PET42 guide
What is the best dog food? How to recognise quality
Good dog food must meet your dog’s nutritional needs, be safe and suit the individual animal. Advertising alone cannot prove quality.
The best food is not the one with the loudest advertising. It must meet your dog’s nutritional needs, be safe, suitable and understandable for you.
Good food suits the dog
A growing puppy, an active adult dog and an older dog with illness do not have the same needs. That's why there is no product that is automatically the best for every dog. The right choice begins with life stage, body weight, activity, health status and tolerance.
The designation complete food is important for the daily main feeding. It means that the food, when used according to the instructions, should provide the necessary nutrients for the specified species and life stage. Supplementary food, on the other hand, is only intended for part of the ration.
How you can recognise a responsible provider
A manufacturer should be available and able to answer specific questions. Useful points are:
- Who develops the recipes and what qualifications does this person have?
- What quality controls are there for raw materials and finished products?
- Is the nutrient content of the finished food checked?
- Is there information about calories and the appropriate amount of food?
- Can the manufacturer provide full nutritional information upon request?
Transparent answers are more meaningful than individual buzzwords on the packaging.
Why the list of ingredients doesn't reveal everything
Ingredients are listed by their weight before processing. This means that water-rich ingredients can appear high up, even though their proportion appears different after cooking. Even a particularly nice-sounding ingredient does not guarantee balanced nutrition.
Terms like premium, natural or holistic are not scientific proof of quality. What matters is the finished nutrient profile, the safety of production and whether your dog stays healthy with the product.
Assess tolerance correctly
A suitable food supports normal weight, good muscles, formed stool and a healthy-looking coat. Appetite alone is not proof of quality. Many dogs also like to eat very high-energy or highly palatable products.
Monitor your dog’s weight and body condition regularly. Ribs should be easily palpable without protruding too much. A waist should be visible from above. Adjust the amount if weight, activity, age or neuter status changes.
If diarrhoea, vomiting, itching, recurring ear problems or a significant change in weight persist, a veterinary examination is advisable. Such symptoms can have many causes and do not automatically indicate a food allergy.
Advice tailored to your dog
Good food suits the individual dog
The PET42 food check combines food type, nutrient supply, energy requirements, health and everyday life. This doesn't give you a general list of the best, but rather more individual guidance for your dog.
Questionnaire, checkout and feeding advice are provided in German.
