Recommended by Vets

Dog owners often ask their veterinarians “What is the best food to feed my dog?” It is a sincere question, as most responsible pet owners want to ensure that their pets are fed the very best. There may be no single answer to the question. Veterinarians relate this answer to which symptoms they observe in their dog patients.

Veterinarians used to accept pet food manufacturers’ statements as fact, such as, that an assortment of “complete and balanced” pet foods would be nourishing on face value. In fact, such wording was not legally permitted on pet food labels unless approved feeding trials had demonstrated their reliability. Nowadays, however, veterinarians separate the genuine “complete and balanced” diets from the poor ones on the basis that poor diets are based on high levels of maize. These primarily maize-based diets had maize listed as the first ingredient in the ingredients list on the label. Conversely, good diets are based on meat protein, including chicken, ostrich, lamb and beef. A major concern among veterinarians is an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus in a dog’s diet, which can lead to health disorders.

Therefore, veterinarians are now analysing the nutritional values of different dog foods and pay special attention to animals that are brought in for skin problems, skeletal dysfunction, gastrointestinal problems or mouth-related health issues. Veterinarians perceive that the key to a healthy diet is based on meat and poultry, as opposed to less healthy dogs’ diets based on grains such as maize and wheat.

Complete invests each year in research and development. This includes both basic research into new and improved formulations as well as the protocols to validate their efficacy. This ongoing research and development give dog owners the assurance that Complete meets the animal’s daily nutritional needs. Veterinarians now understand that meat and poultry products form the foundation for superior nutrition for dogs. Hence, one of the parameters one has to apply when trying to determine what the best food for your dog will be, is this: Is the diet meat-based or grain-based? The meat-based diets are the better choice. Remember, we are talking about normal dogs, not those with heart, thyroid or other abnormalities. Complete contains quality meat proteins across the range from chicken, beef, lamb and ostrich. There are subtle nutritional variations in the amino acid spectrum and the fatty acid composition contributed by the different meat or poultry protein sources.

Healthy dogs should be at, or within, five percent of their ideal body weight. Excess weight is associated with increased complications. Exercise and pregnancy place nutritional drains on these animals, depleting fatty acids amongst other nutrients. If the animal is fed a diet with a balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (between 5-10:1 ratio), the animal is able to normalize the fatty acid status. The Complete range provides a balanced ratio of fatty acids.

In the ingredients look for the Protein content to be at least 20 percent, the Fat content to be at least 8 percent, preservatives to be via Vitamin E and/or C and look for Omega Fatty Acid to be present. Thus, optimum nutrition demands that protein, fat, carbohydrate and micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins are in balance with each other. Therein lies the danger of a breeder supplementing an already properly formulated diet! Once again, the Complete range fits these types of nutrient levels that veterinarians look for.

Veterinarians prefer that no artificial colouring and flavourants are included in pet foods. Complete Pet Food contains no colouring. Any slight variation in colour that may occur is due to seasonally available natural ingredients that are included from time to time in Complete Pet Food formulations.

Another reason why your veterinarian are recommending Complete is that Complete Puppy, Adult, Classique and Elite are highly digestible commercial foods with actual digestibility results, monitored by a local veterinarian, of over 80 percent dry matter digestibility.