The ingredients in your pet’s food significantly influence their health and well-being. Whether that be their gut health, the condition of their skin, or strong joints and bones, a well-balanced diet is important in helping maintain your dog’s health. Knowing what to look for in a nutritious dog food is important when choosing the right feed for your pet. So here we’ve put together a list of ingredients to look out for, and why they’re important.
Protein is needed to form new skin cells, grow hair, build muscle tissue, and more. It also assists in creating hormones and enzymes that are needed for functions within the body, provides energy and ensures the immune system stays strong. The level of protein your pet needs can vary depending on their life stage, for example puppies require a higher level of protein to meet their body’s demands during growth and development.
Although protein is beneficial to your dog’s development, it’s important to know that you are buying a quality dog food and that the protein in your dog’s food is digestible. By gently cooking our meats, this protects the nutrients. This means the nutrients stay intact and the proteins can be easily digested, resulting in less waste.
Carbohydrates are an essential part of your pet’s diet and one of three categories of macronutrients alongside protein and fat in the diets of animals. Sugars, starches and dietary fibres are different types of carbohydrates which play different roles in the body. Depending on your dog’s needs we offer a range of options, with our Lakes Heritage Grain Free dog food recipe using Sweet Potato as the carbohydrate, and our Lakes Pioneer dog food using rice.
A balanced diet is important for your dog and fats have a role to play in that. Allowing your dog to eat excessive calories or foods which are high in fat, and not part of a balanced recipe is where fats can become a problem. A diet that includes 10-15% fat is essential and healthy fats such as Omega 3 help to provide energy, encourage the absorption of vitamins and help to maintain healthy skin and coat.
Just like humans, dogs need vitamins to help keep them healthy and strong. It’s important to look out for Vitamin A, which helps to keep skin healthy and Vitamin E, which helps support their immune system.
Whilst a small amount of water is present in food, it’s important that your dog has a fresh supply of water to help keep them hydrated. Water is also crucial in aiding digestion and helping to regulate their body temperature.
Click here to shop the full WCF nutritious dog food range.