Dog Feeding - What to Feed Your Dog to Keep Him Happy and Healthy

There are four primary dog feeding strategies:

1. Dry dog food (kibble)
2. Wet dog food
3. Homemade dog food
4. Raw dog food (BARF)

There is no definitive answer as to which dog feeding strategy is best. This article summarizes each dog feeding strategy, presents their pros and cons, and leaves it to you to decide which dog feeding method best suit your dog's lifestyle and tastes.

Dry Dog Food (Kibble)

When considering which kibble to feed your dog, it is important to keep these things in mind:

• Note what the main ingredients are.

  "A good rule of thumb to distinguish the major components of a food is to look for the first named source of fat in the ingredient list. Anything listed before that, and including it, make up the main portion of the food, other items are present in much smaller amounts to add flavor, function as preservatives or because of their dietary benefits (e.g. probiotics, vitamins and minerals). " ~~ [Excerpt from the Dog Food Project]

• Look for a kibble with meat as its primary source of protein.
• Avoid kibble with wheat, corn, or soy as their main ingredients. For sources of carbohydrates, potatoes or rice are easier to digest. Many dogs are allergic to wheat and corn.
• Avoid any food with wheat or corn gluten. Here's why.
• Avoid kibble with too many "by-products" in their ingredient list.
• Avoid kibble with many generic ingredients e.g. poultry meal, fish meal. Instead look for chicken meal, or salmon meal.
• Avoid kibble with artificial coloring and preservatives (e.g. BHA, BHT).
• Avoid kibble with too much filler material (e.g. corn hull)

I have done a fair amount of research into different dry dog food because both my dogs have sensitive digestive systems. My Shiba Inu is allergic to wheat and my Siberian Husky is allergic to most types of grains (wheat, corn, oats) as well as fish.

Here are some good dry dog food brands that I have tried and that are highly recommended by many dog owners:

• Innova EVO,
• Orijen,
• Nature's Variety Instinct, and
• Wellness CORE.

** Note that all of the above brands are grain-free, high-protein kibble. There may be some concern over high-protein dog feedings causing kidney disease but this is a myth that has been debunked .

Just be careful not to feed high protein dog food to large breed puppies as it may cause overly rapid growth which will stress bones and joints.

Other dry dog food brands:

Solid Gold: I did not include Solid Gold because their high protein kibble, Barking to the Moon, contains generic fish meal as its primary ingredient. Instead we want to look for salmon meal, herring meal, or whitefish meal which is what is in Orijen 6 and Wellness CORE Ocean.

Timberwolf Organics: I have never tried Timberwolf Organics but they also have a well reviewed grain-free kibble.

Canidae is often recommended as a good, lower-cost, high quality kibble. I have never tried Canidae but their ingredient list looks sound.

Pros

• Better for dental health because less likely to stick and stain teeth.
• Easy to transport and use in dog obedience training, handling, and dog grooming.
• Easy to stuff in dog toys.
• Balanced nutrition for your dog.
• Has good fiber content resulting in more regular stools.

Wet Dog Food

Once you have done your research on dry dog food, just get the wet or canned versions of your favorite kibble brands. Doing this will ensure the same high quality ingredients and packing process.

I only give my dogs a small amount of wet food everyday. They get their wet dog food in the form of frozen Kongs which they work on at night while in their crate.

Pros

• Tastes good.
• Will not dehydrate your dog.
• Balanced nutrition for your dog.

Homemade Dog Food

The most difficult part of feeding your dog homemade food is ensuring that it has the proper nutritional balance.

The American Veterinary Medical Association warns against feeding dogs table scraps. Table scraps tend to be too rich and may contain foods that are poisonous to dogs. The AVMA also discourages dog owners from primarily feeding their dogs homemade food.

"The AVMA does not recommend that people attempt to prepare home-cooked meals for their pets because pet nutrition is very complicated and unique to species and individual animals."

~~ [Excerpt from Tips On Cooking Your Pet A Home-Cooked Meal, AVMA]

If you would still like to use this dog feeding strategy, the AVMA recommends the book Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative by Dr. Donald Strombeck or the www.petdiets.com website.

I will sometimes microwave some simple people food for my dogs, but only as a supplement to their mostly dry dog diet. In particular, my dogs really like melted cheese, boiled chicken, cooked sausage, and cooked bacon.

When I need my dogs to endure an unpleasant dog grooming session, e.g. nail grinding or teeth brushing, I will sometimes microwave them a mix of salad greens (lettuce, and carrots), boiled chicken, vienna sausage, cheese, and a very small amount of bacon bits.

Pros

• Very tasty.
• You dog will probably work hard for homemade food.
• High quality, human grade ingredients.

Raw Dog Food (BARF)

A raw dog feeding consists primarily of uncooked meat, edible bones, and organs. Sometimes eggs, vegetables, fruits, and vitamin supplements will be added to create a more balanced meal.

Whether to feed or not to feed dogs raw food, is a hot debate with strong proponents and opponents.

Pros

• Very tasty.
• Bones help to clean teeth.
• Nutrients are not destroyed by cooking.
• May lead to better health.

For a more comprehensive discussion on the pros and cons of raw dog feeding, refer to the links below:

• Wikipedia: Raw Feeding.
• SPCA International: Understanding Homemade Diets and the Pros/Cons of a Raw Food (BARF) Diet.
• DoggieNews: BARF - the Raw Food Diet for Dogs.

• The Dog Food Project
• Dog Feeding Information from DogAware
• The Pet Food Report

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