The Seven Nutritional Factors of Quality Pet Food

Choosing a good diet for your pet is an important part of being a pet owner. Quality pet food improves your dog's health, which can mean fewer veterinarian visits and a longer life.

Factor One: Protein Sources

Since pet food ingredients are listed in order of content percentage, the first three ingredients listed should be protein sources. Look for a protein content of 30% or more and a fat content of 18% or more. The quality of the protein sources are also important. Stay away from "meat by-products" or any type of "meat meal." This is low quality meat, usually from cheap, discarded body parts. Meat-based diets are important for your pets since the majority of both cats and dogs are designed to ingest a lot of protein, which is much easier to digest than plant matter.

Factor Two: Quality Grains

Many foods are now going grain-free, and there is good reason for that-dogs and cats have a limited ability to sufficiently process corn, cornmeal, wheat or white rice. Either choose a grain-free food or look for whole grains such as brown rice or barley. Potatoes are also a good source of carbohydrates. A grain-based diet is particularly bad for cats and has been associated with digestive, bladder, kidney and allergy problems.

Factor Three: Avoid Preservatives

If there is anything on the label that you wouldn't want in your body, don't put it in your pet's body. Avoid BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin. BHT and BHA are both potential carcinogens, and ethoxyquin is used as a pesticide. Tocopherols (vitamin E) or ascorbate (vitamin C) are healthier preservative choices.

Factor Four: Avoid Additives

The best type of pet food is natural pet food. You should recognize the ingredients on the label. Avoid glyceryl monostearate, phosphoric acid and propylene glycol. These are ingredients used in antifreeze, fertilizers and detergents among other things.

Factor Five: Variety of Ingredients

The best foods offer a variety of nutrients such as dried egg, calcium, potassium, omega-3s, flax seed and other vitamins. Cats have their own set of dietary requirements that need to be included such as amino acids taurine and arginine, and fatty acids arachidonic acid and linoleic acid.

Factor Six: Avoid Food Coloring and Sugar

There is no need for either of these things in dog food. The only reason color is added is to make the food look more attractive to humans. The only reason to include sugar/sucrose/corn syrup is to make low-quality food more enticing to dogs and cats. If the food needs this, it is scrimping on something else that your dog or cat actually needs.

Factor Seven: Look for AAFCO

The American Association of Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) does rigorous testing on dog and cat food. It regulates the quality of ingredients and doesn't allow feathers, nails, bone etc as filler in food. If AAFCO has certified the food, you can feel confident that it is being regulated for quality.

Before purchasing pet food, check out the ingredient label. If you keep these seven factors in mind, you will find a high-quality diet for your dog or cat.