Summarize the following:
You want to find natural foods for your pet that are created from real meat, vegetables, grains, vitamins, and minerals rather than just a variety of preservatives and chemicals. If you can read the ingredient list without a dictionary, chances are the food is healthy and nutritious. Look for labels that say the food is "fit for human consumption." If you can't eat your dog's food safely, it is much more likely to harm your dog's digestive system. Many advertisements tout meat as the first ingredient, but this doesn't always mean that your pet will receive high quality protein. In some cases, this may not even mean your dog is receiving more meat. Ingredient lists on nutrition labels are ordered by the weight of each ingredient as it is added to the recipe. Once cooked, this weight can change, so these lists can be misleading. In order to select a pet food with the best quality, natural ingredient, you'll need to understand how to accurately read these ingredient lists. Check for the percentages of protein, fat, and other nutrients in addition to reading the ingredient list. Different foods may offer the same amounts of key nutrients, but they can vary dramatically in price. This is generally because the more affordable foods use lower quality protein sources. Purchase the best quality food you can afford. This can include salt, sugar, artificial colors, and added flavoring. These unnatural nutrient sources do not add to your dog's nutrition in any way, but they are designed to make the food last longer without spoiling, look more appealing, or taste more like foods that your pet enjoys. While some dogs never show signs of digestive or other health concerns caused by consuming these unnatural food additives, others show significant negative response like decreased energy and elevated risk for diseases common among their breed. This is especially important as your dog ages or for younger dogs who are less active. Many prepackaged pet foods, even natural ones, include large amounts of sugar that make the food very high in calories without increasing nutritional value. In order to feed your pup the right number of calories, you'll have to feed them a less than satisfying amount of food. Ideally, your dog's food should be between 300 and 350 calories per cup, but most store bought pet foods are between 400 and 500 calories (or more) per cup. Count calories to make sure you're not overfeeding. Most major, commercial pet foods, canned, dry, or refrigerated, are manufactured months before they reach the store. This means they're high in preservatives that can decrease the nutritional value. However, many pet stores offer natural foods prepared in smaller batches or by local pet food manufacturers that have a much shorter shelf life because they use fewer preservatives. You can also purchase these more naturally derived foods from online directly from the manufacturer. Talk to your veterinarian or local pet store to get recommendations for natural, preservative free, and locally sourced dog foods. If you want to naturally boost the nutrition of any type of dog food, include some nutritional extras with every meal. Canned meats like chicken and salmon can dramatically improve your pup's protein and vitamin intake when mixed with store bought food. Another great, low fat treat that packs a heavy vitamin punch is canned pumpkin. Add a few scoops to your dog's meal once or twice a week to boost digestive function and deliver a number of necessary vitamins and minerals.
Check the label for recognizable ingredients. Learn to read the nutrition label. Avoid certain preservatives and fillers. Count the calories. Talk to your vet or pet food supplier. Include additives with store bought foods.