Dog food information

There are many varieties of dog food to choose from.

Dog food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by dogs or other canids. Special dog foods given as a reward, and not as a staple, are known as dog treats.

Some people make their own dog food or feed their dogs meals made from ingredients purchased in grocery or health-food stores; many others rely on commercially manufactured dog food.

Homemade diets There are many different recommendations on what diet is best for dogs. Some people argue that commercial dog foods contain additives or poor-quality (or even dangerous) meat or ingredients that dogs should not ingest or that certain commercial foods are not nutritionally sufficient for their dogs. Different homemade diets are recommended by various experts, from "natural" diets consisting primarily of raw meat, to vegetarian diets consisting only of nutritionally balanced vegetarian ingredients, to mixtures consisting of ingredients such as brown rice, brown pasta, meats, eggs, and vegetables.

Most dogs willingly eat vegetables, particularly if they are cooked, and many kinds of fruit, although grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs.

Commercial dog food

By its water content, commercial dog food can be categorized into following types:

• Dried
• Semi-moist
• Moist

The making of dog food

Dried pellet dog food, called kibble, is made in two different ways: extruding and baking. During extruding, a mixture of raw materials is fed into an expander while pressurized steam or hot water is added. When removed from the pressure, the pellets puff like popcorn. The pellets are allowed to dry, then sprayed with vitamins, grease, or any other ingredients that are not heat-tolerant. The down side of extruding is that the fats added after cooking often turn rancid and the vitamins may be destroyed by heat during storage or shipping.

Dog treats are usually higher in grease or fats. These are usually designed to be held in a person's hand without being messy, and are often designed in fanciful shapes and colors.

Contents

Most commercial dog foods are made from materials unusable or less desirable for human consumption. These may include:

• Meat by-products or digests
• Meat-and-bone meals
• Grain by-products
• Restaurant grease

Less expensive foods generally include less meat, and more meat by-products and grain "fillers". The most expensive dogs foods may be made of ingredients suitable for human consumption, organic products or free-range meats. Dog treats are special dog foods given as a reward, and not as a staple food source. Enlarge Dog treats are special dog foods given as a reward, and not as a staple food source.

Special varieties

There are dog foods specially formulated to dogs that are allergic to wheat, corn, and/or chicken. These foods usually contain lamb or fish meat. Some dog foods are designed for dogs with maladies such as urinary tract infections, and some foods are tailored to the dietary needs of especially young or old dogs. There also exist vegetarian dog foods marketed to owners who do not wish for their dogs to consume meat products.

Common brands

* United States

• Alpo, Dog Chow (made by Ralston Purina Company, owned by NestlŽ)
• Artemis (made by Artemis Company [1])
• California Natural, Innova (made by Natura [2])
• Canidae (made by Canidae Corporation [3])
• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul (made by Diamond Pet Foods [4])
• Dr. Bilinghurst's BARF Diet (made by Barf World Inc. [5])
• Eagle Pack Pet Foods (made by Eagle Pack Pet Foods, Inc. [6])
• Eukanuba, Iams (made by The Iams Company [7], owned by Procter & Gamble)
• Kibbles 'n Bits (made by Del Monte Foods)
• Nutro (made by Nutro Products, Inc. [8])
• Pedigree pet food and Kal Kan (made by Masterfoods, USA [9])
• Royal Canin (mady by Royal Canin USA, Inc. [10])
• Science Diet (made by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. [11])
• Solid Gold (made by Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, Inc. [12])
• Wellness (made by Old Mother Hubbard [13])
• Natural Balance Pet Foods Dog food humans can eat by [Dick Van Patten] ([14])
• Wysong Pet Products (made by Wysong Corporation [15])
• Happy Pet Bakery, the first organic dog confection company ([16])