Diet is the bricks and mortar of health. This applies to dogs as well as humans. Putting a little thought into what you feed your dog can pay big dividends with their improved health over their lifetime. However, choosing which dog food is the most beneficial isn’t always easy.
Lets take a look at some of the term used on a bag doog food.
Ash – this is one of the most commonly misunderstood terms in pet food. Ash is simply a measure of the mineral content of a food. When calculating the food’s calorific content, it is incinerated and the energy released is measured. All of the carbohydrates, fat and protein burn off leaving only the minerals. This is known as the ash content.
In general, foods based on red meat have higher ash contents because they contain more mineral-rich bone. FourFriends has a high % of meat and mineral rich fish to give your dog the best healthy complete food in one bowl.
Dogs need a variety of minerals to stay fit and healthy, all of which have to be in sufficient quantities in any complete food. For most dog owners, the mineral content of the food is fairly unimportant.
Two exceptions however, are dogs with kidney or urinary problems that will benefit from lower ash diets and growing puppies which need sufficient minerals for healthy bone development.
Minerals are involved in every process of the dog’s body – the most important ones are listed below.
- Calcium – necessary for the formation of bone and teeth, nerve transmission, muscle contractions
- Phosphorus – required for skeletal structure, energy metabolism
- Magnesium – needed to allow enzymes to function & healthy nerve cells
- Potassium – required for healthy nerve function
- Iron – integral part of haemoglobin & myoglobin
- Copper – connective tissue, blood cell formation
- Zinc – Enzyme function, protein and carbohydrate metabolism, skin function & would healing
- Manganese – done development, cartilage formation, neurological function and metabolism
- Selenium – needed for the immune system
FourFriends premium quality foods has all the necessary nutrients for your dog from puppyhood to senior life. Look for the one to suit your dog or cat. Why not contact our experienced nutritionists for individual advice. We are here to help. Call us on 01302 637377.