There are many varieties of dog food on the market, but that does not mean they are all good for your dog. When we go to the grocery store to buy food for our children, most of us are very careful about reading the label. But when it comes to dog food, most people just buy the cheapest and never once look at the label. If you are paying a lot less for a bag of dog food, you have to wonder how they are making it so cheap.

The first ingredient should be a specified meat or specified meat meal; whether that is lamb, beef, chicken etc. Make sure the meat is specified and not just listed as a "meat" or "animal".

If you read the labels of some dog foods you will notice that some do not even contain real meat in them. They are mainly corn with sprayed on animal fat to enhance the smell and attract dogs to it.

Second, make sure the food contains no meat by-products such as: hooves, feathers, eyes, beaks, skin, fur, etc. Meat by-products are not meat. They are what is left after all of the good meat is taken off.

Third, make sure it is soy-free. Many dogs are allergic to soy and this can manifest through skin problems, breathing problems, and/or diarrhea, etc.

Corn can also cause many issues. Dogs were not meant to eat corn and other grains. Corn has been linked to skin allergies, joint swelling and bloat in dogs, among other things.

As for canned food you need to make sure that the first ingredient is meat, Not water. If the first ingredient is water you could save yourself some money and give him tap water. You are buying mainly water.

Whatever the first ingredient is, should be what will make up the majority of the product. However.... be aware that a lot of dry dog foods will list the first ingredient as simply "chicken" and the second as lets say "corn". This leads one to believe that there is more chicken in the food than corn. However they are weighing the chicken before the water is extracted out of the food and before it is cooked. Raw meat contains about 80% water. After it is cooked and the moisture taken out to make the dry dog food you are left with only about 20% of the meats original weight. Therefore these dog foods really contain much more of the second ingredient than the first. In a lot of cases that ingredient is corn. Whereas when the meat is listed as a "meal" for example "chicken meal" that is the meat AFTER the water has been extracted giving you more meat.

The 1st ingredient should be a specified meat or meat meal. Grains, by-products, bone meal, animal fat (added for flavor), animal digest, sugar, corn syrup, added colors or dyes or any "meat" or "animal" that is not specified should be avoided.

It is far better to pay a little more for a good dog food than it is to buy cheap stuff. They will eat more of the junk dog food because they are not getting what they need. It passes right through them. On the other hand, if you feed your dog a good dog food, they are going to eat less because they are satisfied. They are utilizing more. That means less poop and fewer health problems down the road.