How to Find Quality Dog Food Australian Made

Dog’s have a powerful sense of smell. It’s more than forty-times more powerful than a human nose, and they use it to sniff out treats and food that they can dig into. Even though their noses are far-superior, they can’t sniff out quality dog food.

Doggos use up a lot of energy playing, cuddling, and being curious creatures. It’s up to their human-counterpart to find the best food to suit their energy levels and health conditions. Finding Australian made dog food means fresher food, for better nutrition. Don’t deny that doesn’t sound appealing for your pooch.

What Are the Ingredients to a High-Quality Dog Food?

When searching for ingredients, you’re looking for a few key items.

• Lean protein
• Vegetables
• Healthy fats
• Fruits
• Healthy grains
• Dog-friendly spices

Looking at the packaging of Australian made dog food may seem daunting. When in donut, spot the top ten ingredients. If you notice the top six “key items” that are listed above, then chances are the dog food you're looking at is a winner. If it has unfamiliar ingredients, and or preservatives right off-the-bat, then leave that bag of food on the shelf where it belongs.

The only food for your home is where quality, and affordability intertwine, to create a food your dog can’t wait to gobble up.

5 Best Australian Made Dog Foods

If you’re looking for the five most reputable dog food brands, after Petzyo products, you’ve come to the right place. These brands were picked based on being dog food Australian made, having quality-ingredients, balanced nutrition, and staying affordable [2]. Quality only counts if everyone has access to it.

1. Petzyo

Petzyo was Australia's premiere direct-to-customer premium dog food that arrives monthly, when your dog's due for a refill of their dinner. But convenience and savings is not the only things that sets Petzyo apart from other Australian-made dog foods. Petzyo only uses ethically sourced, organic ingredients that are raised or grown, here, in Australia. When you feed your dog Petzyo kibble or raw foods, you're also supporting local farms and artisans.

Oh! And because all Petzyo ingredients come from Australia and each month our food is made in small batches, Petzyo doggos receive the freshest flavor and best nutrition.

2. Open Farm

Open Farm has the motto, “from farm to table.” They get their ingredients from sources worldwide, such as grass-fed beef in Australia, cinnamon and turmeric in Sri Lanka, and salmon from a sustainable resource in Canada. Their food is innovative because you can track your dog’s ingredients to see what was seasonally available for your fresh-food batch.

3. Savorlife

With 50% of their profits dedicated to rescue dogs, who could say no to that? Humanely-sourced dog food, with gluten-free alternatives for allergy-prone pups. They also have holistic ingredients, like kelp, chicory root, and yucca.

4. Ivory Coat

Ivory Coat Has Australian-made dog and cat food, and a separate nutritional type for puppies and kittens. Like all quality food, they have no artificial flavouring, preservatives, or colours, so that you can be confident your doggo is eating whole food, instead of an amalgamation of chemicals. Their nutrition also meets AAFCO standards, and balanced nutrition, so that they have everything they need to maintain a healthy diet.

5. Canidae

While this food has Canadian-sourced salmon, it gets a special shout out for great ingredients, and emphasizing post-consumer recycling waste. Saving the planet means saving our dogs too, so supporting a dog-food brand like this is worthwhile. They also want to source 80% of their ingredients from regenerative agriculture in the next decade. That's a value we can stand behind.

Facts Are in The Food

Looking through dog food brands can be deceiving. Many brands that don’t have good ingredients, hide behind saying their food is #1, instead of listing the nutrition facts. If you find a brand that’s unwilling to list what’s inside the product, then it’s likely because they have something to hide.

Instead, focus on feeding your dog foods that tout nutritional benefits, and back up their products with bona fide ingredients.

Recipe for Success

As an Aussie-native you may be wondering what you can do to make your own Australian dog-food. There are a few things to consider before curating your own individualized meal-plan. 

1. Your dog’s size.

Tailor food portions to your dog’s weight and fitness. A beagle is likely to have less energy than a greyhound, so you’ll want to reduce their portion, based on how much physical exertion they have in a day. Just like with humans, you’ll naturally need less food on a non-active day vs. where you hike 5km up a trail.

2. If they’re at a healthy weight.

Your pet’s quality of life can significantly be reduced if they’re overweight. It’s easy to overlook weight gain in pet’s and chalk it up to them being satisfied with their food. Even though that may be true, your pet food may have too much sugar in it, and too large of a portion in relation to their body size. 

A good rule of thumb is 2-5% of their weight for a raw diet, 2-3% for a homemade diet, and 20g per 1kg for kibble. If your pet is currently overweight or obese, stick with 2% of their body weight in initial feedings to allow your pet to reach a healthy weight.

3. If they have allergies.

The food you make will depend on their allergies. If they have a wheat, grain, or dairy allergy, recipes will need to be tailored to those needs. Adding turmeric to your pet’s food can help with their joints, and inflammatory response. So you may want to explore healthy additives, before doing a radical diet shift, unless you’re sure of your dog’s allergy [1].

4. Are they picky-eaters?

Picky pups, like senior dog’s, often prefer soft foods. They find it more palatable and easier to consume. You don’t want to deny your dog a substantive portion of food, so making necessary adjustments should be easy. Homemade dog food is naturally soft because of the fresh-cooked protein, vegetables, and grains that go into it [3]. You can even add pumpkin puree and other additions to make it smooth and satisfying for your fussy doggo.

5. Furry-friends age.

Locating food for an older dog can be difficult. Their appetite decreases right alongside their energy level. Find new foods and ingredients to interest them. If you added puree carrots to their food one week, add peas and a few bites of Brussel sprouts the following week.

You know the saying, “variety is the spice of life.” Well your pup is just looking for new foods to peak their interests too. Mixing kibble into their wet food, or adding a teaspoon of peanut butter can make all the difference to their declining eating habits.

Best Australian Made Dog Food

Locally-owned businesses help your community. You’re supporting companies that source fresh food, like locally fished salmon, and kangaroo, so that your dog is receiving the best product that they can. 

When you support companies that focus on quality ingredients, hypo-allergenic components, and seasonal vegetables to create a fresh food supply, your dog is eating food that you’ll be satisfied to smell. 

Is Your Dog Begging for Better Quality Food?

Petzyo puts quality into all of our ingredients. From the top-ten listed ingredients, to the very last food source on the package. We care about caring for your pet in the only way we know how. Making smart-food decisions has taken up all of our resources, so that your pet has quality every-day at home. Get affordable, hypo-allergenic dry kibble or Raw Royalty to show your dog what delicious food smells like. 

You can even look to our ingredients to source ideas for your own homemade food. We want your pet to eat the best there is. Find nutritional extras in our single ingredient meat-dense dog bones, to keep them chewing on Australia's-finest food.

References

[1] https://www.rspcapetinsurance.org.au/pet-care/dog-care/what-should-feed-dog

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4473150/

[3] https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/07/grain-free-dog-food-fda-warning/593167/