needs

Are you living on a farm where your dog has to guard acres of land or are you living in an apartment and your dog gets 30 minutes of walking? This is an important consideration when it comes to deciding on the food. You need to look at your breed size, age, and the kind of activity they undertake every day. Protein is essential, but overfeeding your pet can lead them to become obese. This is why it is essential that you first consult with a vet. 

Step 2: Do Your Research about the Brands and Products

The next step involves understanding what kind of ingredients are there in the pet food. It is important to ensure that the protein element, be it beef, chicken or mutton occupies the top three positions. This is because, the higher an ingredient is listed, the more percentage it has in the final product. Ensure that of the total, 80% is the protein. Research as many brands and products as possible. Read the reviews to see what is best and what is a marketing stunt. 

Step 3: Choose an Online Pet Store to get your Food delivered-

The best and most nutritious pet food is not inexpensive. Going out the store to store searching for your brand during COVID times is also something that is not advisable. The best you can do is research an online pet store and get the pet food delivered. You can check the brands and products they have and place the order from the safety of your home. Finding an online retailer of pet food in Singapore can be a great way to get the best food for your pet.

Step 4: Grain-Free, BARF, or Balanced: Choose after Consulting the Vet-

If you are a pet parent, chances are that you have already come across such terms. Many believe that grains can trigger severe allergic reactions in dogs as they are not naturally bred to consume the same. Others feel that a RAW diet is the best for ensuring great teeth and a healthy coat. However, at the end of the day, it is key that you choose a balanced diet for your pet. You need to consult with your vet and run tests to see whether the dog is allergic or not. 

Step 5: Start with a Small Sample of Pet Food and slowly make the transition- 

You mustn’t alter the entire pet food feed at one go. Animals are creatures of habit and they do not like radical changes to their food. Ensure that you are slowly making changes in small intervals. This not only helps the animal make the transition but also allows their digestive systems to become familiar with the new food. Shifting all at once can lead to stomach issues and trigger vomiting and diarrhea. Slow is the way to go in such cases. 

Step 6: Check for Food Certifications by Established Authorities-

While all reputed companies and pet food manufacturers are supposed to get their products rigorously tested, only a handful of them ultimately do it. You must have read other articles about a certain institution called AAFCO. It is a very similar organization as compared to the US FDA and stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials. An AAFCO certification is considered the gold standard as far as pet food is concerned. 

Step 7: Do not Stick to One Pet Food, Brand, or Product for a Long Time- 

Leading vets believe that pet food should be changed every six months to a year. This is because diverse nutritional percentages are available in different kinds of food. Depending on what your dog needs in his or her current stage of life, it is best to keep altering the food. However, it is important that you first talk to the experts and vets before you unilaterally decide to switch the food at one go. 

The Final Word

We have already mentioned that nutrition-rich food is very important for your pet’s health. It is up to the pet parents to ensure that they are investing in detailed research before feeding their pets. If you are unsure, always look for consultations with other pet parents, vets, breeders, and platforms like the AKC. If you are a first-time pet parent, you will feel confused. This is all but natural. 

The important thing is to understand how you can move forward and ensure the best for your pets. If you would want us to answer any more questions regarding the diet, food, or allergies of specific kinds, let us know in the comments section below. 

FWe will request our experts and vets to try and answer as many of your queries as possible. Till then, we wish you all the best and pray for the health, safety, and long life of your furry friend.

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