So, you're at Wags and you see that there are a million different types of foods that you can take home for your new furry friend. You have a few options:
A.) Wing it
B.) Ask a Wags associate
C.) Buy a bag of every food
D.) Read this post and make an informed decision
We obviously can't force you to do anything, but we feel that there are some good answers and some bad answers up there. In this series of pupdates we will be dishing out some knowledge on how to make the right decision for your four-legged pal.
At Wags, we have high standards when it comes to food. We want our pets as happy and as healthy as possible. We know that sometimes your budget can influence decisions, but we do feel that there are strong middle-of-the-road food options for those who don't want to spend a fortune. And that's okay!
Being Picky can be a Good Thing
Some of the major things we look for in the foods that we feed to our own pets:
- Corn, wheat and soy free.
- No grain 'leftovers' or by-products (ex: brewers rice).
- First two ingredients are a named meat or meat meal - Chicken or Chicken Meal, NOT Poultry or poultry meal. We want to know the exact type of protein in the food.
- No artificial colors (red 40, Yellow 6), flavors (watch out for digest) or preservatives (Ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT, Propylene glycol).
- No unnamed by-products, meat and bone meal, unnamed proteins.
- No unnamed animal products ('animal' fat, 'poultry' fat 'fish oil).
A quick refresher from Part 3 of our food label series, don't forget about Nutrient Profiles! Classifying your dog or cat into a growth or adult maintenance category will ensure that the food provides the nutrients and vitamins that it needs at that stage of it's life.
More next week!