Food class
The class determines the overall quality and price category of the feed.
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Economy. The general characteristic is “only as a last resort.” The simplest and most inexpensive feeds, made from low-quality ingredients - offal, food waste, fillers such as soy or corn. In addition, flavorings and flavor enhancers can be added to the composition to make the product more attractive to the dog. Such brands are the most affordable, but this is perhaps their only advantage. But at best, there will be no benefit for your pet from economy food. At worst (especially with long-term feeding), such a diet can lead to health problems: in addition to low quality in general, food of this class also does not contain meat and vitamins necessary for a dog. In addition, the mentioned fillers can cause addiction and problems with switching to another, higher quality food. In light of this, experts recommend avoiding economy-class feeds whenever possible and using them only when there are no other options - and the less time, the better.
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Premium. The general description is “tolerable.” The next class in terms of overall quality (and cost) after “economy”. Premium food, in addition to by-products, contains a certain amount of meat (up to 30%), and more suitable fillers are used, most often rice. But manufacturers often do not refuse flavorings and flavor enhancers. In general, such food will not bring any pa
...rticular benefit to your pet, but most likely it will also cause harm. The only thing is that it is advisable to feed “premium” to adult dogs - it is better to give puppies products of a higher class. Due to its good price-quality ratio, this option is very popular among amateur dog breeders.
- Super premium. General characteristics - “excellent”. The food of this class is well balanced, containing at least 25% meat, by-products of higher quality than in “premium” and even more so “economy”, and often also vitamin supplements. Such products can be safely used as the main food, both for adult dogs and puppies; and if health problems arise, it is unlikely that the diet will be the cause. True, you will have to pay accordingly for such quality.
- Holistic. General description: “ideal”. This is the most advanced and high-quality class of food, which even professional dog breeders and owners of purebred champion dogs do not shy away from. “Holistics” are most often made on the basis of pure meat, without by-products, and are also supplemented with rich vitamin complexes and, as a result, contain all the substances necessary for a dog’s complete nutrition. However, such food is very expensive.Ingredients
The main ingredients that make up the feed and determine its nutritional and taste value. In addition to them, various auxiliary components may be included in the composition, however, manufacturers do not always indicate the full composition in the main data.
Calories
The energy value of the food is the amount of energy (in kilocalories) that the dog's body will receive when eating 100 g of food. Knowing the calorie content, as well as the daily energy requirement of the pet, you can estimate the amount of food he needs per day. A dog of medium size and build needs about 370 – 480 kcal per day, but this figure is very approximate — a lot depends on the breed, constitution, mobility and other factors. A specific energy requirement can be determined using special sources — tables, calculators, etc. It is highly advisable not to deviate from these recommendations: a lack of calories leads to lethargy and weight loss, an excess leads to excess weight.
