A Guide to Choosing the Best Dog Food for Your Pet's Needs

11 March 2025

Every living being needs proper nutrition to lead a healthy life. If you have a dog as your pet, you would want the best of everything for them. Choosing the best food for your dog might seem easy when you think only about filling the bowl. With multiple pet food brands in the market, anyone would end up confused while picking dog food products for their pets. Let us make that easier for every dog owner with this guide.

What Should Dogs Eat?

Many pet owners assume that cooking food for their furry companions at home is the ideal option. The problem is that food cooked at home might not meet all the nutritional needs of pets. Therefore, scientifically formulated pet food has become the most common way to get complete nutrition for dogs. While you may find different brands and types of pet food for dogs on the market, there are many aspects that you can consider when buying nutritious pet food.

Is Dog Food Right for "Your" Dog?

Dogs have different nutritional requirements according to their age, gender, physical activity, breed, and weight. Pregnant and nursing pets will need more nutrients, and their nutritional needs also vary with different stages of pregnancy.

Most of the variants of pet food for dogs focus only on age and weight. The standard labels on commercial foods for dogs in the market are for 'puppy' and 'adult dog.' Should you pick pet foods for your dog based only on their age?

We, Petscorner, will help you understand the individual needs of different dogs and select the best food for them.

What's the Breed?

The nutritional requirements of a Labrador will be different from that of a Yorkshire terrier.

Is it Spayed or Neutered?

Castrated pets are likely to have lower basal metabolic rate, which reduces their nutritional needs.

Does it Just Sit There Like a Rock?

If your dog goes to pet day care and likes physical activity, then they will need food packed with nutrients. Dogs that like to run around in the park must have bowls filled with all the energy they can lap up for the day.

Unraveling Details in Pet Food Labels

The information on pet food labels, in tiny letters, might be difficult to read. Most of us wouldn't have bothered to read what's written on the packets. However, for people who have dogs in their homes, the labels on pet foods are the best way to check their ingredients.

Does it Have "Protein"?

Dog foods with high-quality protein from genuine meat sources, such as beef or chicken, are the best picks for your canine friends. Have you seen pet foods that mention 'animal products' in their ingredients? They offer low proportions of meat protein as they use bones and cartilage as raw materials.

Pet food labels also help in finding out whether the product has artificial preservatives, fillers and byproducts. The labels tell you whether the food product is suitable for the age of your dog.

Hygiene and Safety of Dog Food Products

Toxins and pathogens are the biggest concerns for anyone buying pet food. Would you feed Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter to your beloved dog? Dog foods made with materials procured from safe and reliable sources don't pose such risks.

Dog foods may also have contaminated ingredients that produce different types of toxins. One of the common toxins in pet food, aflatoxins, grows due to fungi. Contaminated pork and grain products or chemical preservatives in pet food also present huge risks to their safety.

Is Your Dog Healthy?

Few dogs may have special dietary requirements due to various health conditions, such as allergies. People with dogs rely on pet day care to ensure the best facilities for the grooming and nutrition of their pets. Paying attention to the specific health conditions of dogs can help in picking the right food for them.

Dogs with kidney conditions may need low-protein food, while those with diabetes may need a low-carbohydrate formula. You must look for certain proteins or grains in the ingredient list that may stoke allergies in pets. Consultation with the veterinarian helps you recognize what you must avoid in food products for your pet.

Does Your Dog Like the Food?

Remember how you didn't visit a restaurant ever again due to the bad food they served you once? If your dog doesn't like the food, then there is no way you can expect complete nutrition for them. Once you have bought the pet food within your budget, try feeding it to your dog for a month. The response of your pet to their food will speak a lot about the quality of the products.

Is Your Dog Hungry?

First, you must observe whether your dog develops an appetite and looks forward to its next meal.

Is Your Dog Healthy and Active?

Other factors, such as energy levels and health conditions, also speak a lot about the quality of food you give dogs.

Is Your Dog's Coat Healthy?

The appearance of the coat also helps you check whether you have bought the right food product for your dogs.

Final Thoughts

The decision to buy dog food might seem like an easy task to many people. On the contrary, choosing the right food for your dog requires more than picking pet foods with all nutrients. You have to consider the nutritional needs of your dog, ingredients, nutritional balance, and safety while selecting pet food. Want some help? Pet care service providers with years of experience can guide you when it comes to selecting food for your dogs. The Pet Corner Salon is one of the trusted destinations to get everything good for your furry canine friends now.