The Dark Secrets Behind Dog Food

Science Diet, Whole Hearted, Blue Buffalo, Iams, Pedigree, Purina... the list goes on. If you own a dog (or have ever stepped foot into a pet store, for that matter) you know that there are an ungodly number of dog food options... why?

As unfortunate as it is, the pet care industry revolves almost solely around money- very rarely do you come across a pet shop or vet office fully-staffed with individuals who are 100% devoted to the best love and care for your pet. I say this coming from a family who bred basset hound puppies for nearly 10 years and from working in and out of different pet resorts and grooming shops for the past 4 years.

Working as a receptionist at a doggy daycare, I get a lot of really weird questions. From breed questions, grooming tragedies and hard-discussions with pet owners about poor daycare behavior, I've learned to hold a pretty good poker face and spew some b.s. when I am left speechless. One topic that always gets me ranting, however, is dog food.

Well, what kind of food do you feed your dog?

So glad you asked! I feed my dog a raw diet, commercially produced.

Raw? Do you cook it?

Nope! Dogs weren't made to cook their fresh catch over an open fire, unlike you and me, dogs can safely digest uncooked meats of all sorts without experiencing the illnesses humans would. This is the concept behind a raw-food diet, becuase it has minimal preservatives and artificial ingredients, many people (myself included) will argue it's the closest thing to a dog's natural diet that you can feed.

Like all dog food, however, the raw diet is not perfect, nor is it for everyone and their dog. It tends to get rather expensive pretty quickly, and if you don't have the means to pay around $5 a day for your dogs meals (dry dog food costs about $1 per day) then there are certainly other options to choose from and try to find the best fit for your dog.

Dog food varies in many forms: kibble, canned, raw and even freeze-dried raw. There's definitely even more out there, but these tend to be the most common and what I have heard most about.

Let's start with kibble: cheap and easy, but nutritional value varies greatly. I personally have an absolute hatred towards the big-name companies and everything they own- this would include Hills Science Diet, Pedigree and Iams. Why? They choose the lowest-quality ingredients that provide minimal nutrition to your pet and do not provide additional minerals and vitamins dogs need for maximum health in the long-run.

Then why does my vet recommend it?

Good question— and honestly, it varies. Your veterinarian could have a very good reason for recommending you feed your pet Science Diet, and it varies from vet to vet and pet to pet. Listen, if you trust your vet and they can tell you with good reason why they want you to feed your dog what they're telling you to feed your dog, then do it! Listen to the professional, like I said, I am just sharing what I have learned from my experiences.

One other unfortunate point to consider in some cases, however. Is who sponsors your vet? Who paid for their office? There have been past encounters of vets who only recommend food because it's a contract- it's a sad and unfortunate reality. This however, is not all vets, only some. Don't blame before you do your research!

Canned dog food is what I call the medium-grade dog food. Usually a step up from kibble (depends on brands!) but can still contain a high amount of preservatives and unnecessary fats.

One tip for watching protein and fat imbalances in your dogs food is pretty easy- if you read the label you'll see a little section with some percentages. There's a few listed, but the most important are "crude protein" and "crude fat". Ideally, you want a 3% increase in crude protein levels as compared to crude fat levels; foods that advertise to have less than 5% of crude fat are most desireable.

Kibble and canned food alike, however, depend on the brand. The less crap, the better. No byproducts or corn or wheat or really long chemical names that no one takes the time to pronounce are always preferred. Some brands that I can personally recommend would be Acana, Weruva, Merrick, Fromm's, Orijen, Zignature, Open Farm and Primal. Not all of these brands sell kibble and not all sell canned food, but these ingredient lists may give you an idea as to what is better as compared to those big-name brands.

Raw and freeze-dried (FD) raw diets don't vary much other than in price and small differences in nutritional values, but if a FD raw diet is more budget-friendly for you as compared to raw, I highly recommend looking into it!

The largest dispute vets and pet-lovers have about the raw diet is the handling and packaging of the raw meat- are all of the cleaners used in the facility dog-safe? Is the packaging process sanitary? Does all the commerical processing of a raw diet still allow for the diet to provide all of its theoretical promises? These are all valid and important to questions to ask and consider. I recommend sticking with commercially-produced diets despite these valid questions, however, because they have been reviewed and adjusted to gurantee the proper nutrition levels your dog needs in every meal; these nutritional levels are difficult to meet with homemade diets.

My last note to you is, please do not switch your dogs diet if they are on a medicated diet. That medicated diet has a purpose- my cat is on a medicated diet and, yes, I feed him science diet, but those medications mean more to his tiny dying liver than an extra nutrition boost. Also, don't make sudden diet changes to your pet. Ever. Always slowly introduce new or prospectively new foods- mix it into your dogs usual food in increasingly small amounts until you make a full replacement. 100% pure canned pumpkin (no sugar or spices added!) is always a good additive to sooth any tummy troubles a diet switch may cause.

I hope that in this, I was able to inform you of what some dog food options are and give enough information for you to decide what and how you want to feed your dog. Whether it be the cheapest bag of kibble at Walmart or the most expensive FD raw bag at the fanciest pet store, know what is in it and what those ingredients are doing to and for your pet, then ask yourself if you're okay with it. There are pros and cons to every dog food and no "perfect" dog food exists, but what is most important is that it is a food that is good for your dog, within your budget and is a food that keeps you and your dog happy and healthy.