The Importance of Feeding Your Pitbull High Quality Food

When you purchase your pitbull’s or pitbull puppy’s food, are you paying attention to the ingredients label? If not, you should — especially if your dog experiences chronic ear infections, diarrhea, or allergies. If your puppy consumes a food brand containing by-products, artificial flavors, or preservatives, your dog’s diet may be highly deficient in essential nutrients and vitamins that may help maintain good health.

Although many pet food labels claim to be “premium” these may offer very little nutrition for your dog. The truth is any company can consider their food premium even if it only contains 1% beef. That’s why reading the ingredients label on your dog’s food packaging is crucial for your dog’s health and well-being.

But with so many brands of dog food available on the market, what are some of the key things to look for on the ingredients label? The Whole Dog Journal, a source for unbiased reviews of dog food brands, helps dog lovers make informed decisions when buying dog food and provides guidelines on the most important ingredients.

Ingredients to look for on dog food labels

  • Animal protein should be one of the first ingredients. For example, chicken, beef, or lamb.
  • If the dog food contains animal meal it should say so. (i.e. chicken meal, lamb meal, etc.)
  • Grains, vegetables, or fruits should be in holistic form. These should not be processed as it usually results in a loss of essential nutrients and vitamins.

Ingredients to stay away from

  • Meat by-products. These ingredients are generally less expensive because they are not as nutritious as animal protein and therefore do not require as much care in the handling process.
  • Artificial preservatives, colors, and sweeteners. Natural preservatives are much healthier for your dog than those that are artificial. However, they do not preserve the food as long. It’s important to check the “Best by” date on the package to prevent accidentally feeding your dog food that has “turned” or is expired

Dog Food’s that we personally have fed and feed our pitbulls and pitbull puppies are:

-         Orijen Large Breed Puppy Formula and Adult Formula

-         Mulligan’s Stew Dry Formula – Chicken Recipe

-         Taste of the Wild, Prairie Formula and Pacific Stream Formula

-         Canidae All Life Stages Formula

We highly recommend Orijen over everything due to the high quality standards they set for themselves. Here is some information on both formula’s of Orijen Dog Food that we use.

ORIJEN PUPPY LARGE BREED
Biologically Appropriate for LARGE BREED PUPPIES
High-protein, grain-free and low in carbohydrates, ORIJEN Puppy Large Breed is unlike any other puppy food and is guaranteed to help your large-sized puppy grow up bright, healthy and strong.

Made with the highest inclusions of free-run chicken & turkey, whole eggs, and wild-caught freshwater & saltwater fish—all farmed or fished within our region and delivered fresh (never frozen) each day—ORIJEN PUPPY LARGE BREED is bursting with protein-packed, human-grade meats (minimum 70%) that your growing puppy needs, and none of the grains or carbohydrates that are biologically inappropriate to him.

Instead of grains, ORIJEN features a full complement of the regional fruits and vegetables (minimum 30%) that are highly digestible by puppies and that supply important natural antioxidants, phytochemicals and enzymes to encourage healthy growth and development.

By utilizing special low-ash chicken and fish ingredients, ORIJEN avoids the elevated calcium and phosphorus levels that often concern large breed puppy owners. With perfectly balanced, natural-source minerals, ORIJEN PUPPY LARGE BREED is loaded with natural source glucosamine and chondroitin to support the healthy development of bones and joints.

Fresh (never frozen) fish provide a high source of Biologically Appropriate Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) that support the development of cell membranes and immune systems as well as vibrant skin and hair coat,—your puppy’s outer symbol of health and vitality.

Bridging the gap between good nutrition and total physical well-being, ORIJEN’s veterinarian selected botanicals include dandelion and chicory root, marigold flowers and peppermint leaf,—all of which replicate the natural canine diet and help to nourish and tone the digestive tract.

Made exclusively in our award-winning, family-owned factory, Biologically Appropriate ORIJEN PUPPY LARGE BREED is a naturally delicious way to keep your large-breed puppy healthy, happy, and strong.

                   ORIJEN ADULT DOG
BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE FOR ADULT DOGS OF ALL BREEDS
By nature, all dogs are faculative carnivores–they thrive on a varied diet, rich in meats with smaller amounts of fruits, vegetables and grasses.

High-protein, low-carbohydrate ORIJEN ADULT DOG replicates the same rich and diverse nutrient balance from fresh meats, fruits, vegetables and grasses that your dog would encounter in his natural setting.

Made with the highest inclusions of free-run chicken & turkey, whole eggs and wild-caught freshwater & saltwater fish—all farmed or fished within our region and delivered FRESH each day—ORIJEN is bursting with protein-packed, human-grade meats (min. 70%).

Free of the grains or carbohydrates that are inappropriate for your dog, ORIJEN ADULT DOG delivers a full complement of regional fruits and vegetables—russet potatoes, peas and black currants from prairie farms, red delicious apples and cranberries from the interior orchards, and organic sea vegetables from the cold North Pacific waters.

Caught off North Vancouver Island, our fresh (never frozen, no preservatives) salmon provide a superb, Biologically Appropriate source of Omega-3 (DHA and EPA) that support a vibrant skin and hair coat—your dog’s outer symbol of health and vitality.

Bridging the gap between good nutrition and peak health are ORIJEN’s veterinarian selected botanicals, including dandelion root, sweet fennel and peppermint leaf—all of which mirror the natural instinct to forage for grasses
and weeds while serving to nourish and tone the digestive tract.

          Made exclusively in our award-winning, family-owned factory, Biologically Appropriate ORIJEN ADULT DOG is a natural and delicious way to assure the peak health, vitality and happiness of your dog—no matter what his breed or size.