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5 YOU WANT YOUR DOG TO EAT A BETTER DIET, BUT YOU ARE JUST TOO BUSY … ALL YOU CAN DO IS FILL THE BOWL WITH KIBBLE
I WON’T LAY a guilt trip on you, but if this is all you can do, then at least feed your dog the best possible product. What is the best on the market? Obviously you’ll never know from the advertising claims. A number of health-conscious manufacturers do try to produce high-quality foods with few or no additives, and some of the veterinarians I spoke to had actually visited some of these plants and were familiar with the owners and their standards.
Because holistic veterinarians place such importance on nutrition, I asked each one I interviewed to name the brands he or she recommends to clients. Following are the results of this informal survey, with the brands most often mentioned listed first. My survey is hardly a scientific study of quality, but at least it gives you some better choices and the preferences of nutritionally oriented veterinarians. The list includes telephone numbers of companies in case you would like to obtain information on products and where to purchase them. Some of the brands are not widely distributed but can be shipped via UPS or other commercial carriers. You can often find a premium product on this list at a health food store, where pet foods tend to have higher quality and fewer chemical additives. Be sure to buy a product that turns over quickly and doesn’t sit on the shelf for months.
VETERINARIANS’ FAVORITE BRANDS
| Wysong (517-631-0009) | Solid Gold (800-364-4863) |
| Precise (800-446-7148) | Cornucopia (800-738-8280) |
| Innova, California Natural | Verus (800-548-2899) |
| (800-532-7261) | Lick Your Chops (800-542-4677) |
| Natural Life (800-367-2391) | Nature’s Recipe (800-843-4008) |
| Flint River Ranch (909-682-5048) | Nutro Natural Choice (800-833-5330) |
| Perfect Health Diet (800-743-1502) | Excel (800-592-6687) |
| Pet Guard (800-874-3221) |
Even if you feed a superior product, pet food manufacturers are not all-knowing, and there is probably going to be something lacking in any commercial diet you give your dog. “It’s a good idea to change the brand every few months from one of the better products to another good product,” advises Lynne Friday, DVM, of Lexington, Michigan.
Based on years of clinical observation and his own personal research, Carvel Tiekert, DVM, suggests that big animals do better on less protein. “Most people with giant breeds won’t take the time to home-prepare for the animals,” he says. “It’s too much work. So if you feed a commercial food, go right to an adult food after weaning. Skip the puppy food. It has too much protein. And as soon as the animal is about full-grown, switch to a senior diet.”