How To Choose a Dog Food

Dry food by age

• Dry food for puppies - their composition corresponds to the needs of the growing puppy. The puppy should be fed several times a day in smaller doses. Their digestion process is faster than of adult dogs who have already developed a longer digestive system.
• Dry food for adult dogs - contain a balanced amount of nutrients and vitamins needed for the dog in full strength and good health condition.
• Dry food for senior dogs - due to the decreasing physical activity of the dog, this type of dry food has a lower energy value and is often named as Light.

Dry food according to the dog's size

• Dry food for small breeds - comes in smaller pieces, the composition is also adapted to the weaker jaw muscles of smaller dogs.
• Dry food for medium size breeds - doesn't contain too small pieces which could get stuck in the dog's throat.
• Dry food for large breeds - large pieces enriched with substances strengthening joints.

Dry food according to the physical activity of the dog

• Highly active dog - a dog that uses large amount of energy during his regular training, dog sports or other physically demanding activities, needs food with higher energy value. Only then can the highly active organism properly regenerate.
• Normally active dog - during the usual walks the dog does not use that much energy, so regular dry food with average nutritional values should be sufficient. If you would feed him with high-performance food on long-term basis, it would most likely result in obesity and other health problems.

Dry food by health condition of your dog

• Hypoallergenic dry food - appreciated by dogs with allergies or intolerances to some ingredients of regular dry food. They are usually enriched with probiotics for further support of digestive system.
• Grain-free dry food - suitable for dogs with gluten sensitivity.

How do I tell what breed size my dog is?

Not sure whether your dog is still a medium breed, or it is already considered as a big one? The size of a breed is usually determined by the final weight of healthy adult dog. Breeds up to 10 kg are considered small, breeds up to 25 kg are medium size, and dogs up to 45 kg are large. Above 45 kg we are talking about giant breeds.

How do I recognize quality dry food?

The only way is to take enough time to carefully study the ingredients on the packaging. Meat should be at the very first place (fresh meat is much better than its dried form). Then you should look for meat meal, animal oils or fats, proteins - only animal protein sources are suitable. You will often find some more additives in the dry food, try to avoid protein hydrolysates, legumes and wheat.

The right type of can for your dog

Beside your dog's favorite flavour you should choose the right canned food by your dog's size, its age and physical activity. Some products also take account of possible health problems of the dog.

Canned food by age

• Cans for puppies - contain a balanced ratio of nutrients for healthy puppy growth, support correct development of joints. The meat is cut in smaller pieces which are easy to chew and swallow for the puppies.
• Cans for adult dogs - the content is adapted to the needs of an active adult animal. Since adult dogs consume much more food than puppies, these cans are packed in bigger portions and also contain larger meat pieces.

Canned food by size

• Canned food for small breeds - for dogs whose final weight (in age of about 12 months) is up to 10 kg. They contain smaller pieces for comfortable consumption.
• Canned food for medium breeds - for dogs whose final weight (in age of about 12 months) is up to 25 kg.
• Canned food for large breeds - is prepared for dogs whose final adult weight (in age of about 15-18 months) is up to 45 kg.
• Canned food for giant breeds - is intended for dogs whose weight goes over 45 kg in adulthood (age of 24 months).

Canned food by dog's activity

• Canned food for active dogs - takes into consideration the needs of active dogs in terms of sufficient nutritional value and protein content, which are necessary for the proper function of muscles.
• Canned food for senior dogs - have lower energy value due to reduced activity and mobility of older dogs, preventing obesity and problems with overloaded joints.

How do I tell which canned food is good?

High-quality canned food has meat in the first place. If they contain unspecified products of animal origin, it is not a suitable food as it usually means it contains skin or ground bones. Also look for canned food without GMO (genetically modified foods) and artificial preservatives - these can be replaced with healthy animal oils.

Can I feed my dog only with canned meat?

You should use the highest quality canned food containing 100% meat only as a supplementary food. Sounds like a paradox, right? Despite of their pure meat composition, the dog does not get all the necessary nutrients. Therefore, it is necessary to enrich these 100% meat cans with vegetables, pasta, rice, vitamins and minerals according to the needs of the animal.

Does a higher price of canned food mean a higher quality?

Unfortunately, according to the price you can not judge the quality of the can content. Always read the ingredients on the package and give preference to canned food with a higher meat content. If you want to save money, it is worth choosing a larger packaging.

Pouches by the dog's age

• Pouches for puppies - contain a balanced ratio of nutrients for healthy puppy growth, support correct development of joints. The meat is cut in smaller pieces which are easy to chew and swallow for the puppies.
• Pouches for adult dogs - the composition is adapted to the needs of an active adult animal.

Pouches by the dog's size

The pouches are designed especially for small and medium sized dogs. This is also reflected in their practical packaging in individual portions. Feeding a large dog with pouches would probably not be too comfortable for its owner and at the same time it would come out quite expensive. For larger dogs, it's better to use pouches as a supplementary food to diversify the usual diet.

Pouches according to dog breed

On the product box you will also find which breed is the product suitable for. Most pouches are suitable for all dog breeds, but on the market you will find pouches designed for specific breeds.

How do I tell which dog pouches are good quality ones?

First of all, quality dog pouches should contain good amount of meat and vegetables. They also contain vitamins and minerals. On the contrary, they shouldn't contain cereals, excessive salt, preservatives, colorants and unspecified chemical additives.

How to feed with pouches?

Pouches are very popular even with picky eaters, because of their attractive aroma and juicy consistency. Depending on the content of the pouch, you can use it as a complete food, but they are more often used as a supplementary food - for example, they can be mixed with dry food to make it more attractive or used as a treat. However, it is recommended to combine dry and wet food from one producer. This will reduce the risk of possible digestive problems.

Treats by dog's age

• Treats for puppies - contain a balanced ratio of nutrients for healthy puppy growth, they support correct development of teeth, joints and muscles. These treats are rich in proteins and vitamins.
• Treats for senior dogs - the composition is adapted to the needs of adult, less active animal. They usually have a lower caloric value.
• Treats for pregnant and nursing dogs - even female dogs will appreciate occasional nutrients and energy boost through treats. During the period of nursing their nutritional need increase - they might need up to 8 times higher calorie intake compared to other dogs.

Treats by dog size

• Treats for small breeds - for dogs whose final weight (in age of about 12 months) is up to 10 kg.
• Treats for medium breeds - for dogs whose final weight (in age of about 12 months) is up to 25 kg.
• Treats for large breeds - are prepared for dogs whose final adult weight (in age of about 15-18 months) is up to 45 kg.
• Treats for giant breeds - are intended for dogs whose weight goes over 45 kg in adulthood (age of 24 months).

Treats by dog's activity

• Treats for highly active dogs - are supplemented with substances supporting joint nutrition, they also contain more fats and proteins, so that a very active dog gets the necessary amount of nutrients to replenish energy.
• Treats for active dogs - all kinds of treats - of course in reasonable amount to maintain his health. Large quantities of treats can result in obesity.
• Treats for dogs with low activity - even dogs who are not very active like sweets, but they should be rewarded with low-fat treats, preferably with higher proportion of chicken, turkey, fish or rabbit meat.

Types of treats

• Dental treats  - are enriched with vitamins, minerals and food supplements. Their special shape and harder consistency help to clean teeth and strengthen the chewing muscles.
• Dried treats - usually good quality treats, which are made by drying lean meat. Drying itself is a preservation method, so this type of treats doesn't contain unnecessary additives and also smells and tastes great.
• Bones - partially fulfills the function of dental treats. In addition to vitamins and minerals, they also contain essential amino acids which are also great for health.
• Training treats - are rewards, positively motivating dogs, helping them to understand the accuracy of the commands. Generally they tend to be smaller, as larger quantities are expected to be consumed. They also have a softer consistency, so that the dog does not delay the training struggling with hard pieces.
• Biscuits - Compared to classic biscuits, these dog biscuits are much lighter, they don't harm the animal with unnecessary amounts of sugar, fat and gluten (part of the flour is replaced with a gluten-free alternative). They are also enriched with minerals and vitamins.

How do I tell if the dog treats are good quality ones?

Choose treats by their ingredients. Quality treats contain meat, fats, vitamins. On the other hand, cereals, sugars, colorants, preservatives and flavorings are unnecessary. So it is best to choose single-type meat treats.

How often can I give my dog treats?

This question depends mainly on two facts. First of all, it is the physical activity of your dog, then it also depends on the correctly determined caloric value and thus the appropriate daily food intake. Basically, you can use treats as needed (during training, as a reward, to clean dog's teeth), just remember that this is a supplementary food, not a complete food. At the same time, it is necessary to reduce the regular daily food portion adequately by the caloric value of consumed treats to avoid obesity or joint problems.

When to choose milk and when dry or canned puppy food?

If the puppy is unable to nurse, always choose milk for puppies. This will ensure an adequate replacement of mother's milk. You can buy a powdered milk and prepare it by mixing it with water according to the instructions on the package. At about two weeks of age you can add dry or canned meat pieces in the puppy's diet. Start with serving these as a supplementary food to the milk and gradually decrease the amount of milk until the puppy eats only solid food.

Puppy food by dog's size

Choose the puppy food carefully, beside ingredients also consider the size of the breed.

• Food for puppies of small breeds - for dogs whose final weight (in age of about 12 months) is up to 10 kg.
• Food for puppies of medium breeds - for dogs whose final weight (in age of about 12 months) is up to 25 kg.
• Food for puppies of large breeds - is prepared for dogs whose final adult weight (in age of about 15-18 months) is up to 45 kg.
• Food for puppies of giant breeds - is intended for dogs whose weight goes over 45 kg in adulthood (age of 24 months).

When to add dog food to the puppy's diet?

The general recommendation is that puppies should be given supplementary food once they start to see. That's about age of 14 days. Keep feeding regularly and also remember to check if the puppy gains weight.

How often to feed a puppy?

If your puppy is nursing and you are starting to serve supplementary food, divide the total daily dose into 4-6 smaller portions. You can maintain the number of portions even after weaning, keeping the high frequency of feeding up to 6 months of age, however, you can gradually reduce the number of portions. Half-year-old dog will be happy with two to three portions a day.

What kind of hypoallergenic food should I get?

Hypoallergenic food does not contain gluten, so if your dog has a problem with it, just choose the preferable flavour. You can also choose the food according to your pet's intolerance, for example, you can exclude certain types of meat, potatoes or cereals from their diet. Holistic food is suitable for dogs with sensitive digestion, it usually contains pure meat enriched with vitamins and herbs.

Hypoallergenic food by the dog's size

• Hypoallergenic food for small breeds - for dogs whose final weight (in age of about 12 months) is up to 10 kg. They contain smaller pieces for comfortable consumption.
• Hypoallergenic food for medium breeds - for dogs whose final weight (in age of about 12 months) is up to 25 kg.
• Hypoallergenic food for large breeds - is prepared for dogs whose final adult weight (in age of about 15-18 months) is up to 45 kg.
• Hypoallergenic food for giant breeds - is intended for dogs whose weight goes over 45 kg in adulthood (age of 24 months).

Hypoallergenic food by dog's age

• Hypoallergenic puppy food - contains a balanced ratio of nutrients for puppies with digestive problems or allergies, supports correct development of joints and muscles. The meat is cut in smaller pieces which are easy to chew and swallow for the puppies.
• Hypoallergenic food for adult dogs - the ingredients are adapted to the needs of an active adult animal with sensitive digestion or allergies. Since adult dogs consume much more food than puppies, the food is usually packed in bigger portions and also contain larger meat pieces or bigger pellets.

Hypoallergenic food by the dog's activity

• Hypoallergenic food for active dogs - takes into consideration the needs of active dogs with sensitive digestion, in terms of sufficient nutritional value and protein content, which are necessary for the proper function of muscles.
• Hypoallergenic dog food for senior dogs - has a gentle composition with lower energy value due to reduced activity and mobility of older dogs, preventing obesity and problems with overloaded joints.

Is hypoallergenic food suitable for dogs with diabetes?

Diabetes is not just a human problem anymore, it has been increasingly diagnosed in dogs. Special hypoallergenic dog food can compensate diabetes by regulating glucose intake. They often have a reduced fat content, but a higher fiber ratio, which can maintain a stable blood sugar level for longer than conventional food.

Will hypoallergenic food solve my dog's health problems?

The effects of hypoallergenic food can significantly help your dog in the area of health and relieve unpleasant discomfort. However, always consult your dog's health problems with a veterinarian. He will carry out blood tests and according to the results he will advise you exactly what is best for your pet, he can recommend an appropriate medication or special diet.