So What’s the Best Dog Food?

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Imagine this: You are a writer and editor for Parenting Magazine, and you write about infant toys, vaccination schedules, and nutrition for infants and toddlers. A friend texts you from the grocery store and asks, “What should I be feeding my 8-month-old baby?” And she genuinely expects that you can give her the name of a product that will supply all her baby’s nutrition for years to come.

This scenario is ridiculous – of course! – and for several reasons, most notably:

  • No parent in their right mind would consider feeding their infant or toddler the same food every day for months or years.
  • No parent in their right mind would save important infant-nutrition decisions for the moment she or he was standing in the store, about to buy food, with no clue as to where to start.
  • No knowledgeable writer/editor would think they could advise someone by text about something as important as nutrition!

There’s No One-Size-Fits-All When It Comes to Nutrition

While parents may read informative articles about infant and toddler nutrition in Parenting Magazine and others, one would hope they make notes about any questions and discuss them with their pediatrician. Because, while the writer/editor is knowledgeable about infant nutrition, she doesn’t know anything about the specific baby’s health. She doesn’t know if her friend, the baby’s mom, is knowledgeable enough to know how much food she should be feeding her baby, or to recognize signs of a food allergy or intolerance. And sure, she might be familiar with some great brands of infant formula and baby cereal, but does she want an offhand text to be the basis of her friend’s child’s health?

She does not!

Obviously, I’m asking you to consider this scenario because I get asked for dog food recommendations all the time, and I really don’t see a difference between this request for advice and the one described above. If anything, a food fed to a dog for a year will impact a greater percentage of the dog’s life than an infant formula given to a baby for the same length of time will impact hers; dogs’ lives are short!

Consider Your Dog’s Needs

Is your dog overweight or obese? If so, the BRAND of food you are feeding is not nearly as important as how much you are feeding him and what the food’s fat content is.

A suggestion for a dog’s toy or treat can be responsibly conveyed in a short text or phone message. But a recommendation for a dog’s sole diet should not be conveyed via text – perhaps not even via a long email! There are many factors to consider, not least of which is the dog owner’s ability to observe the dog’s response to a diet and take appropriate steps if the dog has adverse reactions to the diet.

When I’m asked in a casual way for dog food recommendations, I usually push back a little by asking the dog owner some questions. How old is your dog? How active? How is his weight? How is his health? What are you feeding now? Why did you arrive at this food? How long have you been feeding him this food? Are there ingredients that you know you need to avoid feeding to that specific dog?

And here are the clinchers: How much fat is in the food and how much protein? What are the six top ingredients in the food?

Choose What’s Best for YOUR Dog

If they can’t answer those questions – all of them – then I can’t give them a recommendation for another food or two to add to what I hope is their rotation of three or four products from at least three or four different companies. Actually, the fact is, I’m not going to give them a recommendation of a specific food anyway. What I will do is try to educate them about the factors they need to understand about the foods they have already chosen for their dog, and what they can do to improve matters. As just one example, if the dog is overweight, they should know what the fat content is in the food they give their dog, and look for foods with less fat. That single factor is far more important than what brand they buy, so don’t ask me about brands unless you know all the other, more important factors behind your food-purchasing dilemma!

68 COMMENTS

  1. Just so you know that it’s very hard to know what is good for my dog. She’s a bull terrier/terrier mix and I know she had digestive issues when she was a puppy so I went grain free only to realize it could,possibly kill her down the road. I live in a rural area and I don’t have the luxury of taking her to the vet so I wish people would be more understanding about this subject. I’ve tried a lot of dog foods grain free and not grain free.

    • The grain free food will not kill your dog down the road – what you want to look for is a balance of more meat protein versus plant protein. That is how you can know that your dog is receiving the enzyme Taurine that your dog needs for adequate heart health . I lot of people believe that seeing Meat as the first ingredient is a sure fire way to know that this is a dog food with more meat protein than plant protein. Not necessarily, uncooked meat, and all ingredients listed in dog food is listed by mass PRECOOKED, once the meat is cooked it looses as much as 60% of the “weight” value in your dogs food. You want to look for a good quality bone meal as that does not change the percentage of protein even after cooking. Avoid chicken by product meal. There are lots of good foods out there even in rural area as well. Kirkland even makes what I feel in my opinion a decent meat based protein. Check out Venture that is both a grain free and no pea protein and meat based food. Available on line.

      • Lori, another brand I stumbled on that has Taurine is the new Petco line. They have their own line of kibble, wet food and treats. I feed a chicken and brown rice kibble. (I feed a different brand of wet food, but I also cook a lot of my proteins for my dog myself). I didn’t check all of the other flavors or the wet foods to see if they all have Taurine, but I’m sure they must have more than just one flavor with that ingredient. Their prices are also reasonable.

    • My dogs Love this one Raw Food for do Dogs amzn.to/2PwdOmU
      Merrick Backcountry is an all-natural, grain-free ancestral diet that delivers a perfect combination of protein-rich, grain-free kibble plus real whole pieces of raw, freeze-dried meat, fish, or poultry.

  2. Between the two of us, my roommate and I have five dogs. One is overweight because my roommate feeds her too much. They have become very picky and so have tried numerous foods, dry (Fromm, Canidae, among them). Then we tried raw, Primal (which they wouldn’t eat), and now Fresh Pet. We still have to top it with Weruvia shredded chicken. I would like to cut it back to at the least two foods. I can’t ask my vet because it seems they only know to suggest Science Diet.

    • Stella and Chewy Raw freeze dried is great and one of the only foods my dog will eat.
      However, my dog has been about 20 percent overweight since we got her at 4 months old. She always seems to be hungry (mini dachshund). Plus, she hates to walk.

      Thinking the Stella might be partially responsible for her weight (higher fat), I started mixing half Wellness reduced fat kibble with chicken Stella and Chewy mix-in. I give her the amount suggested for a 10 lb dog, taking into consideration both foods, which is what she should weigh. I put a little warm water in the kibble and let sit for 30 seconds before crumbling in the Stella and Chewy. I mix well and she loves it. She has lost about a pound over a years period of time. She’s a lazy girl, so it’s a slow process.

      Give it a try.

    • So true! Agree 100%. I don’t ask vets about food/nutrition. All they say is Science Diet and mine is so against raw (that’s what I feed my pup). They don’t want to be responsible in recommending something that isn’t “approved” by some organization in case something happens to your dog and you can turn around and say my vet said it was okay. I just use a vet for health check ups, blood work to make sure all his organ systems are fine, checking his weight, any lumps or bumps that I may be missing, or things I can’t do at home!

  3. Like Linda, I have four dogs. Age range 16 yrs – 10 months. Two have perfect weight and never over eat. The other two (both have poodle genes???) want to lick the smell out of the bowl. Thus, they are both a few pounds over weight.
    one of those is 10 years, and the other is 10 months!
    I have no clue how to manage mealtime.

  4. You might want to look at Just Food For Dogs. They only use human grade food, no waste products, and they have done extensive research. Their findings have been published in scientific journals for vets and reading the White Paper is eye opening.

    This is now the food recommended by all my vets (large vet group). They also have their recipes for their food on the website. I now use their supplement powder and make my own and keep some of theirs frozen for a backup.

    I’ve called and spoken to them on several occasions and they are more than helpful, very knowledgeable, and very involved with their food production.

  5. Dog food/nutrition is the absolute toughest to sift through. We have a six-year-old Beagle Mix who just had a bout of acute pancreatitis, which scared the holy heck out of us. So hard to see a beloved pet sick and in pain. He has mended well with fluids, anti-nausea shot and meds, medicinal (Royal Canin Canned) food, though we are finding that sifting through all the information and getting wise nutritional support moving forward is beyond challenging, and has been prior to this episode. He has anal gland issues and allergies which we can’t seem to get to the bottom of, and finally got food to a point where it seemed to be ok, Raw Dynamix Rabbit. We live in NYC, love our Vet, she is conservative and more medical than holistic, so I read as much as I can and follow a few holistic vets. Our Vet prescribed the Royal Canin to help him recover and shared to continue with his regular food once he has three good health days, or whatever we thought was best. I feel a bit abandoned and lost by this advice. I am back to researching and came upon JustFoodForDogs and am considering doing a consultation with them. I’m taking this all as a calling to continue to grow and be educated, though there is so much conflicting info it is mind-boggling.

    • Your poor doggie. Have you considered a dermatologist vet for your dog’s allergies? I finally went to one and had testing done and found out she is allergic to many things, but none of them food. It can affect their anal sacs also with constant irritation and itching. May be worth ruling out if you’ve tried everything else. Good luck to you and your pup.

      • Thank you. I really think that is the next step, plus would love to find a wise dog/animal chiropractor. We are heart-broken and freaked to the core over the pancreatitis episode and are rethinking everything. Thank you so much for sharing and for your kindness and care.

        • my girl Bichon had a bout of pancreatitis too, very scary and I traveled over 100 miles to get her to the vet, I really thought she was dying, it is a very painful sickness. the vet, is not holistic nor open to thinking out of the box. she did want me to feed the royal canin too, I did buy 5 or so can. I sat down and read the label very carefully, then I decided no more of that. I have studied dog nutrition for 6 years now. I read on all new brands that I see. I followed Dr. Wendall Belfield, a pioneer in the field of Mega C Plus, as he was a compounding pharmacist and vet both!! From much of his studies, I’ve read, it comes down to the immune system and hence Mega C Plus was developed. you are so right there is a sea of information and products of this and that it will fix everything. Dog food, at least a great majority of it is just about poison. My little white dog has done so well on my food with Dr. Belfield’s supplement I never looked back. You are also right that you have to be so careful what your dog eats, I live on a farm and have access to clean beef and neighbors have clean buffalo. I wonder if thinking more simple will help you find a healthy approach. I use only 93% lean grass-fed beef, a broccoli and French cut green beans and change it up to organic chicken thighs (moist with good flavor) and tri quinoa (organic). and thank heavens, all 6 rescues are so far healthy. I do add sardines and things like this for calcium. all in a nutshell what I did learn, no kibble no canned food, can take place of a balanced home meal, even all the ones that proclaim they are special small batch home cooked goodness. I could go on forever, but the lady who suggested Dr. Jean Dodds is correct, very very wonderful, I have her books. oh yes, about acupuncture and chiropractic care, I have a chiropractor who lives close to me and it has done more than I can tell you, he is 30 years experience, he is a king to me!! Good luck and hope the pancreatic issue is all gone never to return.

          • Thank You Ruth!!! You just eased and confirmed so much that is on my mind. Thank you so much, and so sorry your girl Bichon experienced this, it truly is scary and shocking, especially when you are on a path “thinking” you are doing the “right” things. I’m going to look into the things you mentioned and carry on to good solutions. Can I say thank you, again! 🙂 He is bouncing back, only a few days on the royal canin, going to ease him to stella & chewy raw rabbit (best for the moment) as we process all this info. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!!!!!

    • My 7 year old male chihuahua has pancreatitis and anal gland issues. The nutritionist said to add “Fruitables Pumpkin Superblend” to his food; more fiber is a big help. And my vet recommended a probiotic to add to his food; once a day, called “Proviable-DC”. These two products have made a huge difference and has reduced flair-ups. Hope these help for your pet!

    • There are great natural solutions to skin and seasonal allergies – try a great supplement I found called Ultra Oil – no I do not work for the company, it is a sardine and anchovy oil in a hemp base oil – no fishy smell,, no re flux and my dogs yeasty ears and scratchy skin is a thing of the past! And the added benefit is his coat is amazing. As far as food – check out My perfect Pet – GREAT food with specific diets with low phosphorus and low glycemic choice and it is a frozen human grade food – its awesome.

  6. If your dog is overweight, it’s your fault :). Too much food and not enough exercise. It’s so simple.
    We have field labs. Labs are voracious eaters, and often become overweight. Nope. Ours are very very trim, so much better for their hips.
    We feed primal raw frozen and northwest naturals raw frozen. Rotate proteins. Perfection.

    • You’re right. I have dealt with my own health issues and my dogs suffered because of it. I’ve had major surgery and wasn’t able to get them or me the exercise that is required to stay healthy. Luckily God has blessed me with the ability to overcome or at least cope with life’s challenges. Now we take many walks a day. Lulu is my 98 lb Rottweiler mix and Bear is my 87 lb. Lab/pit mix. Bear has the hip issues you talked about and I thought I was going to have to put him down due to falling and not being able to stand on linoleum floors. I tried different products to no avail until I came across a product called Extend Pets. Within a day of him taking this supplement I noticed a difference. This product gave me my old pal back and we’re all enjoying whatever time God blesses us with. One thing I know for sure is you gotta keep moving. You’d think relaxing and kicking back helps but for me it only made things worth. Have a wonderful day!

  7. When I adopted my Diana pawPrints I did research on the nutrition for big breed puppies. I didn’t know her specific breed but guess she would be a big girl. And she is. 13 months and 87 pounds now. A bit bigger than I had hoped but still a “Wonder Puppy.” I read every label for all of the available brands and settled on Solid Gold Wolf Cub for now. I monitor her treats for fat. The vet says she is a little overweight as he can’t see her waist or feel her ribs very well but I’m wondering if that might be a result of her mix. She has German Shepherd and Golden Retriever but she also has American Pit Bull and American Staffordshire terrier. Her “supermutt” mix (less than 4%) is Scottish Collie, Rottweiler and American Bully. Only the Rottweiler would account for her size and her weight unless her German Shepherd Grandpa was a really BIG dog. While she is food driven she is not a voracious eater so cutting back on her food is easily done. But I suspect the “ideal weight” of 80 lbs the vet has set might be a bit ambitious and overly optimistic.

  8. I have taken to heart the “don’t feed your dog the same diet” over and over again. I vary a forkful off canned food to moisten up the mixed brand kibble that I feed my Labradoodle puppy, 10.5 months old. Every two or three weeks I buy a bag of kibble and mix it in with the kibble remaining in her food bin. My rationale for doing this is that I don’t want to be tied to a single brand’s food preparation process and recipe. It also gives me a way to vary her diet on a daily basis. I use the canned food to mix in with the powdered probiotic she gets and to make her kibble a bit tastier.

  9. I have two 8 year old Golden Retrievers, I fed them Taste of the Wild grain free lamb formula until I leaned about this breed’s predispositiion to cardiac disease. Now I feed them a Canidae All Stages Turkey. It’s lon your list of recommend foods. My male sneezes a lot when he eats anything with chicken so we try to avoid treats and foods that contain chicken, chicken fat and byproducts. This is hard to do, chiicken seems to be a main ingredient.

    • I checked out the ingredients of the Canidae turkey kibble and found peas listed as a third ingredient. I have 2 Labradors and have done research as to what to avoid to help prevent canine dilated cardiomyopathy. Goldens are very prone to this. There is some evidence that using legumes as one of the main ingredients (listed as one of the first 5-6 ingredients)may contribute to DCM. You might want to follow up on this, especially the studies done through UC Davis. Right now I’m feeding mine Nutrisource Trout and Rice Formula. There doesn’t appear to have any legumes in it.

  10. My little guy has been fed a commercial raw for the last 3 years but after a routine blood test it was discovered he has very high ALT liver enzymes this has been going on for a year so now he is on desensy, milk thistle which has helped his alt to come done still high but now his bile acid test is high so now I don’t know what to fed him. Wonder is now raw is not the way to go if his liver values are not good. Otherwise he has not symptoms, but I have never fed a kibble to a dog but I may have to

      • I, too, find all the information on dog food pretty baffling. At one point, I thought I had a good handle on the latest regarding DCM in dogs. But WDJ’s recommended list of dog foods almost all included within the “first five ingredients” two of the items they said should NOT be in the first five! I still believe WDJ is a great publication, but I’m still struggling with all the information.

  11. Patricia,
    Our Australian Shepard was in hospital for a week with pancreatitis last year. We brought him home to die when my personal vet saved him with Massive steroids. Took 10 weeks to wean down on meds, he lost most of his 3 layer coat, and we were a mess. Could not get his coat to come back so I have been cooking his food for the last year. No prescription food or specialty food worked for him. I am now 1 1/2 year later slowly switching him to a holistic dog food, and he seems to be doing well. It is a lot of time and work, but IT WORKED. I am hoping the switch will help to put 5 pounds on him. Thank you Dr Menard and The Whole Dog Journal for helping us through this crisis. It has been a journey. Pancreatitis in humans and animals is the AWFUL! Hang in! Passing on email if anyone wants my recipe.

    • Thank You Laura. I am so sorry you had to go through that journey and so glad you are finding things that are bringing forth health. So far we are lucky, if that is even what it is, as he is bouncing back with the Royal Canin, soon to get off that. For the time being, we are going to go to transition to Stella & Chewy Raw Rabbit, which he did really good on at one time, though ultimately we want to cook for him, just trying to make sense of everything as we keep a close eye on him, and gently sort through all this. Again, so grateful for everyone’s shares. It really is contingent on each dogs needs. Also would love to know your recipe. Thanks tons!!!!! Continued healing and good health to you and your fur babe.

  12. All my dogs have eaten Regal. My current dog gets Real Lamb mixed with Regal Salmon (one cup 2x a day). At night he gets a scoop of moist food (Pedigree): 3 fish oil capsules and a Pet Tab. As a treat when we go out he gets a Nature’s Animals biscuit. When we come back in he gets 3-4 mini mixed Old Mother Hubbard.

  13. Interesting posts. Have been in dogs 50 years. Have found over the years dog food recipes keep changing and not for the best. I am a breeder of Cesky Terriers, I am now feeding Purina Beyond Salmon plus a tablespoon of salmon oil each feed. Am a firm believer in salmon oil for health skin and coat. Never thought of sardines until I read these posts. Sounds good to me. Beginning of Scandinavian heritage I know the value of fish to ones diet. If it’s good for me it’s good for my dogs. I am 82 years old.

    • Katherine, my dog absolutely loves salmon! I buy it and cook for her at least 3x a week. I never thought about sardines but I will look into those too.
      And you’re right, dog food keeps changing and not for the better. When is enough enough? Every time I got into the pet stores, there is at least one new brand I’ve never heard of. Meanwhile, the lesser brands are still on the market. I picked one up last night and first ingredient was meat by-products, soy grits or some such thing, and even high fructose corn syrup. I really worry about feeding any commercial food.
      I agree with you wholeheartedly about the value of fish. Unfortunately I cannot afford to buy as much as I would like, but when I buy salmon, my boxer usually gets 2/3 of it and I get 1/3. But she comes first 🙂
      Thank you for sharing.

  14. I feed my 2 pups (an 18 month old 11# terrier & a 13 yo Vizsla) a raw meat blend from Texas Tripe, along with cooked brown rice & vegetables, + supplements. They love it and its considered a species appropriate diet -(what they would eat as wild dogs.)

  15. My dog cannot digest kibble ..she has a compromised GI, so I have switched her to a combination of raw as well as cooked human grade food. I make all the food myself, following recipes and guidelines from Dr. Karen Becker. (She has it on YouTube) I also follow Rodney Habib, who works closely with her and they have a wonderfully informative video on how to check your dry food ingredients listed on the bag of each brand & type of dry food. I found a little education went a long way for me! No processed treats either… bits of carrot, green bean, cooked liver or chicken heart or gizzard… all nutritious in small amounts and won’t add weight to your dog.

  16. I have a mini dachshund also who has had severe skin allergies and anal gland issues since the day we got her(13 yrs). we spent the money to have her fully tested with the dermatologist ($800) to find she has allergies to everything from grass to eggs to grain and it’s been a nightmare for her and us to find something that keeps her from suffering. We finally put her on primal Raw dog food and she seems to do well with that along with regular apoquel and cytomax shots from her vet. We had such trouble with her Anal infections we finally had to have them removed. It’s a constant battle but what we will do for our little fur babies. Just Food For Dogs also works very well except we found that she doesn’t do well with rice either. But that company is great for finding non-allergy meals for your animals. I just can’t afford it full-time. I would love to find a couple of options though that I could give her some variety

  17. I have started cooking toppers for my 4 year old goldendoodle. I buy packaged turkey or top sirloin (only proteins I’ve used so far) and then grind it myself. To that I add chopped carrots and green beans, spinach or kale, a small handful of peas, an apple, handful of blueberries and rice and water. I add a large scoopful to her kibble and she absolutely loves it. Here’s the question: I don’t have access to a farm so am buying the meat at the grocery store, being careful to get it as natural and unadulterated as possible. Obviously, the grocery stores are getting their meats trucked in already packaged, and I wonder about salt being used as a preservative. I’ve asked the meat department and they really don’t know for sure. Reading the package label is not a great deal of help either as I wonder if what is listed on the package is simply natural to the meat itself. Anybody know?

    • Have you looked into buying a side or quarter beef from a small farmer? I know a couple people who raise their own cows in their pastures with no harmful drugs. Then when it’s time to “harvest ” the cow, she is humanely killed. They don’t even know it’s coming. A lot of farmers post on homesteading or small farm pages on Facebook.

      • I looked into that too Carol, but unfortunately in my area, farms are becoming a thing of the past…most are being bought out by developers who then throw up expensive apartments or assisted living facilities. Farmers just keep getting pushed out around here.

        If I had my way, that’s exactly what I would do, and use only organic veggies and fruits, especially those that are local.

  18. I think it’s silly for people to ask for feeding advice online – and really unfortunate for folks to respond UNLESS it’s clearly in a “here’s what worked for us” NOT a “here’s what you should do.” fashion.

    What breed is your dog? Age? Activity level? Healthy weight? Any allergies or sensitivities? There are dozens of criteria that determine what might work best for your dog.

    One thing I will offer AS MY OPNION is that I believe that a strong possibility why many dogs do better on grain-free foods – especially in terms of allergy issues may be the same reason many people do better on a gluten-free diet. I think it has to do with the use of glysophosate on grain crops. I have been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and a related rare issue called Arthritis Mutilans, which are both immune system issues. I have found that I do much better on non-GMO and organic foods. I grow as much of my veggies and fruits as I can, and we’re blessed to raise a few steers and both meat and laying chickens which we feed organic feed and our own organic hay.

    We have found that our dogs are healthier, have hardly any allergy issues, and live longer since we’ve been feeding quality grain-free feeds supplemented by the scraps, skin and cartiledge from our own organically fed beef and poultry. I’ve been following the heart issues they’ve been attributing to grain-free foods, especially as our dogs are three Golden Retrievers and a Doberman, which are most impacted accoding to the studies. I do question that the foods called out by the FDA are almost all the best rated, high end foods with the lowest recall rates. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that the sponsors of the studies turned out to be Purina and Science diet. But again, all my opinion.

  19. Does anyone have any knowledge about a high protein diet and “aggressive” behavior issues? It’s been hard for me to find actual scientific evidence one way or another about this. Apparently older studies show that there could be a link between a high protein diet and “aggression,” but more recently some question if this is really borne out by current research. My lab mix rescue (3 1/2 year old) has problems that have improved immensely with lots and lots of training and guidance from some wonderful trainers (KPA certified and the like) and Prozac (I really tried not to have to use this, but when I finally turned to it, it made enough of a difference in his arousal level that I could “reach” him to do the behavior training that helps him to be more calm.) All of this has helped a great deal, but we still have issues with him becoming too aroused in some situations. I feed him one meal of kibble (vary the brand and variety with every large bag, use brands from list of WDJ higher rated ones), and one meal is either Primal or Nature’s Variety raw. Only using one meal of raw is an attempt to reduce expense of food. If it leads to improved behavior, I would switch to all raw because I believe it more closely resembles natural canine diet, but raw is very high in protein, and I don’t want to do that if it is contributing to his problem behavior, and would eliminate or change it if I thought it would help. I don’t necessarily trust veterinarians to have training with nutrition, and agree that Royal Canin and Science Diet do not seem to be of a quality I plan to feed my dog. Just to be clear, after consultation with many trusted dog trainers, we all believe that my dog’s behavior problems are deeply seated and probably due to prenatal or neonatal issues. Our friends have his sister and she exhibits all of the same behavior challenges. I believe there is an answer to this, but I haven’t found all of the puzzle pieces yet.

    • U should watch the dog whispered episodes on how to break his arousal habits I rescued a pit who showed arousal tendices. He will show u how to break this. I tried alot of things but this his ways seemed to work. It took me several months of carrying g treats on me to break this habit key is u have to react as soon as u see the behaivor. I would very quickly say ” leave it” and reward him with a treat. Then at times I would stand next to him and just say leave it a d give him a treat. Even if he was showing the behaivor. I wanted him to learn that leave it means treat I did this over and over then when I started to apply it when he did do the behaivor it clicked in him. I hope this make sense. Now my dog is starting not to want to
      Go after my cats line he did at the beginning . Go on u tube and watch some of his shows it might help

  20. Not an answer or advice, but a question: we have two rescued dogs, a 10-year-old Miniature Poodle who is blind and gluttonous and a perhaps-five-year-old half-Cocker, quarter-Shih Tzu and quarter Lhasa Apso, both adopted less than a year ago and both getting a mix of Natural Balance “kibble” and Pedigree “Healthy Choice” canned. Other advice and warnings aside, I’ve noticed in the last month that the “gravy” in the Pedigree has suddenly increased noticeably. We’re now considering a change because of the Mars Company’s (the owner of Pedigree) has clearly increased the cost deceptively by reducing the solids in the can with thickened broth, but I am wondering if other or all manufacturers pull this kind of trick on customers to the detriment of their pets.

  21. My dog is a female boxer shepard mix. She is currently 65-70lbs. She is 6 years old. She is not very active, at most she wonders the back yard for short periods of time throughout the day (20-30 minutes). I do know she has osteoarthritis in her shoulders and hip dysplasia. I am currently feeding her Purina One High Protein as it has glucosamine in it. I do not have her on any medications or vitamins. I feed her 4-5 cups of this kibble a day. I want to get her on a homemade diet but am unsure of how to get started. Please any information would be greatly appreciated! I do plan on taking her to the vet soon to see how these conditions have progressed.

    • Purina is horrible food! Not sure which one you are feeding but here are the first few ingredients of Purina One High Protein:

      Chicken, Corn Gluten Meal, Brewer’s Rice, Animal Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols (Form of Vitamin E), Poultry By-Product Meal (Natural Source of Glucosamine), Whole Grain Corn, Corn Germ Meal …

      Corn meal is terrible for dogs and it is the second ingredient. By products, whole grain corn and the list goes on.

  22. Has anyone seen or used the new vegetarian dog food – Wild Earth? I’m surprised to see a new (expensive) dog food that has no meat! What about DCM in dogs? What about all the studies on the need for meat in dog food the past several decades? There has been a ton of information- and one thing that seems to be constant is that dogs need real meat (and eggs). No wonder we’re confused. At least my dogs are having a great time with the “feeding stuff.” 🙂

  23. I am a new subscriber. I am very interested in both wet and dry dog foods. Thank you for the listings. However, I haven’t seen any comments on raw dog foods. There are several now that have ‘complete’ mixes that come raw. Do you have a listing, any thoughts, and recommendations. Thank you. Noreen Suriner

  24. My eyes are crossed from reading labels. Any recommendation for a dry dog food that will help reduce the weight of my nice year old rescue mix that weights 106 lbs, Rescue center listed him as a hound. I ‘ve so many labels I am totally confused. Thanks Dante thanks you too.

  25. Hi Nancy,
    Your thoughts are very nice. you say right #”There’s No One-Size-Fits-All When It Comes to Nutrition”. We must need looking at Nutrition for dogs.
    I think these food are good for adult dogs #Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food. and #Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food.
    Thank you for sharing this article.

  26. As you mentioned, you need to take the dogs needs into consideration when trying to determine what dog food is best for them. My parents have started to notice that their dog is becoming sluggish, and doesn’t seem to have the energy she use to. I will have to suggest that they ask their vet which food would be best to help with that.

  27. Well explained. To add more, the energy requirements of a puppy can be nearly twice those of an adult dog.
    This means that a puppy might not have the stomach capacity to eat enough food to meet his needs unless the food is specially formulated.