If you want to care for your pet properly, you need to make sure that it gets the proper nutrition at all times. The right nutrition guarantees that your dog will remain healthy, energetic, active, and very happy.

This is the main reason why it’s very important that you give your pet dog the right food. Often times, this requires you to do some research as well as consult with your local veterinarian.

This way, you will be able to get the best kind of dog food that will nourish your dog properly without requiring you to spend a lot of money. In order to help you with your search, here are the different types of food that are available for dogs.

Dog Food Types

Canned Food: Canned food also known as wet dog food, this is the first kind of commercial dog food. Wet dog food is typically the dog’s favorite choice as it is massively appealing due to the consent of meat, tripe, and even vegetables.

Naturally, dogs are always going to prefer food if it contains actual meat although some foods can be guilty of introducing a high water content within their foods, meaning that as an owner you are essentially paying for water.

Wet food is also difficult to keep as it needs to be refrigerated once opened, this downside is offset however if you have multiple dogs where you can use on tin for both. The disadvantages of wet food; however, can soon be outweighed by the pleasure it can bring to your pet.

Unfortunately, many pet owners do not like using canned food because they need to make sure that the food will be consumed by their pet as soon as the can is opened. If left unfinished for more than a day, the food will spoil. Canned dog food is also more expensive than Kibble.

Kibble: This is the most popular kind of food for dogs. It’s often called as dry dog food and it comes in bags. Dry dog food is widely used for a number of reasons.

Typically it is cheaper than the wet variety and if you select a good brand it should provide your dog with everything they need for a balanced diet.

There is a theory that the hard texture of dry dog food is good for dog’s teeth as it helps to scrape tartar and plaque from the teeth, however, in older dogs where gum disease can prevalent, the hard and crunchy texture can be a problem.

Dry dog food is also reusable if your pooch doesn’t eat it all in one go (however rare that may be). Equally, it’s possible to leave dry food out all day for your dog to ensure it has a source of food if you are out.

There are however some disadvantages to using dry food, particularly that many dogs find it a little boring and tasteless, leading more selective dogs to simply leave it well alone when they are presented with it.

Whilst both dry and wet dog foods have advantages and disadvantages, the best option is likely to be giving your pet a mixture of the two. This can be done in two ways.

Firstly, you can choose to mix the dry and wet foods together every mealtime or you can develop a schedule that alternates whether your dog is given wet or dry food on specific days.

Raw food: Many pet owners prefer to give their dogs raw food. They feed their dogs’ raw meat and bones. They subscribe to the theory that the natural food of dogs in the wild is the meat of the animals that they hunt down.

This means raw meat and bones provide dogs the best kind of nutrients there is. While there may be some truth o this, the only problem with raw dog food is the fact that it can be very expensive to maintain. Dogs can eat a lot of fresh meat in a given day. Sometimes, they eat more than humans.

The Dogs States And Feed

Dogs require certain nutrients at different stages of their lives. Puppies require more and different types of nutrients than older dogs. The one thing to make sure of is not to overfeed the pup. This could cause a lifelong problem with their weight.

There are particular breeds of dog that are prone to obesity so if you have one these, you have to watch their eating habits. Adult dogs are normally quite active as they are in the prime of their lives.

For them to maintain their energy level and optimum health, they require the correct nutrients. Once again, you have to keep an eye on their weight. Once your dog reaches the age of about seven or eight, you will have to put them on a different diet.

Their food will require different nutrients than the other two stages because they are aging. Since they will no longer be as active as the younger dogs, the amount of food they eat needs to be adjusted.

Lactating or pregnant dogs need different types of nutrients in their food. If a dog in this condition doesn’t get enough food, it could be detrimental not only to her health but to their pups as well.

She has to keep up the flow of milk for her puppies. She may well lose some weight during this period, but it doesn’t always mean that she needs more food. Try not to food your dog from your plate. They require different nutrients to humans.