Labrador Retriever

　　Any dog food before being launched is designed by professional pet developers according to different physiological conditions of dogs. More people prefer dog food as the main food for dogs mainly because high-quality dog food offers balanced and comprehensive nutrition, is easy to digest for dogs, easy to preserve, convenient to feed, and can improve dogs' disease resistance and delay aging, among other advantages. Due to the variety of dog foods on the market, owners should not blindly choose dog food for their dogs! Next, let us detailedly learn about the classification of dog food types and their characteristics.

　　1. Classification of Dog Food

　　1. Classified by moisture content

　　Generally divided into: dry type, semi-dry type, soft wet type, wet dog food, etc., such as bagged puffed product dog food, canned pet food, concentrated liquid pet food, and so on.

　　2. Classified by dog food manufacturing process

　　Powder type, extruded pellet type, single puffed pellet type, double puffed pellet type, fried type, etc.

　　3. Classified by dog food manufacturer

　　According to different manufacturers, it can be divided into industrial commercial dog food and homemade dog food.

　　4. Classified by the physiological stage of pet dogs

　　Can be divided into: weaning period dog food, puppy period dog food, adult dog food, pregnancy period dog food, lactation period dog food, senior dog food, etc.

　　5. Classified by dog food functions and uses

　　Maintenance nutrition dog food, growth and development nutrition dog food, health care dog food, and prescription dog food. These can be further subdivided, such as: coat gloss and beauty effect, vitality and bone strengthening effect, gastrointestinal health effect, urinary health effect, weight loss dog food, etc.

　　6. Classified by nutrient content

　　Core premix type, concentrated dog food, complete ration dog food. This includes H-4% core material, amino acid dog food, vitamin dog food, mineral dog food, protein dog food, etc.

　　7. Classified by brand and origin

　　According to brand and origin, it can be divided into original imported dog food, imported repackaged dog food, domestic OEM dog food (foreign brands setting up factories in China, OEM production, etc.), joint venture dog food, domestic self-owned brand dog food, etc.

　　8. Classified by dog breed and use

　　Kennel dog food, family pet dog food, and meat dog farm food, etc. Kennel food can be further subdivided into stud dog food, brood bitch dog food; family pet dog food is subdivided by dog breed with even more varieties, such as Golden Retriever special, Poodle special, Chihuahua special dog food, etc. Meat dog farm food can be subdivided into growth period food, fattening period food, and medication withdrawal period food, etc.

　　2. Characteristics of Different Types of Dog Food

Dry Puffed Dog Food

　　1. Dry puffed dog food

　　Generally speaking, the dog food we often see and talk about in daily life mainly refers to dry puffed dog food, which also belongs to commercial dog food. It is made by mixing various nutritious raw materials, then puffing or extruding into shape, followed by drying, dehydration, seasoning, and other processes to manufacture dog-special food. The moisture content is generally below 12%. This type of food is increasingly accepted and sought after because it is nutritionally comprehensive and balanced, has a long shelf life, convenient for feeding and carrying, and affordable. It also features easy digestion and absorption, with a digestion rate reaching about 70%. Additionally, its unit energy can reach 6.27~6.69KJ/kg, providing rich energy. Because of this, this type of dog food has become increasingly popular in many pet-owning households. Although there are still many households that do not feed pets puffed dog food today, with the popularization of scientific dog raising knowledge and the emergence of numerous domestic dog food manufacturers, the application scope of puffed dog food is gradually expanding, and the price of dog food products is becoming more reasonable. 　　 However, this type of dog food also has drawbacks due to specific industrial production characteristics, such as single flavor, poor palatability, the necessity to add preservatives, anti-molds, antioxidants, and damage to trace elements caused by high-temperature puffing, resulting in reduced nutritional value.

Wet Canned Dog Food

　　2. Wet canned dog food

　　This type of dog food is the dog food cans we often see in the market, and some pure meat cans. The raw materials mainly consist of some meat, starch, grains, fruits and vegetables, trace elements, etc. Because this type of dog food is fresher and can be opened and eaten immediately, its palatability is greatly superior to dry puffed dog food. The digestion and absorption utilization rate is also higher than dry puffed dog food, generally reaching up to 80%. Meanwhile, pure meat canned food has a high unit energy, with pure meat cans reaching as high as 25.08KJ per kilogram. The drawback of these products is the higher raw material cost, resulting in expensive finished canned dog food prices, which are difficult to meet the large feeding需求 of adult pets. Also, this dog food requires portioning as needed, as opened cans spoil easily.

Concentrated Powder Dog Food

　　3. Concentrated powder dog food

　　This type of dog food is still relatively rare domestically but has been widely accepted by many pet lovers in the United States. Concentrated dog food is mainly made by mixing fresh meat, various vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats, etc., then cooking by high-temperature steaming, and dehydrated to produce. Because this dog food is not extruded or puffed and exists in powder form, with moisture generally below 10%, it has good nutrient retention, balanced nutrition, and is easy to absorb. The digestion and absorption utilization rate can reach up to 85%. Meanwhile, the biggest advantage of this dog food is that it can be fed directly or mixed with the kitchen's main meals at a certain ratio according to each family’s characteristics, thus greatly reducing the economic cost of feeding pets while meeting their essential nutritional needs. However, due to the long shelf life of this concentrated dog food, its freshness is not high, leading to pets disliking it, lower palatability, and feeding is less convenient compared to dry puffed dog food.

Quick-cooked Dehydrated Dog Food

　　4. Quick-cooked dehydrated dog food

　　A new type of healthy dog food with the most transparent raw materials. Mainly composed of dehydrated meat, dehydrated vegetables, dehydrated grains, various vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats, etc., mixed and cooked by high-temperature steaming and then dehydrated. As this dog food is not extruded or puffed but exists in a dehydrated form, with moisture usually less than 10%, it retains nutrients well, is nutritionally balanced, and easy to absorb. Its digestion and absorption utilization rate reaches 80%. First created by the domestic homemade dog food brand Dog Imperial Kitchen. The biggest advantage of this dog food is that it is natural, healthy, and additive-free, can be rehydrated with boiling water to restore into steaming wet food, has high palatability, is convenient and hygienic. Also, dehydrated food does not require preservatives, thus having a longer shelf life. The downside is that it cannot be fed directly and must be rehydrated before feeding, similar to instant noodles.

　　There is a saying: "Disaster comes from the mouth, disease enters from the mouth." If dog diet is not handled strictly, the dog food money saved today may not be enough to treat diseases for dogs in the future. Therefore, changing traditional dog-raising concepts and establishing scientific dog-raising awareness can make dogs healthier and live longer.