What is healthy pet food?
Our animal companions are our everything. They are part of the family, and we want to provide them with only the best. And what we want most is to spend many years with our furry friends, creating memories together and going through thick and thin.
To ensure that our four-legged family members remain a part of our lives for as long as possible, a healthy diet is essential. But how can you recognize healthy pet food and how can you find the right food?
1. What your pet needs to stay healthy
Dogs, as carnivorous omnivores, are not solely dependent on meat. They also obtain vital nutrients from plant-based ingredients, such as those found in the stomachs of prey animals. Vegetables and fruits provide dogs with a source of protein and carbohydrates.
You should always ensure that the food is suitable for your pet's current life stage and situation and take into account factors such as any existing illnesses and intolerances, as well as age, size, and activity level.
All important nutrients should be appropriately dosed and in the right ratio to each other. The more natural the source of these nutrients, the healthier and better tolerated they are. Both over- and under-supply pose a health risk.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Aber bitte gesund! Der Weg zum richtigen Futter ist manchmal lang und du solltest dich gut informieren, was eine artgerechte Fütterung von Hunden ausmacht.
2. What should be included and what should not?
In addition to the question of whether a food contains all the important components for a healthy dog life, one should also consider the unhealthy components of a food.
What does "animal by-products" actually mean? This includes, among other things: *claws & horns, fur & feathers, intestines & bladders, aged meat, meat from roadkill, waste from the food industry (e.g., food past its expiration date).*
These raw materials are not subject to any legal regulations regarding germ contamination and maintenance of the cold chain and must therefore be heavily heated and chemically treated. As a result, the remaining nutrients are lost, which then must be added chemically. It is legally permissible to label a food as having a "high meat content" - however, this slogan says little about the quality.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Ein Futter, nachdem sich unser Hund sein Schnäuzchen leckt - das wünschen wir uns doch alle! Hier lohnt es sich, auf hochwertige Futtermittel zurückzugreifen.
3. How to recognize healthy pet food
Is every food available in supermarkets or specialty stores healthy and sufficient?
The answer is: Not really. Most types of food found in stores cover the average nutrient needs of a dog. However, many products contain some nutrients in excess, which can lead to health problems just like under-supply. Even more important is the question: Where do the nutrients come from?
In conventional pet food, nutrients are largely synthetically added. To offer dog food at discount prices, artificial additives are often used instead of natural raw materials for cost reasons. Many of these additives have long been proven to have a carcinogenic effect in humans. Cancer is increasingly being diagnosed in pets as well - in dogs, cancer is already the number one cause of death.
A characteristic of natural and species-appropriate pet food should be that the included nutrients are added naturally - that is, through high-quality raw materials like meat, vegetables, fruits, and herbs. A gentle preparation of these ingredients retains more nutrients.
Unser Futter für Hunde: gesund, ehrlich, lecker.
Reading Labels
To bring you closer to this aspect, let's take a look at the ingredient list of our →"Extra Meat" wet food for dogs (lamb flavor) and compare it with the contents of a conventional wet food (also lamb).
Wet food at Pets Deli
70.0% lamb (consisting of lamb hearts, lamb meat, lamb livers, lamb lungs, lamb tripe), 24.9% broth, 2.0% sweet potatoes, 2.0% carrots, 1.0% minerals, 0.1% thistle oil
Conventional wet food
60% meat and animal by-products (of which 4% lamb), grains, plant-based by-products, minerals, sugar
You can recognize good food by its transparency: The sources of the nutrients in their proportions are clearly known. In conventional food, it is not clear what and how much of each ingredient is actually present. Natural nutrients? Not a chance. You must assume that the nutrients that must be included in a complete feed are added artificially.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Welpen haben bis zum 12. Lebensmonat besondere Bedürfnisse und benötigen deswegen ein spezielles Juniorfutter. Später kannst du deinem Hund das gleiche Futter geben.
4. Effects of unhealthy pet food
While you may save money initially with conventional pet food made from cheap raw materials, the first veterinary visits usually won't be long in coming.
An unhealthy food, often enriched with a high grain content, sugar, flavor enhancers, as well as color and preservatives, usually causes itching in your pet after a short time, followed by dull, flaky fur. Gluten-containing grains are statistically the feed component with the highest →allergy potential. While our pets can process gluten-containing feed components in small amounts, a large quantity, as often found in conventional food, is bound to trigger a defensive reaction of the body. This is accompanied by bloating and other digestive problems.
The sugar that you will often find on the ingredient list of conventional pet food also harms your pet in the long run: Obesity and diabetes can be the result.
Our Conclusion
Healthy pet food has a significant impact on your dog's physical and mental health. Now you have received a small guide on what your furry friend needs to remain healthy and vital for a lifetime. You also know how to recognize healthy and high-quality pet food and distinguish it from conventional products.
At Pets Deli, we have made it our mission to offer an alternative to conventional products and make species-appropriate and natural feeding of dogs accessible to everyone. We completely avoid gluten-containing grains, sugar, flavor enhancers, and colorants. Instead, our food shines with high-quality raw materials, gently cooked vegetables, fresh fruits, and rich oils and herbs.
With us, you will find healthy pet food for every need - whether BARF fresh menus, wet food, dry food, or healthy treats. If you are still unsure which food is suitable for your furry friend, simply try our free →feeding consultation.
