Food for dogs of large breeds: types and selection criteria

Each dog, depending on its breed, age, individual characteristics and environmental factors, has its own nutritional needs. And each owner has a choice - to compose the dog's diet on their own, or to resort to ready-made feed.

Of course, feeding a dog with ready-made food greatly simplifies the process of keeping an animal, especially a large one, but not all of them will be not only safe, but also beneficial for your pet's health. Let us consider in more detail the features of the compositions and the rules for choosing food for large dogs.

Every owner should know that when choosing food for his pet, the first thing to do is to pay attention to the composition. For example, when you are choosing food for large breed puppies, you should first look at the amount of protein in it, since it is he who is one of the main building components of their body. Moreover for dogs, meat protein is most desirable, as it is most physiological for your little pet's digestion... It is for this reason that it is important to maintain a rational ratio between the animal and plant components, and within the fraction of animal protein, between meat and protein of a different origin (for example, milk or egg).

It is also important to determine the presence of fat in the composition, because fatty acids are an excellent store of energy for their subsequent use in the growth of the dog. Fat is involved in the formation of adipose tissue, which acts as a heat insulator, mechanical protection of some parts of the body.

Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for your pet's current physiological processes. They can be divided into "fast" and "slow". Slow ones are more beneficial for the dog's body, as they do not stimulate the deposition of body fat., provide the body's energy balance for a longer time and give stable saturation. An abundance of light, fast carbohydrates, as well as an abundance of fat, leads to a rapid gain in body weight in a dog.

Micronutrients, such as vitamins and trace elements, ensure the dog's ability to maintain enzymatic processes, help in the formation of the connective tissue framework of the body and the proper functioning of its systems.

Dog food is divided into economy, premium and super-premium classes. Outside of this classification are the so-called types of ready-made food - holistic.

In economy class food, the content of natural meat is practically reduced to zero, its main component is meat by-products. In premium and super-premium food, the content of natural meat is much higher, and holistic food consists entirely of organic and useful components.

In addition, formulations can be classified according to several criteria - grain-free and grain-based protein, meat-free and meat-free, with and without flavorings, preservatives. It should also be noted that ready meals are divided into dry and canned (wet) varieties.

To choose a suitable ready-made diet for your large pet, you need to take care of the quality of this food, which, as a rule, manufacturers vouch for. First, let's pay attention to economy class feed.

• Dog Chow. As part of this raw material, the main source of protein is turkey meat, contains products from cereals, soybeans, as well as preservatives and flavorings. Of the advantages of the product, one can single out low cost, relatively high prevalence. Of the minuses - an inadequate composition, containing mainly turkey by-products, cereals, soy and only 30% protein, so this food is extremely non-physiological, especially for puppies.

• Food "Nasha Marka" for large breeds. This feed contains chicken, corn, sunflower and beetroot. This feed is also mineralized, but contains only a quarter of the protein, and the composition, as in the previous case, contains many by-products, such as flour from chicken parts. The advantage of this feed is its low price. And the disadvantages are in the same way dictated by the peculiarities of the composition - the likelihood of developing an allergic reaction to corn gluten, the non-physiological nature of the composition from by-products can disrupt the growth rate of the puppy.

• Pedigree for large breed puppies. The main source of protein, as in the past, is chicken offal and other types of meat. The carbohydrate donor is a mixture of semi-finished corn, rice and cereals, as well as beet pulp. The fats in this food are of animal origin. This food has the same advantages inherent in this price category - absolute recognition and prevalence, affordable price. The disadvantages of this food are the unbalanced composition, which threatens with disturbances in the growth and development of the puppy.

Next, we will turn our attention to premium feed.

• Royal Canin. This feed contains dried poultry meat, not offal. Corn is used as a source of carbohydrates. The pluses of the feed are the relative popularity, the average price, the presence of whole meat in the composition. Cons - half of the protein is of plant origin, not all of the composition is thoroughly stated, which does not allow us to fully assess the potential of this nutrition.

• Hill's Science plan. In this diet, as in the previous one, corn is the main forming component. Chicken in the form of flour acts as a meat component, there are additives in the form of animal fats, as well as a hydrolyzate of an unspecified protein - it is impossible to say whether it is animal or vegetable. Reviews of veterinarians are similar to the previous feed, since the composition is not entirely clear and it is impossible to assess the harm or benefits of this feed for the dog's health.

• Pronature. Sources of protein in the feed are chicken and corn gluten. Its protein content is slightly less than 40%. The carbohydrate component is presented in the form of rice and corn flour, there is an enrichment with minerals. In the list of advantages of this feed, a noticeable plus is the price, relatively rich in protein composition, mineralization and saturation with micronutrients. This feed is not without its drawbacks - undisclosed distribution of proteins by origin, the product is relatively difficult to find in stores, since it is not very widespread.

• Probalance. This diet contains up to 30% of dry poultry meat. In addition, this diet includes cereals (rice, barley, oats), chicken fat and vegetable oils such as flaxseed. In addition, the composition is abundantly mineralized and fortified, but it contains not entirely safe additives (E321). Thus, the pluses of the feed include a very compromise price with good quality performance, because almost a third of the feed consists of whole, albeit dry, meat, and carbohydrates in the feed are not in the form of offal. Disadvantages of the product - it contains the aforementioned controversial additive, the safety of which is not fully understood. In general, this feed is an excellent option in terms of price-quality ratio.

• ProPlan for large breed puppies. It contains 17% chicken protein, which does not allow us to unequivocally assert that this is only meat. It also contains corn, wheat, animal proteins, beet components and other plant and animal ingredients. Moreover, beets and some of the plant components are presented in the form of by-products. The composition does not clarify what kind of "flavor and feed additive" is used in the feed, and the complex of incoming vitamins is also not specified. Thus, the advantages of this feed are recognition, availability, price; cons - there is little protein in it, the presence of offal, undisclosed components.

Rating of super-premium feeds, as well as holistic rations.

• Acana. This diet contains almost entirely natural ingredients. The source of animal protein in it is chicken meat, both fresh and dry, separated from the bones. There is also turkey meat and other meat components, the sum of the volume of which gives the proportion of meat in the product above 62%. Eggs, beans and many other natural plant components are also present. It is important to take into account that during the cooking process the meat decreases, therefore the share of protein in the final product is declared at 33%, and the manufacturer maintains this bar.There are no artificial ingredients in this feed, and the available natural product is very high quality. The composition of the food is balanced, so it is very beneficial for the dog. Pros - the above product quality, balanced composition; cons - the price, also it is not always possible to find it in the supermarket near the house.

• Now. This feed contains turkey, salmon, egg white. The meat parts of the product are presented in the form of fillets, eggs - whole. This diet is grain-free, and the main source of carbohydrates in it is potatoes. In addition, in the composition, as in the previous version, all the ingredients are natural, but their percentage is not indicated, so it is difficult to say how much meat is contained in the feed. The total protein is a little less than thirty percent. The advantages of this feed are the availability of natural products, their relatively physiological layout, and among the significant disadvantages there will be an understatement of the composition and a relatively high price.

• Farmina N&D. As part of this feed, the main donors of animal protein are fresh and dry boneless chicken meat, egg components, chicken fat and fish (its meat, fat). The food contains dry vegetables, fruits, vitamins and microelements. There are natural flavors. The main source of carbohydrates is potatoes, and plant fibers are peas. The advantages of this feed are the natural origin of the ingredients, the balanced composition; cons - the price, it is also not always possible to find this food nearby.

• Orijen. This diet contains up to 20% fresh boneless chicken, up to 15% dry chicken and about 10% animal components, which makes it very rich in protein. The carbohydrate component is presented in the form of sweet potatoes, peas and lentils. The plus of this diet is its usefulness, but such an abundance of protein (38% of the protein in the final product) is controversial, minus the price.

The choice of food for active and large dogs should be treated very responsibly and carefully. Therefore, the choice of "dish" can be guided by the following principles.

• If possible, exclude all economy class foods from the sample, as they often consist of offal, their formulation is imperfect, and the composition is not in balance, which disrupts the growth rate of the puppy or the physiological processes of the dog at any age.
• If price is not a limiting factor for you, it is advisable to turn your attention to foods with a completely natural composition, for example, holistic or super-premium group, since such foods will have the best absorption, causing the least discomfort to the dog's digestion.
• On the food you are interested in, there should be notes that this food is intended for large dogs, and if you still have a puppy, then other relevant marks. In addition, the reverse side of the package should indicate the portion distribution for an adult dog or the consumption rate for puppies of different ages.
• Always read the ingredients carefully. The feed should be free from taste modifiers, flavorings, preservatives. When looking at the ingredients, pay attention to whether the food is whole foods or flour. Also look at the distribution of protein, fat and carbohydrates in the feed, plant and animal proteins, and whether there are grain components. If your dog has an active, agile disposition, you should focus on refining the amount of protein and carbohydrates.
• It is very important to pay attention to the calorie content of the feed, the lower it is, the better the health of your pet will be in the future.
• Be sure to read the reviews, ask the breeders you know - they may have advice for you regarding the choice of feed.
• After purchase, try a small dose on your dog. If she likes the food, you can switch to this diet completely, but if she does not like this product, she will have to look for another.

Large dogs have their own dietary habits.For example, large dogs are at risk of certain diseases, such as gout, and increasing body weight puts more stress on the supporting joints, which leads to their chronic damage.

For information on how to choose dry dog ​​food, see the next video.