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Acorn House - What should I feed my dog?
What should I feed my dog?
There is a huge range of pet food available, and a lot of conflicting opinion as to which is best. So how should pet owners decide what to feed their dogs?
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Avoid sudden changes
When new puppies are taken from their mothers and moved into their permanent family homes, this is a time of great change and upheaval for the pup. Finding out which food the puppy has been fed by the breeder and continuing with this food for at least the first weeks, will reduce stress and avoid upset tummies.
Ensure the food is balanced and complete, safe and hygienic
Most dog food manufacturers are registered with the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, which proves that they have met legal safety and quality standards including regular testing and quality control of foods. Look out for the PFMA logo. In the UK, meat used for pet foods must be of a standard that would also be acceptable for human consumption (this is not the case in some other countries).
What about raw food?
Several raw food companies are registered with the PFMA and their foods meet standards of nutritional balance and hygiene (usually obtained by careful batch testing and prolonged freezing to reduce the risk of infectious disease despite the food being uncooked). However, purchasing raw meat intended for human consumption from a butcher or supermarket and then feeding it raw to your pet is strongly discouraged. This type of meat is legally permitted to have a bacterial level much higher than raw food intended for pet consumption (because it is sold with the expectation that it is going to be cooked). This can be dangerous for your dog but even more so for human members of the household when the dog licks hands and faces after eating the raw food..
Medical conditions
Dogs with particular issues such as gastrointestinal upsets, allergic skin disease, arthritis, kidney / liver dysfunction or diabetes may all benefit from a change in diet to assist in the management of these conditions. Your vet will be in the best position to advise on this, after a careful examination of your pet.
