When choosing the right nutrition for your dog, especially for active and performance-driven breeds, understanding what goes into their food is essential. Ingredient labels can be overwhelming, but they reveal critical information about the quality and purpose of each component.
Avoid dog food ingredients with little nutritional value
When searching for a high-quality dog food, it’s important to avoid certain ingredients that offer minimal nutritional value and may negatively impact your canine’s health. Ingredients like corn, wheat and soy are commonly used as fillers, but they can be difficult for dogs to digest, may trigger allergies and often cause spikes in blood sugar levels.
Additionally, meat by-products should also be avoided. These are the leftover parts of animals after the prime cuts have been removed, and their quality can vary significantly. Since they lack consistency and transparency, they may not provide the reliable nutrition your canine athlete needs.
Meat protein meal:
A better source of concentrated energy
Canine owners should search for dog foods that list a meat protein meal first. Meat protein meals such as chicken meal, beef meal or pork meal are meat proteins with the water content already removed. This is important, because dog food ingredients are listed by their weight before processing. Compared to meat protein meals, meat proteins retain their natural moisture, meaning they consist of 75% water or more. During the production process, all that water is removed which makes the actual meat remaining substantially less. This means if meat protein is listed as the number one ingredient, it’s actually the fourth or fifth after production. When dog food lists meat protein meals as the first ingredient—that won’t change after production.
Native uses chicken or lamb protein meal with less than 10% water.
The best dog food for canine athletes:
What to look for
High-quality dog food will contain quality protein sources, balanced fats, wholesome grains and essential vitamins and minerals. All Native performance dog food levels include:
- Top-quality real meat protein meals with no meat by-products.
- Quality fat sources that contain no corn, wheat or soy, only wholesome grains.
- Concentrated energy provided by meat proteins and fats that deliver nutrient-dense calories to maintain weight and stamina.
- Antioxidant-rich nutrients that deliver a healthy immune system and glossy skin and coat.
- Chelated minerals, including all vitamins and minerals required for optimal health in a readily available form.
- Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids that are essential for normal immune activity, skin coat and nail health.
- Prebiotics for digestive health and immune support.
With the most bio-available ingredients and using only the highest-quality natural meats and grains, Native ensures your canine athlete gets the optimal nutrition to excel at activities and live a long, healthy life.
Native’s high performance dog food is made in the USA, rated five stars by Dog Food Advisor and is marked as complete and balanced by the AAFCO’s (Association of American Feed Control Officials) standards for growth and reproduction.
Understanding dog food labels and ingredients helps you choose the best dog food to support your canine athlete’s health, energy and longevity. By avoiding low-value fillers and prioritizing nutrient-dense meat protein meals, you’re making an informed choice that directly impacts your dog’s performance and well-being. Native’s commitment to premium nutrition ensures your dog receives the fuel they need to thrive—whether on the trail, in competition or at home.
