There are many different types of dog food formulas available to purchase for your dog. There are “allergy-free” formulas, “low sodium” formulas and “high protein” formulas. However, there are some types of dog food formulas that aren’t so easy to figure out. Here is a general guide to three of the most commonly misunderstood types of dog food formulas.
Economy Dog Food
Economy brand dog food formulas are usually the least expensive dog food formula sold at supermarkets. Some of these formulas may be under the store’s name brand. These formulas are often advertised as “best value”, “lowest price” and “economy package”. However, these Economy formulas are often the foods that contain the lowest amount of nutrition for your dog. Since they’re priced so low, they contain a high amount of cheap filler ingredients. Corn is the most common type of ingredient that is used as a filler in many dog food formulas. Some formulas even have corn listed as the first three ingredients, meaning that it makes up the bulk of the formula. Economy formulas often contain by-products, artificial preservatives, chemical coloring and other undesirable ingredients. It’s usually best to avoid ever feeding your dog an economy formula.
Super Premium Dog Food
Super Premium dog food formulas are usually the most expensive dog food formulas you can purchase. However, this is for good reason. Super Premium dog food tend to have very high quality ingredients, as well as a high level of nutrition. They most likely contain a protein source as their first ingredient, and may even have four of their first five ingredients as protein-based. Super Premium formulas often are free of artificial colors, artificial flavors and chemical preservatives. They are also sometimes free of common allergens such as corn, wheat or soy. Some super premium dog food formulas may also be cooked at low temperatures, in order to preserve more of the nutritional value of the ingredients. Most dogs will be able to consume a lower amount of a super premium dog food formula, since they are able to more easily digest the ingredients.
Grain Free Dog Food
Grain free dog food formulas are one of the most commonly misunderstood types of dog food. Since many people are now accepting the fact that dogs don’t thrive on a high-carbohydrate diet, grain-free dog food formulas have been rapidly increasing in popularity. Many commercial dog food companies are producing grain-free formulas of their own in order to take advantage of this. However, not all grain free dog food formulas are truly nutritious options for your dog.
Many people mistakenly believe that a grain-free dog food formula is also free of carbohydrates. This is usually not the case, especially with dry formulas. In order for dry formulas to maintain their shape, a starch or carbohydrate is often used. In grain-free formulas, there are usually still carbohydrates present. In some grain-free formulas, the amount of carbohydrates may even be higher than in other formulas! It’s important to read both the ingredients and the guaranteed analysis very carefully.