Is it Really Necessary to Feed a Good Quality Dog Food?
Brought to you by Maxhealth – A good quality dog food at an affordable price – excellent for skin conditions
www.maxhealth.co.za
www.maxhealth.co.za
paying less for a dog food may end up costing you more in vet bills in the future

In today’s challenging financial climate, it is so easy to try and cut corners when it comes to an item like dog food, but the old adage ‘you get what you pay for’, really does apply. If you have a puppy, pregnant or lactating bitch, it is even more important to ensure that you are giving the very best you can afford – a puppy needs to have the correct ratio of proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, amino acids etc, in order to promote growth of healthy bones, organs, skeletal system etc and the bitch needs to support herself as well as her pups.
Let’s try and liken this to us humans for a minute – if you were to eat food that was of a low quality and were not even sure were this food originated from, it is very doubtful that you would be receiving the necessary protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, amino acids that your body requires to work at optimum performance. Well, nothing is different with a dog. In fact, feeding a good quality food, combined with regular exercise and an enriched environment, can not only help to increase your dog’s life expectancy, it can and will save you a fortune in vet bills. Just as when we eat in a healthy manner we tend to have less disease, stronger immune systems, the exact same applies for a dog.
The topic of dog food is a very complicated one and what I have done here is to try and give you some general information on the hazards involved in using a low grade dog food. If you want to know more about the different ingredients a food contains, I would suggest speaking to your own vet about this subject as well as do research by yourself.
Interestingly enough, while doing research for this topic, I discovered that dogs skin conditions and disorders are the number one dog health issue which is addressed by vets! Many of the articles attributed the high rise in this condition to the dog food being used not containing enough of the fatty acids that a dog requires or the addition of fat that is derived from lard and oils that are rancid. Fatty acids are essential to a dog’s well being, and if they are deficient in the food not only can skin problems develop, the lack of same can cause serious and lasting damage to a dogs skeletal system.
Another factor that appears to affect a dog’s skin is if there is a deficiency of protein in the food and the immune system can become compromised. This can lead not only to ill health and weight loss, but to a dull coat and an itchy skin.
Some of the artificial preservatives that are contained in low quality dog food, even in small amounts, can contribute to the dog having a skin condition as it may have intolerance to these ingredients.
If a dog food is not balanced properly, and we need to realize that balancing a dog food correctly is a scientific formula, not potluck there can very well be consequences to your dog’s health.
The balancing and the correct combination and amount of vitamins and minerals is delicate balance, as an excess of one, or a too small an amount of the other, will interfere with the absorption. In my own opinion, it is highly unlikely that some of the low cost food manufacturers will spend the money, time and research required to ensure that all the food is correctly balanced and is the correct nutritional quality that our dogs deserve – if they all did, then there would be very few manufacturers selling a low cost product!
An example of an excess in a dog food, is the excess of yeast. An excess of yeast could result in the dog ending up with Yeast Candida Disorder. If too much yeast is in the food and your dog has been eating this particular food for a period of time, it could result that there is a build up of the yeast toxins, and this can, in turn, affect the nervous systems, immune system and the skeletal system. Yeast Candida Disorder can present as bloating, diarrhoea or constipation and has been linked to cancer.
Fibre is not an essential nutrient in a dog’s diet, but it is contained in just about every commercial dog food. The addition of slowly fermenting fibre assists in keeping the colon in good health thus avoiding both diarrhoea and constipation and assists with weight management. Whereas if a fibre source that ferments quickly is used excessively, the stools may become loose or the dog ends up with excessive gas. My own way of thinking is that if your dog is ‘stinky’ in any way at all, immediately investigate the food being used further, as it can’t be doing the dog (or your nose) any good.
Be advised that the cheaper dog foods may use high levels of poorly fermentable fibre or Cereal by-products, which are by-products of the human food industry and could be mixed, low grade sources of cereal, rather than the straight cereals used in the premium brands of dog food.
If the fibre has not been processed properly it can be difficult for a dog to digest and the end result of this would be that the cells lining the intestines would not receive the energy they require and that excessive stools or gas could be the result.
In research I did a few years ago, there were reports that some grains examined in lower quality dog foods had been deemed unfit for human consumption due to contamination or mould being present.
I have seen on some of the lower cost foods available that the primary ingredient (this is the ingredient that is always show on top of the ingredient list) is grain. If this is the number one ingredient, I would suggest that a phone call to the manufacturers is made.
Proteins are vital for all aspects of growth, development and the skeletal system as well as the immune system.
The building blocks that make up proteins are called amino acids. Dogs require 22 of these for optimum health. They are able to synthesize 12 of these themselves, but the remaining 11 must be present in the food. If there is a lack of any of the amino acids it can lead to health problems.
One does not have to only look at how much protein is used, but also the quality of same. As mentioned before, ingredients on package are shown in order of content/weight, but having high protein content, if it is a by-product such as meat meal or bone meal does not mean that the particular food will supply what your dog needs. Many people are under the impression that meat meal is excellent for dogs, and in its pure form it is. However, pure meat meal cannot contain horn, blood, hair, manure or stomach contents etc, and unfortunately many of the lower cost foods that list meat meal as an ingredient contain far too much of these. Another factor to consider is that not all proteins contained are easily digested by the dog
You will find that when it comes to good quality dog foods such as those sold at vets, vet related pet shops, some available in supermarkets, that there is not always a large stock available. This is for a very good reason. To extend the shelf life of any dog food a preservative has to be added. In the case with foods such as above, the manufacturers normally use natural preservatives made from anti-oxidants such as vitamins E or C and may contain wording such as ‘ascorbate’ or ‘tocopherol’ and as such make smaller batches and on demand.
If the food contains artificial nutrients, find out exactly which ones are contained as many of these artificial preservatives, even in very small amounts, can cause lasting problems to your dog’s health. The odd consumption of harmful preservatives may not harm your dog, but what about the long term effects?
The controversy surrounding the preservatives in dog’s food is a topic all to itself and will not be covered in depth here. What I do suggest is that you find out which preservatives are being used in the dog food you are currently using and do further investigation on them.
What a dog consumes can definitely impact on its behaviour and for further information on this topic, have a look at the following article - Does What You Feed Your Dog Affect it's Behaviour?
Benefits of using good quality dog food
Although budgets may be tight and you do have to consider feeding your existing do a lower quality food, don’t just go out and buy the cheapest, do your homework on the individual brands on offer and get the very best you can afford as buying ‘cheap’ may well end up being more expensive in the long run.
If you are thinking about getting another dog, remember that the benefits of feeding a good food are numerous and perhaps consider getting a smaller breed that will eat less and you will be able to then supply your new dog with the food it deserves – they did not ask to come into our lives – we choose them – it is therefore our responsibility to provide the very best on offer that will keep our dogs in optimum health.
Our dogs do not have the capability of going to choose the food for themselves, we do that for them, so please do your homework and get the very best you possibly can.
By Scotty Valadao
Let’s try and liken this to us humans for a minute – if you were to eat food that was of a low quality and were not even sure were this food originated from, it is very doubtful that you would be receiving the necessary protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, amino acids that your body requires to work at optimum performance. Well, nothing is different with a dog. In fact, feeding a good quality food, combined with regular exercise and an enriched environment, can not only help to increase your dog’s life expectancy, it can and will save you a fortune in vet bills. Just as when we eat in a healthy manner we tend to have less disease, stronger immune systems, the exact same applies for a dog.
The topic of dog food is a very complicated one and what I have done here is to try and give you some general information on the hazards involved in using a low grade dog food. If you want to know more about the different ingredients a food contains, I would suggest speaking to your own vet about this subject as well as do research by yourself.
- Skin Conditions
Interestingly enough, while doing research for this topic, I discovered that dogs skin conditions and disorders are the number one dog health issue which is addressed by vets! Many of the articles attributed the high rise in this condition to the dog food being used not containing enough of the fatty acids that a dog requires or the addition of fat that is derived from lard and oils that are rancid. Fatty acids are essential to a dog’s well being, and if they are deficient in the food not only can skin problems develop, the lack of same can cause serious and lasting damage to a dogs skeletal system.
Another factor that appears to affect a dog’s skin is if there is a deficiency of protein in the food and the immune system can become compromised. This can lead not only to ill health and weight loss, but to a dull coat and an itchy skin.
Some of the artificial preservatives that are contained in low quality dog food, even in small amounts, can contribute to the dog having a skin condition as it may have intolerance to these ingredients.
- Balancing the ingredients
If a dog food is not balanced properly, and we need to realize that balancing a dog food correctly is a scientific formula, not potluck there can very well be consequences to your dog’s health.
The balancing and the correct combination and amount of vitamins and minerals is delicate balance, as an excess of one, or a too small an amount of the other, will interfere with the absorption. In my own opinion, it is highly unlikely that some of the low cost food manufacturers will spend the money, time and research required to ensure that all the food is correctly balanced and is the correct nutritional quality that our dogs deserve – if they all did, then there would be very few manufacturers selling a low cost product!
- Yeast
An example of an excess in a dog food, is the excess of yeast. An excess of yeast could result in the dog ending up with Yeast Candida Disorder. If too much yeast is in the food and your dog has been eating this particular food for a period of time, it could result that there is a build up of the yeast toxins, and this can, in turn, affect the nervous systems, immune system and the skeletal system. Yeast Candida Disorder can present as bloating, diarrhoea or constipation and has been linked to cancer.
- Fibre
Fibre is not an essential nutrient in a dog’s diet, but it is contained in just about every commercial dog food. The addition of slowly fermenting fibre assists in keeping the colon in good health thus avoiding both diarrhoea and constipation and assists with weight management. Whereas if a fibre source that ferments quickly is used excessively, the stools may become loose or the dog ends up with excessive gas. My own way of thinking is that if your dog is ‘stinky’ in any way at all, immediately investigate the food being used further, as it can’t be doing the dog (or your nose) any good.
Be advised that the cheaper dog foods may use high levels of poorly fermentable fibre or Cereal by-products, which are by-products of the human food industry and could be mixed, low grade sources of cereal, rather than the straight cereals used in the premium brands of dog food.
If the fibre has not been processed properly it can be difficult for a dog to digest and the end result of this would be that the cells lining the intestines would not receive the energy they require and that excessive stools or gas could be the result.
In research I did a few years ago, there were reports that some grains examined in lower quality dog foods had been deemed unfit for human consumption due to contamination or mould being present.
I have seen on some of the lower cost foods available that the primary ingredient (this is the ingredient that is always show on top of the ingredient list) is grain. If this is the number one ingredient, I would suggest that a phone call to the manufacturers is made.
- Protein
Proteins are vital for all aspects of growth, development and the skeletal system as well as the immune system.
The building blocks that make up proteins are called amino acids. Dogs require 22 of these for optimum health. They are able to synthesize 12 of these themselves, but the remaining 11 must be present in the food. If there is a lack of any of the amino acids it can lead to health problems.
One does not have to only look at how much protein is used, but also the quality of same. As mentioned before, ingredients on package are shown in order of content/weight, but having high protein content, if it is a by-product such as meat meal or bone meal does not mean that the particular food will supply what your dog needs. Many people are under the impression that meat meal is excellent for dogs, and in its pure form it is. However, pure meat meal cannot contain horn, blood, hair, manure or stomach contents etc, and unfortunately many of the lower cost foods that list meat meal as an ingredient contain far too much of these. Another factor to consider is that not all proteins contained are easily digested by the dog
- Preservatives
You will find that when it comes to good quality dog foods such as those sold at vets, vet related pet shops, some available in supermarkets, that there is not always a large stock available. This is for a very good reason. To extend the shelf life of any dog food a preservative has to be added. In the case with foods such as above, the manufacturers normally use natural preservatives made from anti-oxidants such as vitamins E or C and may contain wording such as ‘ascorbate’ or ‘tocopherol’ and as such make smaller batches and on demand.
If the food contains artificial nutrients, find out exactly which ones are contained as many of these artificial preservatives, even in very small amounts, can cause lasting problems to your dog’s health. The odd consumption of harmful preservatives may not harm your dog, but what about the long term effects?
The controversy surrounding the preservatives in dog’s food is a topic all to itself and will not be covered in depth here. What I do suggest is that you find out which preservatives are being used in the dog food you are currently using and do further investigation on them.
- Effects on Behaviour
What a dog consumes can definitely impact on its behaviour and for further information on this topic, have a look at the following article - Does What You Feed Your Dog Affect it's Behaviour?
Benefits of using good quality dog food
- Healthier weight and more energy as the correct amount of ingredients are being consumed and utilized by the dog’s body.
- Less health risks from risky additives and preservatives such as allergies, skin conditions and even more dangerous conditions such as cancer
- Longer and healthier life expectance resulting in less vet visits
- Less shedding, shiny and healthy coat
- Better elimination patterns
- Major reduction, if not elimination of gas
- Your dog will probably require less food than on a lower quality dog food as the nutrition it requires will be better absorbed by the body and the dog will feel satisfied.
- Overall health benefits right from their teeth, coat to their internal organs and skeletal system
- Overall, long term saving for you, the owner!
Although budgets may be tight and you do have to consider feeding your existing do a lower quality food, don’t just go out and buy the cheapest, do your homework on the individual brands on offer and get the very best you can afford as buying ‘cheap’ may well end up being more expensive in the long run.
If you are thinking about getting another dog, remember that the benefits of feeding a good food are numerous and perhaps consider getting a smaller breed that will eat less and you will be able to then supply your new dog with the food it deserves – they did not ask to come into our lives – we choose them – it is therefore our responsibility to provide the very best on offer that will keep our dogs in optimum health.
Our dogs do not have the capability of going to choose the food for themselves, we do that for them, so please do your homework and get the very best you possibly can.
By Scotty Valadao