When choosing food for your pets it is important that you read the labels to find out the nutrients they contain, and you should especially pay attention to the ingredients with which the croquettes are made.
Manufacturers and importers of dog food are required by law to place on the product label the «guaranteed analysis», with information regarding the protein, fat, fiber, moisture, ash and ELN of the products. But what do these values mean?
The first value to look at is the humidity, since water is the most basic nutrient for any living being. The moisture content of food will make it easier or harder to digest. A product with low moisture will be very difficult for dogs to digest.. In general, available dry feed contains between 10% and 12% moisture.
It is also important to look at the ratio of protein to fat; the amount of protein should always be greater than the amount of fat. All the croquettes included in the comparisons keep that proportion; however, beyond the percentage of protein marked on the label, what is important is its origin: the best protein is the one that comes from an animal source.
The best thing is that the protein comes from meat poultry, beef, pork, fish or some other animal suitable for consumption by dogs, since meat, whether fresh or dehydrated, provides a greater amount of protein and better quality, as well as other nutrients that benefit canine health.
If you want to know more about the aspects that you should take into account when choosing a food for your dogs and about the importance of looking at its ingredients to give them a better diet, check this note: What should you take into account when choosing croquettes for your dog?
The value of fiber refers to an indigestible portion of the foodsuch as cellulose and lignin contained in vegetables. Higher quality foods should be low in fibersince this makes them more easily digestible.
ashes refers to the result of an analysis technique that determines the percentage of product that does not burn and usually It is related to the content of mineral salts in the food.. Although it is not specified which minerals it refers to, its ideal value should also be low.
Finally, the ELN is the eNitrogen-free extract and usually refers to the content of vegetable carbohydrates in a food. If it is not specified on the label, this value is obtained by adding the percentages of water, protein, fat, fiber and ash and subtracting them from 100: the result is the ELN value.
Dogs do not have a requirement for carbohydrates of plant origin in their diet, since they obtain the nutrients they require from this type of glycogen contained in animal tissues, so the lower this value is, the better.
How to change your dog’s food without affecting its digestive health
If you have decided to change the food you give your dog, it is important that you do not do it from one day to the next., as the sudden change may cause stomach problems such as upset, indigestion, gas or diarrhea. To avoid it, make a gradual change over a week with the following recommended amounts:
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