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You walk into a pet food store, look around at all the food choices, and have no idea what to buy. Does this sound familiar? Well, you're not alone. With so many choices and all the marketing that goes behind selling each of these foods, it's nearly impossible for the typical consumer to sort through which foods are high quality, determine how much to feed, and assess the impact on your monthly budget.

Regardless of which store you just walked into, you will be faced with several choices. First, do you want to feed fresh (raw or cooked), freeze-dried, dehydrated, or kibble? Once you narrow down these options, then you are faced with an even bigger choice between the available brands of food within each category. Some of these brands are significantly more expensive than the others, so this must mean they are better quality foods, right? This might be true if you were comparing apples-to-apples, but in most cases you are not. For example, a 15 lb bag of one brand of dry kibble will likely not contain the same amount of calories as a 15 lb bag of another brand. As a result, although one food looks more expensive than the other, it may actually be less expensive to feed due to a higher calorie content.

OK, so now that I have made this process even more complex for you than before you started reading this, I want to give you some basic recommendations to help you in this process. While nothing is going to provide the same level of expertise or insight as a live consultation with Be Your Best Pet, this task can certainly be simplified a bit for you. Before you step food in the store, go through the following steps to help you prepare.

First, determine your monthly budget for your pet. Include how much you want to spend for food, treats, and toys. Do not base your budget on what you are currently spending but rather on what is reasonable given your income and, most importantly, desire to support your pet's health. Always remember that money spent now on providing top quality nutrition for your pet will result in less money spent down the road on veterinary bills.

Second, think about your daily schedule and family routine. Are you always on the go? Do you have small children in the house? Do you work long hours and use a pet sitter or doggie daycare? Are you a vegetarian and have an aversion to meat? Your answers to these questions do not necessarily mean that fresh raw is not an option, but they do help to understand what might be best in your household. For example, someone may be mostly vegetarian and work an inconsistent schedule with some late evenings, yet she is able to feed 50% of her dog's calories as commercial raw food and the other 50% comes from canned, dehydrated, or homecooked. 

Finally, take into consideration the long term health of your pet. Cats in the wild, for example, get about 70% of the moisture in their diet from prey. They have a very small thirst drive since their bodies have evolved to survive with most of their moisture coming from food. As a result, a domestic cat fed dry kibble that contains about 15% moisture will become chronically dehydrated. Long term this dehydration leads to many health issues such as kidney disease, urinary tract infections, and upper respiratory problems. While you may not notice an issue today, tomorrow, or even next year in your kibble-fed cat, eventually you will end up with an ailing, unhealthy, and most likely expensive cat due to the medical expenses. For cats it is important to make sure that your food choices are high in moisture, and for all pets the food must provide the proper nutrition in a bioavailable format for that animal.

So let's say you've worked your way through all these questions and have determined that you have $150/month for your 35 lb Brittany Spaniel, you have a 2 year old daughter in your house (and you are concerned about all the things she puts in her mouth), and you are usually very busy in the morning but have more time in the evening. Great! This gives us a good starting point. It sounds like you need something quick and easy in the morning that doesn't require your supervision, but you have more flexibility in the evening. You have options, including a high quality canned food or kibble in the morning with a fresh raw food in the evening. Not only will you be allowing yourself the freedom to get out the door quickly in the morning, but you will be feeding a highly nutritious, balanced diet that will keep your dog healthy throughout her life. All of this will be accomplished while remaining within your budget!

Now when you walk into the pet food store, you will know exactly what you are looking for and won't be swayed by fancy packaging or pricing differences. The freezer section may be new to you but don't let it scare you. Commercial raw food comes in either patty-shaped pieces or large bulk options, but for your first few purchases you will likely stick with the pre-cut patties. If you decide to go with some freeze-dried or dehydrated, you will usually find those near the dry kibble. These are great options to use while traveling if you do not want to bring along frozen raw, and they also can be great options if you don't want to handle raw meat. Finally, the dry kibble section may contain more food than any other section in the store but stick with the list of recommended foods to prevent information overload.

If you would like assistance with determining how much to feed your pet of a particular food, setup a consultation with us! We'd be happy to help with this, especially since it's not quite as simple as reading the number of calories per cup that is printed on a bag of food. 

Most pet food stores have a lot of options for treats and bones which is a good thing since not all treats and bones are appropriate for all pets. It is important that you understand which chewable items are appropriate for your pet. Rawhide is never an acceptable option as it is highly processed with a lot of chemicals including formaldehyde, and it is not easily digestible. Always factor in the calories you are feeding from bones and treats and remove those calories from daily meals. 

Bones/Chews

Puppies

Puppies need things to chew on and if you don't provide something then they will find things around your house like shoes, children's toys, or even walls. Yes, I had a puppy that ate the corners off every wall on the main floor of my house. I obviously didn't offer her enough healthy options to satisfy her penchant for chewing (although she also liked to chew on my ankles so she was a bit of a challenge in this area). What can you give a puppy to chew on? First, consider the size of your puppy. This is critical to make sure you don't give something too small that your puppy could swallow. Second, determine if your puppy still has baby teeth. Lastly, identify if your puppy is an aggressive chewer or if he takes his time with things. Good options for puppies with baby teeth include the following:

• Raw marrow bones - select the appropriate size for your dog so the bones don't get caught around the jaw
• Bully sticks
• Dried tendons
• Cod skin chews
• Tripe sticks
• Stuffable items such as a Kong - freeze food inside and allow your puppy to chew and ease some of the teething pain

Adult Dogs

Adult dogs (dogs with adult teeth) should not chew on bones such as femur bones since these are very hard bones that your dog could break a tooth on. Good options for adult dogs include:

• Beef knuckle bones
• Beef knee caps
• Raw or freeze-dried chicken necks (smaller dogs) or turkey necks (larger dogs)
• Raw beef ribs
• Bully sticks
• Cod skin chews
• Himalayan cheese chews
• Stuffable items such as a Kong

Senior Dogs

Senior dogs will start to require softer things to chew on, and they may also begin to have dietary changes needed such as lower fat. For the older guys, things like bully sticks and some of the raw bones will become increasingly difficult to chew on. Watch your dog and make adjustments as needed. I learned this the hard way, and my poor dog had a couple of fractured teeth to deal with as a result.

• Dried tendons
• Freeze-dried chicken necks
• Tripe sticks

Cats

Cats like to chew on things too! They do great with these options:

• Raw chicken necks
• Freeze-dried chicken necks
• Raw beef ribs