Nutrition Guide: Which Dog Food Should I Choose for My Dog?

Denkadog's nutrition guide helps you find the right food for your dog. Choosing the right dog food can be difficult without expert advice. You often adopt the breeder's food when you buy a puppy. It is wise to consider carefully why you choose a certain food. After all, it is the basis for the health of your new housemate. If you give the wrong food, it can cause all kinds of problems. To ensure that your dog gets everything he needs, you must adapt the dog food to the life stage your dog is in. A puppy has different needs than an adult dog and the same applies to an older dog. We are happy to help you find the right dog food for your dog with our professional advice and our nutrition guide.

Feeding Guide for Your Dog: Ask Yourself the Following Questions

• What is the age of my dog?
• Is it a complete diet?
• What form do I want to give (for example chunks or fresh meat)?

What are the properties of good dog food?

Meat as an important source of protein

Animal proteins contain the most optimal amount of amino acids, which is beneficial for the dog's immune system, muscle building and cell renewal. Meat is therefore necessary in the dog's diet. However, the quality of the meat is also very important.

Cereals

There are chunks with and without grains. Most dog chunks contain grains. The grains (wheat, barley, rye, rice, corn) in dog chunks are a source of energy for your dog. There are quite a few myths about whether grains are good for dogs or not. They are seen as fillers. Dogs need a complete diet. Grains are an essential part of the diet as a source of energy. They provide fiber for the functioning of the intestines. Grains are a good source of carbohydrates. Dogs are very capable of fully digesting a lot of starch and carbohydrates. Our dogs are not wolves. Fifteen thousand years ago they evolved to the lifestyle of humans. With the current diet, hygiene and medical care, life expectancy increased enormously. They are getting older and stay healthy. For some dogs of a single breed (e.g. Irish Setter) the gluten found in grains can cause stomach or intestinal problems . Denkadog Hypo Sensitive and Denkadog Hypo Allergic are gluten-free foods.

Low salt content

Salt is an important ingredient in your dog's diet. Too much salt can lead to a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart problems and kidney problems.

No additives

That is, no chemical colorants, fragrances and flavors. These are not healthy and your dog does not need them at all. Good food can also be made without chemical antioxidants such as BHT and BHA.

How to determine if you have the right nutrition?

There are a few aspects that are important for the right food for your dog. What do you think about your dog?

• Does your dog have a shiny coat?
• Is your dog's stool good?
• Is he often sick or is he a healthy dog?
• Is he very itchy, thin or smelly?

You can actually read everything. If your dog looks good and healthy, he is doing well on his current food. If your dog often has health problems and is not feeling well, switching to a different food is the first step. Do this slowly, so that your dog can slowly get used to the new food. You will then have to give this different food for at least 6 weeks in order to be able to make a correct assessment. Pay close attention to his stool . Is it thicker or thinner? The amount of water drunk and urinated is important. Urinating a lot can be caused by too much salt in the food. Too much salt in the food is taxing for the kidneys and therefore unhealthy. Older dogs quickly start urinating more on a poorer food. If the food is working well, this will often be noticeable in your dog's energy and in his coat. Of course, it is also important that the dog eats the food.

Which dog food is most suitable for my dog ​​and which one should I choose?

Of course you want the best for your dog, but it has to suit you. Money and convenience also play a role here. Fresh meat or frozen food, for example, is more laborious and expensive than dry kibble. But do you want to have the meat for your dog next to your own piece of cheese in the same refrigerator? The following three factors are important:

1. The food must fully cover all the needs of your puppy, adult dog or senior dog. Complete food (it will say "complete dog food" or "complete animal food" on the packaging) meets the legal requirements.
2. What form do you want to give? This could be dry chunks in crunchy or pressed form, frozen, canned food or self-prepared raw meat and vegetables.
3. Are there any special dietary requirements for a pedigree dog or do you do a lot of sports with the dog?

Dry chunks

These are chunks that are made with grains, potatoes, peas or sweet potatoes as the basic ingredients. The dry chunks can in principle be made from all kinds of vegetables. Meat from meat meal, oils, fats, vitamins and minerals are then added to this. Together they form a chunk. Dry chunks are available in 2 variants. The pressed chunk (pellet) and the crunchy extruded chunk (croc). The method of production affects the digestibility of the food. The advantage of dry chunks is that they are easy to store outside the freezer and refrigerator. In addition, they are interesting in terms of price and of consistent quality.

What is the benefit of dog food?

Many people wonder what the benefits are of dry dog ​​food as opposed to just meat. Here are some of the benefits:

• Complete and good nutrition;
• Safe;
• Long shelf life;
• Easy;
• A suitable variant for every dog;
• Quality controlled and stable;
• It provides relief from health problems.

There is quite a difference in the quality of various dog food. The quality of dog food is usually directly related to the price. The cheap supermarket brands usually do not contain sufficient nutrients and the quality of the food often leaves much to be desired. Cheap food can often not or less well be absorbed by your dog. As a result, your dog may not absorb all the nutrients that are necessary for good health. Make sure that your dog has enough water available. Kibble contains relatively little water in contrast to meat and canned food.

You should choose your dog's food based on age. Puppies have different needs than senior dogs. With the right choice, you ensure that your dog gets the right and sufficient nutrients. There are special dog biscuits available for puppies , adult dogs and older dogs. Does your dog have health problems? Then you can adjust the food accordingly. For example, there is special food for dogs with stiff joints, dog food for a beautiful coat, and dog food for a dog with an allergy.

Frozen products

There are also products on the market that need to be stored in the freezer. These products are frozen after production. The idea often exists that only meat has been added. However, the "completely frozen" food also mentions grains and vegetables. Other products consist of frozen meat. Vitamins and minerals have been added to fully cover the need. Dogs often find frozen products very tasty. Frozen products contain a lot of moisture (70%) and therefore a lot of it must be given. That makes it an expensive food on balance. The quality is constant and reliable. Note that it should not be stored for a long time.

Canned food

The ingredients of all products must be listed on the label by law. Dogs often also like canned food. Canned food also contains a lot of water and therefore more of it must be given than dry food. Canned food is reliable and of constant quality.

Which dog food should you choose if your dog has health problems?

If your dog has health problems, you can reduce or even eliminate them by giving it special dog food. If your dog has complaints, it is easy to adjust the food accordingly. For example, special dog food is available for dogs with arthritis or stiff joints, overweight dogs , restless or anxious dogs, dogs with allergic reactions and difficult eaters. Denkadog products have been specially developed to provide extra support for various complaints.

Types of dog food

Pressed dog food

Pressed dog food is pressed at lower temperatures than other types of kibble (cold pressed to 70 degrees). Because it is manufactured at a low temperature, only meat meal can be used (no fresh meat). The kibble disintegrates in the stomach and sinks to the bottom where the liquid then rises. The stomach muscles ensure mixing.

Extruded dog food

Extruded dog food is made at a higher temperature than pressed kibble (120 degrees Celsius). The kibble in the stomach absorbs gastric juice and fills the stomach evenly. Here too, the stomach muscles ensure mixing. It is prepared with meat meal from fresh meat or a little fresh meat (max. 5%).

Pros and cons of pressed and/or extruded dog food

Extrusion is necessary to make the starch in the grains digestible for the intestines. We call this unlocking. This is also done, for example, when baking bread. The grains used in pressed pellets are preset to the production process of the pellets, unlocked and added separately. With extrusion, unlocking takes place during the production of the pellets. One point of the extruded feed is that air is present in the pellets and therefore becomes larger in volume than pressed pellets. That is why more pressed pellets can fit in a bag. Neither of the two feeds is preferred for the development or not of a stomach torsion.

The crispy chunks generally have less loss of quality during production than pressed chunks. (Research Wageningen University 2009). The digestibility of starch (carbohydrates: wheat, corn, rice, barley) is higher in crispy chunks than pressed chunks.

What kind of kibble are Denkadog kibbles?

Our webshop has a large assortment of crunchy chunks (croc shape = extruded chunks). We do not need to add substances ("glue agents") to keep the chunk together.

The pressed chunks in Denkadog's range are:

- Denkadog Cold Pressed Energy

- Denkadog Cold Pressed Beef

Wet food

Wet food, or canned meat, is well-tolerated by most dogs. A dog does not actually need to chew wet food. Keep in mind that tartar can form more quickly. If you give wet food, it is therefore important to regularly alternate with kibble. Due to the high moisture content, wet food is very susceptible to spoilage. Once the packaging is opened, the food can only be stored for a short time.

Fresh meat

Most dogs love fresh meat. It is however very difficult to keep control over the quality of the meat. This depends on where you buy the meat, what type of meat it is and where it was checked. If you only give fresh meat, your dog's diet can quickly become too one-sided. This may mean that they do not get certain nutrients or get too little of them. In addition, it requires extra care due to spoilage.

It is advisable not to vary your dog's dog food too much. If you first feed only kibble for a whole week and then fresh meat for a whole week, there is a good chance that your dog will get diarrhea . Of course, it depends on your dog, but in most cases you can combine meat with kibble. Preferably give a little of both at each meal. That way your dog has variety and the kibble ensures that he gets everything he needs.

Natural food

Nowadays we are conscious of our food. We want to know what we eat and where it comes from. For pet owners, the what and why of the food for their pet is also of great value. Denkadog offers your dog a natural dog food . Our dog food has been developed with veterinarians and nutritionists out of love for the animal and on proven scientific principles. With natural dog food you can spoil your dog in a responsible way. Denkadog food is made from 100% natural raw materials of high quality and without the addition of artificial preservatives of colorants, fragrances and flavors. The low protein and salt content in the food contributes to the maintenance of kidney, heart and liver function. An excess of protein and salt can accelerated tissues of the procedures such as kidney and heart collected. In old age, a high protein percentage in the food is even bad.

Vegetarian dog food

Many dog ​​lovers have a personal dilemma when it comes to dog food. As vegans, they have consciously chosen not to eat meat. This choice can also be made for the dogs they have. There are also other reasons why it is better for the dog not to eat meat. When dogs have difficulty breaking down the products in question, it may be advisable to switch to a vegetarian diet. If your dog is allergic to a certain cause, this is a great solution. Denkadog Hypo-Sensitive is a complete vegetarian diet for adult dogs and is certified by the European Vegetarian Union.

Trust our advice and choose the right dog food

Have you found the ideal dog food for your dog after reading our advice? Then quickly view our range of dog food and place your order. Are you not yet completely sure which food is most suitable for your four-legged friend? Then quickly fill in our handy food guide for your dog. Our food guide is short and user-friendly, so you can quickly discover the right food for your dog. Of course, we are also happy to give you personal advice about our dog food when you contact us. Let us know what we can do for you!

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