With all the different dog foods on the market, which healthy dog food is right for your dog? I was reading Top Dog Foods for Total Wellness put out by The Whole Dog Journal recently and would like to share the information with you.

In determining the right food for your particular dog, you need to consider several things:

-Your dogs age: puppy, adult, senior.

-Your dogs sex: neutered/spayed, pregnant/lactating.

-Your dogs condition: fat, skinny, just right, energy level & amount of exercise it gets.

-Your dogs health history: medical conditions and special diet needs.

-Your budget.

-Product availability in your area.

The food you choose for your beloved pet should include:

-Superior sources of protein. (either whole, fresh meats or single-source meat meal).

-A whole-meat source as one of the first two ingredients.

-Whole, unprocessed grains, vegetables, and other foods.

High-quality dry foods should contain a minimum of the following:

-Food fragments which are low-cost by-products of another food manufacturing process.

-Meat by-products which are not necessarily bad, but may not be of the highest quality due to handling that is not as quick or careful as it should be.

There is no single best healthy dog food. All dogs are different. Some dogs do well on a high protein diet, others do better on a lower protein diet. A food that seems to be great for your neighbors dog, may or may not be great for your dog because of varying nutritional needs. Let your dog be the judge of what is best for him. A good dog food will contribute to a healthy coat, good energy level, balanced temperament & great health.

Try a number of high quality foods and select three or four that your dog seems to really do well on and then rotate every few months to help prevent the possibility of nutrient toxicity, deficiency or imbalance. Varying the protein source in the food can help prevent allergies for developing as well.

When switching from one dog food to another, switch over several days gradually increasing the amount of the new food, this will help your dogs digestive tract to adapt to the new food. Do not hesitate to discontinue a food that does not seem to agree with your dog.

For more information on the topic of Top Dog Foods for Total Wellness go to http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/ I hope, that this article has been helpful in your determination of selecting the right food for your dog.

Heres to the health & happiness of the Perfect Paws in your family.

Hug your Pet today!!

MaryLou
www.theperfectpaws.com