Q:

There are so many brands of dry food in the market. How do I know which is the best for my dog?

A:

Eating right matters. Not every brand of dry food in the market may be suitable for your dog. However, the right diet will ensure your dog stays healthier and live longer. Read the following steps on how you can choose the best for your dog:

1. First ingredient first. Check the ingredients. In pet food, the ingredients are listed in descending order. This means that the first ingredient contains a higher percentage in the diet as compared to the second ingredient. And the second ingredient contains a higher percentage in the diet as compared to the third ingredient and so on.
   
2. Meat is the building blocks of protein a dog needs and it should be listed as one of the first three ingredients.
   
3. Choose a dry food according to your dog's needs. A diet with more protein and fat content may not be the best for your dog. For instance, a diet with too much protein will be unnecessary for a senior and overweight dog. Worse, it may strain on their kidneys if the protein consumed is more than required. The best level of proteins and fats depend on your dog's age, activity level and weight. If your dog is on an all-life-stages diet, feed strictly according to the guidelines.
   
4. If your dog has frequent outbreaks of skin allergies, choose a novel food with meat proteins your dog has never tasted before. Go on a food elimination trial. Feed your dog only its novel food during the two month observation period. If your dog recovered, food is likely the cause of its skin allergies. If skin problems persist even after two month, try another novel food.
   
5. Look beyond the claim. Dig deeper. What's labelled, as premium on the packaging may not be really premium if the ingredients are unhealthy. And of course, quality matters. Dry food filled with colourings, indigestible fillers and high preservatives provide no nutritional value and can cause health problems.
   
6. The most common documented allergens are corn, soy and wheat. Avoid these totally if your dog has sensitive skin.

After you have fed your dog the selected dry food, review your dog's condition after a month. If the coat is healthy and your dog enjoys its meal, congratulations you have found the right diet.