Dog food; what should I feed my dog?

Dog nutrition is NOT just dog food!

Dog nutrition has become so much more complicated than it used to be. There was a time when “dog food” was kibble, bought from the store in big bags. But now, dog owners have countless options for providing the best food for their dog.

Options are offered everywhere you look; in stores and online. Social media has tons of discussions about which method for providing your dog nutrition is the best way to go. But is there an absolute answer?

What are the choices?

Types of dog food include;

- traditional kibble, usually brown chunks in a bag. Easy to come by and often pretty inexpensive but prone to recalls and other problems.

- canned food, also easy to come by and fairly inexpensive. Usually soft so great for dogs with chewing problems or as a meal topper.

- fresh premade food, conveniently packaged and readily available. Intended to be more natural.

- raw diet, supposed to be the “natural” way dogs eat, although many generations ago. Since you usually buy human grade products, recalls don’t happen as often, but can be pricey.

- meal toppers, premade extra ingredients to make another food more complete, moderately priced.

- home cooked dog food, all human grade food, prepared at home specifically for your dogs. Can be a little pricey and time consuming.

Each one has its pros and cons. From ease of use to price to quality of nutrients, much study can go in to finding the “perfect” way to feed your dog. Last I heard, there is not one “perfect” way to give your dog the nutrition they need.

The internet is full of articles and posts about dog food and what’s best. One article that I found helpful was

Which is the best type of dog food, by Whole Dog Journal.

Also, our rescued dog has special nutrition requirements that I’ve discussed in my post, How can our dog live a healthy life? That one is a continuing story so check back for more.

So what IS the answer?

I could go on and on and on……………. I’ll be covering this in much more depth in future posts. It seems to be a never ending topic. The main takeaway is that you need to make a conscious decision about how to feed your dogs. Consulting a vet can help you make sure that the diet you decide to feed is going to work. You need to do research to make sure you’re providing a complete diet with nothing that can cause problems.

If your dog is getting what they need, they’ll have energy, shiny coats, and love life. It’s worth it to make sure they get the best dog food for them.