Choosing the best food for your shih-tzuo can be time-consuming and complicated, as there are several options available. What kind to buy? Premium, super premium, what type of composition, and various other information.
The consumer is often confused and has difficulty understanding the terms of the package and choosing the ideal feed, right?
If you have already asked these questions when buying food, a survey carried out recently will help you to know which is the best food for your shih tzu!
Not all foods feed your shih-tzu well, says research
Only eight dog foods were considered good in a survey by Proteste (Brazilian Consumer Protection Association) with 15 brands released earlier this week. The study evaluated the composition of ten brands for adult dogs and five for puppies based on the parameters of the European Federation of the Animal Feed Industry (Fediaf).
The amounts of protein, fat, fiber, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and zinc were measured, in addition to calories.
The association pointed out the Champ brand as the worst among those analyzed, for having little protein and fat in its two versions.
Pro Plan dog food — the most expensive, according to the survey — was considered the highest quality product. The best value for money, however, was associated with the Golden (adults) and DogChow (puppies) brands.
Analyze
The study also questioned the quality of the proteins in Pedigree feed, which would have digestibility below the recommended, and pointed out zinc levels a little below the recommended in the brands Equilíbrio, Golden, and Max, for adults, and Herói, for puppies.
The latter also had fewer calories than recommended and excess calcium in the composition.
In the final ranking, the brands Pro Plan, Royal Canin, Golden, Dog Chow, Equilíbrio, and Max, for adults, and God Chow and Golden, for puppies, were considered “good quality”.
Pedigree, Hero, and Magnus, for adults, and Pedigree and Hero, for puppies, were classified as “medium quality”.
The two versions of Champ were considered of “low quality”.
Here’s how the search ranking was, according to the score of each brand:
Adult
- Pro Plan (Chicken & Rice Flavor)
- Royal Canin (Medium-sized dogs)
- Golden (Chicken & rice flavor)
- Dog Chow (Chicken & Rice Flavor)
- Balance (Active)
- Max (Premium special — meat)
- Pedigree (Vital-Pro meat and vegetable flavor)
- Hero (Meat and Vegetable Flavor)
- Magnus (Meat)
- Champ (Meat & cereal)
Cub
- Dog Chow (Chicken & Rice Flavor)
- Golden (Chicken & rice flavor)
- Pedigree (Vital Pro — Medium and large breed puppies)
- Hero (Meat and cereal flavor)
- Champ (Complete food for growing dogs)
“Often the rations are compared to each other in the sense that the richest, with the most nutrients, are the best. This is not true. This varies according to the conditions of the animals.”
As it is technical and complex, what should really guide the choice of consumers should be the indications of professionals who carry out the medical follow-up of animals.
“The best quality rations are not advertised on TV and are not sold in supermarkets, because the good rations are recommended by veterinarians”, he says.
“The best thing to do is consult the veterinarian, who will know how to guide [the tutor].”