Dogs and Dog Food: Here are 8 expert vet tips on what to look out for on your adorable dog's food packaging - including what to avoid

Our furry friends are an extension of our family and should be treated as such – including ensuring they are eating a healthy and nutritious diet.

It’s not always straightforward to work out which is the best when confronted with a range of options on the supermarket shelves and online.

But if you have a good look at the labelling on the packaging then there are a series of things you should be looking our for – and a few that mean you should think twice about buying the product.

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Dr Linda Simon, in-house veterinary surgeon at pet experts Pooch & Mutt, has a series of tips to help steer you in the right direction when it comes to choosing your dog food, and knowing what to avoid in order to keep them happy and healthy.

Here’s what she had to say.

Make sure it is vet approved

In the UK all certified dog foods have to be vet-approved, so when shopping around make sure you look for the ‘vet-approved label to ensure the food you are buying is certified and safe for your four-legged friends.

Don’t be fooled by ‘complete and balanced’

It's important to make sure your dog's food is giving your four-legged friend all the nutrician it needs.It's important to make sure your dog's food is giving your four-legged friend all the nutrician it needs.
It's important to make sure your dog's food is giving your four-legged friend all the nutrician it needs.

Whilst the words ‘complete and balanced’ mean there are enough nutrients, vitamins and minerals for a healthy dog’s meal, this is the minimum you could ask for. Lots of cheap, mass-produced pet foods are labelled this way, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the healthiest food available, so just be wary of this when choosing dog food.

Pay attention to the ingredients that are listed first

Just like in human food, ingredients will be listed in order of prominence, this means that the most present ingredients will be listed first. To be sure you are buying the best food, you want to ensure that ingredients such as whole meats, fruits and veggies are the first listed, any fillers or additives should be at the bottom of the ingredient list.

Avoid phrases such as ‘beef flavour’ or ‘using animal derivatives’

If you spot phrases such as ‘beef flavour’ or ‘using animal derivatives’, this usually means the food includes the likes of hooves, entrails, feathers and beaks rather than actual muscle meat, and it may upset a dog’s stomach, so I would recommend avoiding any foods that use such phrases. The aim is to feed your dog the highest quality protein sources whenever possible, even if it means spending a little more.

Avoid mentions of sugar or animal fats

I highly recommend avoiding any foods that contain mentions of sugar or animal fats. These are usually used as filler, and the lack of specificity makes it hard to identify the ingredients. Should your dog have a bad reaction it will make it hard to work out exactly what it is they have reacted to!

Avoid ‘artificial colours and flavours’

Much like the above, ‘artificial colours and flavours’ are also highly unnecessary, potentially dangerous and add no nutritional value for your dog. I’m sure you’ll agree, your pooch deserves better than false additives.

Look for mentions of ‘grain-free’ or ‘hypoallergenic’ if you have a sensitive pooch

Lots of dog foods contain grains, but ideally, I would suggest avoiding these if you and your vet think that your dog might have food sensitivities or allergies, as wheat can often be a trigger. Look for mentions of ‘grain-free’ or ‘hypoallergenic’ as these foods will be much better suited to pups that are prone to allergies.

Make sure all natural ingredients are clearly labelled

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You should be able to understand everything that’s listed on a label - that’s whole meat, fish or poultry, fruit and veggies, vitamins and minerals - with no E numbers, fillers or vague ‘catch-all’ references. If you don't understand many of the ingredients, avoid!

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