The most common indicators of a good dog food
Based on our experience, the following indicators, in general, show that your dog is eating a correctly-formulated and balanced diet:
COAT
The dog’s coat should be soft and shiny, and without itchiness or indications of an allergic reaction. Food aller-gies start to subside quickly and disappear in most cases when the correct food is given.
POOP
The dog’s faeces should be firm, small and not too frequent.
PALATABILITY
The dog should enjoy the food and eat with enthusiasm. This could wane a little once the novelty of a new food has passed. A balanced food, high in fat and protein, will satisfy dogs with smaller than usual amounts. This is normal.*
PUPPIES
If a mother is properly fed, it results in better development of puppies in utero, as well as from birth to eight weeks. It also helps her to provide enough milk. The correct early nutrition for weane puppies is also critical for growth and future health.
* Note: It is important not to over feed, as some dogs do not stop when they’ve had enough. This can easily result in the dog
gaining weight. In such instances, rather choose an option with a lower fat and protein content.
Issues to be aware of
PUPPIES’ FEED REQUIREMENTS
Take special note of the feed requirements of puppies.
Particularly in large and giant-breed dogs, excess feeding of a
high-quality feed will result in too rapid growth. Should a puppy
show signs of developing limb deformities, this can be corrected
with rapid correction of feeding, as well as supervised care.
DIARRHOEA
This can develop from a too rapid changeover from one type of food to another, especially when the change is from a low-quality, high-grain-based diet to a premium diet. The conversion should be made gradually to ensure that the gut adjusts to the change. Start off by mixing one third of the new feed with two thirds of the old, then 50-50, and conclude the changeover with two thirds of the new feed to one third of the old.
Depending on the circumstances, dog owners may want to consider starting with a formulation in the Ultimate Canine Nutrition product range with lower fat and protein content before moving to a formulation with a higher protein and fat substance. This approach can also be useful in animals with more sensitive guts. Diarrhoea should be limited to over-sensitive dogs or dogs with allergies to a specific ingredient. Chicken is the only ingredient in Ultimate Canine Nutrition which realistically could cause allergies. In this case, we recommend changing over to Ultimate Canine Nutrition’s Lamb & Turkey formulation.
ALLERGIES
The best way to trouble-shoot when a dog shows allergic reactions, is to feed it one specific dog food for at least two weeks and to exclude any other food intake. If the allergy persists, it could be caused by either the food or the environment in which the dog finds itself. Simply by feeding good quality ingredients in the right amounts, often makes a huge improvement to a dog’s skin.
Ingredients: 5 Important facts to take note of
ORDER OF INGREDIENTS LISTED ON THE FOOD PACKAGING
Ingredients are listed from the highest inclusion rate to the lowest. Protein should be first or second on the any ingredient list.
GLUTEN-FREE
Dog food should be gluten-free. Gluten is not only found in wheat, but also in maize. Any food containing maize or wheat is not gluten-free.
PROTEIN SOURCE
The total protein in a dog food could be made up of animal protein, or protein of plant origin. Dogs should get their protein only from good animal-source protein and not from plant-based protein (for example soy, maize or peas).
FATS AND FAT SOURCES
It is important that the source of fats is at the correct ratio of omega-3:omega-6. Omega-3 is found in linseed oil and fish oils. Ultimate Canine Nutrition uses fish oils from salmon, anchovies, sardines and pilchards, as well as a small amount of linseed oil.
Dogs’ fat-intake requirements are often higher than what is found in many dog foods. However, food containing the correct levels of fats can go rancid more easily. Therefore, it is important to store dog food in a cool, dry environment, away from direct sunlight and in a suitable container or foil bag.
