Have you looked at the variety of dog food in the markets lately? Browsing over all the bags, they all brag about the great quality of meat they have inside and how healthy the dog food is. But how do you know? You have to learn to decipher the dog food ingredients label to find out.

First, what really constitutes a healthy dog food? The fact is a healthy food differs for each pet. Dogs may be allergic to certain ingredients, have different levels of activity, medical conditions, and different stages in life. All of these factor into what type of dog food is healthiest for your dog.

Figuring out the type of dog food will narrow your list of dog foods greatly. Now you need to determine which has the healthiest ingredients for your dog. The first ingredient that should be listed is a meat. And that is where is starts to get tricky. Meat, meal, by-product. Huh? What happened to just meat?

What is the difference between a Meat, Meal, and By-Product? An identified animal meat, chicken for example, means the clean flesh from a chicken. Meal is simply the ingredient that has be dehydrated and ground. So chicken meal is dehydrated, ground up chicken meat. By-product is what is left over after all the usable meat has been removed (like the neck, feet, intestines, etc.) Chicken by-product would be processed and ground up chicken necks, feet, and who really knows what else.

Which is Better - Meat or Meal? Now you look at your dog food ingredients list. Naturally, most people would assume seeing the meat listed as the first ingredient would mean the best food. But in actuality, you want to see the meat in the meal form.

Ingredients must be listed in order of weight. Meat still has water in it, meat meal has been dehydrated. Therefore, one pound of meat meal will have more protein and nutrients in it than one pound of meat. When actually making the dog food, the meat will be dehydrated. If they listed the meat after this dehydration, it would fall much lower down the ingredient list.

Named Animal Meat vs Generic Category Meat. If the animal protein is from chicken, the label will read chicken, chicken meal, chicken by-product, etc. Now if it is from more than one type of animal, it may say the category of the animal, such as poultry. This means the manufacturer does not know the actual meat origins, just that they are of the poultry family (geese, turkey, chicken, etc). Worse yet, when any and all types of animals are used, it is just listed as 'meat', 'meat meal', or 'meat by-product'.

A general rule of thumb for a healthy dog food is if the animal source can't be identified, this is usually a good indicator to stay away from that dog food. 'Meat' is a definite clue for stay away! A class of meat, like poultry, although not as bad as just 'meat', still makes one question the source of the meat. A specific animal meat is best.

• Natural Dog Food Recipes by Moses Wright With concerns about the nutritional value of the contents of commercial dog food, some dog owners opt to make their own dog food. Manufactured dog foods advertised as using natural dog food recipes are becoming common. Dog owners have more options for choosing the best dog food......
• Dog Food Ingredients: Why Isn't A Meat Just A Meat? There are literally hundreds of different types of dog food in the market, and almost all of them boast that they are a healthy dog food full of fresh meats. But are they? Only the dog food ingredients label can tell you how what kind of meat is actually......
• Why The Food You Are Feeding Your Dog May Be Killing Your Pooch With the commercial pet food industry being under the gun in recent times, it can be hard for any of us to believe that we will not be seeing more pet food recalls in the near future. The sad truth is that the dog food we buy in the......
• Four Tips For Selecting Natural Dog Food by Kim Flemming There has been a lot of concern over different kinds of dog food. Various recalls and consumer complaints have shown that not all commercially sold dog food are good for dogs. This has led a lot of people to consider giving their pets natural dog food. There......

• Affiliate Marketing Secrets Affiliate marketing services are now much easier and closer to you than any other time before. In fact, you can make a search on websites for affiliate marketing business. Some years ago, affiliate marketing presupposed making calls to clients and tell many a customer the same information day after day.......
• Healthy Monounsaturated Fats The fact about fats is that we all need them. Fats are capable of helping in nutrient absorption as well as cell maintenance and nerve transmission. When we consume fats in unhealthy amounts, they can contribute to heart disease, weight gain and even certain types of cancer. All fats are......
• How to Eat Like a Skinny Person Steps Eat three square meals a day of real food. Many people who stay slim follow no rules, dietary restrictions, or the latest blacklisting of carbs, fat, or whatever. They claim to "eat everything". Stick to real food, the kind that lists only a few recognizable ingredients on the......
• What Are You Feeding Jake? [/caption]Many new dog owners find themselves in a quandary over what to feed their handsome boy when they bring him home. It is important to know that not all dog food is created equally. Most store bought brands, such as those advertised on television, contain more filler than healthful ingredients......

	Woofing it Down: The quick & easy guide to making healthy dog food at home List Price: $12.99 Sale Price: $11.68 Used From: $16.53
The complete Quick & Easy Guide to Making Healthy Dog Food At Home. Learn how dogs with chronic illness improved after being fed a healthy homemade diet of fresh foods. This book will help you dispel the myths that may be sabotaging your dog's health...

	Halo Spot's Stew Natural Dry Dog Food, Adult Dog, Wild Salmon Recipe, 10-Pound Bag List Price: $27.49 Sale Price: $27.49
The First Dry Food Worthy of Being Called SPOT’S STEW! Our holistic approach to dog care is based on treating the “whole animal,” using pure, natural ingredients in optimum formulation to stimulate the body’s ability to heal and maintain itself...

Written by K.C. Jones using tags: dog food ingredients, healthy dog food, Pets