Do I need the expensive food?

That depends. Does your vet say you need it? Your veterinarian is just like your doctor – if you’re not honest and frank with him or her, he/she can’t adequately treat your dog. If you can’t leave the office without being given a sales pitch for the newest line of top-quality food, ask exactly what it will do for your dog and why you need it. Older dogs with more brittle bones or a lack of energy may benefit from specialized food, many pups have food allergies that prevent them from eating store brands, and some more minor conditions can actually be alleviated through higher-quality food.

The main differences between the more expensive brands and their cheaper counterparts are ingredients. The higher-priced brands have set formulas for their food, which means that the ingredients in one bag of food will be identical to the next. Lower-priced brands have set formulas for nutrition, not the ingredients themselves. This means that the ingredients used to satisfy those nutritional requirements can vary from batch to batch and can sometimes mean trouble for owners whose dogs have very set tastes or sensitive bellies. 

If your vet gives your dog a clean bill of health and doesn’t have any pressing reasons why he needs the food, simply say so and feel confident in your choice of food.

Remember…

The fact that a food is more expensive doesn’t make it better for your dog. In fact, some dog owners who have switched to premium foods have experienced one of the nastiest side effects of any dog food: gas.

Ensuring your Dog eats the right food is critical in terms of maintaining their teeth in a great condition and one of the most useful resources we have come across is "Use Nutritious Dog Food And Health Secrets To Increase Your Dogs Lifespan By Up To 134%"

If you decide to go with a premium food, check the ingredients label for soybeans, bean powder, and any other bean ingredient. These can have the same effect on dogs as they do on you. And really, who wants that in their living room?