Selecting the Best Food for Your Pet
Dec 2006
By Don Hanson
In addition to the many brands of dog food, there are many different types of food. For the purposes of this article, dog food will be classified as dry (kibble), wet (canned), commercial raw food and homemade food. The following suggestions may be used as a guide to select a commercial food that will help keep your dog healthy and fit, while keeping the cost within your budget.
What Type of Food Should I Feed?
Dry Dog Food (Kibble)
Although dry pet food is the most popular form, it does not mean it is the most nutritious option. Brands of dry food range from the low-end products found at the supermarket to the higher quality, super premiums sold by veterinarians and pet supply stores.
Feeding dry food to your dog has both advantages and disadvantages. Kibble is convenient and is often the most economical in the short term. Another benefit is that it is easy to transport if you are traveling or if your pet is boarding at a kennel.
Although many people believe that the hardness of dry food acts as an abrasive that helps to keep a dog’s teeth clean, the effects are often minimal and there are better options available for keeping teeth and gums healthy.
The disadvantages with any dry dog food are numerous, and they include the following:
- the quality and cost vary widely and you need to educate yourself to choose the best one
- kibble is cooked at extreme temperatures under high pressure, which sacrifices nutrition;
- it is not always as palatable as other types of food; because of the manufacturing process, dry dog food is at least 50 percent carbohydrates, a non-essential nutrient for dogs; and
- the grains that are the primary source of carbohydrates in dry dog food have the potential of carrying grain-related molds, toxins and mites.
The daily feeding cost to feed a 50-pound dog only a quality dog food will range from approximately 40 cents to $1.36, depending on the brand and formula chosen. Many manufacturers of lower quality foods refuse to release the information necessary to calculate the daily feeding cost, however, for those that do make it available, the cost ranges from 29 cents to 75 cents per day for a 50-pound dog.
Wet Dog Food (Canned)
Canned food is the second most popular type of dog food. Typically, people who feed wet food use it only as a supplement to dry food because of its high cost. The manufacturers of canned dog food are often the same as those that make dry food. As with dry food, quality ranges from the low-end supermarket foods that contain very little meat to the premium canned foods, which may be 100 percent meat. It is also convenient to offer wet food, which has a long shelf life and is usually highly palatable. Like kibble, it is easy to transport, albeit a bit messier.
Many of the disadvantages of dry food may also be found in wet foods, and they include the following:
- the quality and cost vary widely and you need to make an effort to educate yourself to choose the best one;
- wet dog food is cooked, which sacrifices nutrition;
- many brands of wet food consist predominantly of carbohydrates from grains and protein from soy, rather from meat; and
- it is much more expensive than dry food.
It is important to note that with kibble and wet foods, most of the advantages positively affect us, and the disadvantages negatively affect our dogs. If you have a 50-pound dog and are feeding only a quality wet food, your daily feeding cost will range from approximately $4.50 to $7, depending on the brand and formula you choose.
Commercial Raw Food
Commercial raw food is a new segment of the pet food market, but it is growing in popularity as more people learn about the true nutritional needs of their dogs. These foods are characteristically sold frozen or in a freeze-dried form. The manufacturers typically make only this particular type of food, and they are usually small companies that have no affiliation with the companies making dry and wet food. As a rule, quality is very high.
Commercial raw foods have the advantage of being made from fresh, whole foods; have a high meat content; are low in carbohydrates; are manufactured under a high degree of quality control; and many people find them to be the most convenient, safest and economical way to feed a raw meat diet. Disadvantages include the cost, availability and storage requirements.
If you have a 50-pound dog and are feeding it only a quality commercial raw food, your daily feeding cost will range from approximately $2.90 to $3.20, depending on the brand and formula you choose.
Homemade Food
A few dedicated individuals choose to make their dog’s food at home from fresh, whole ingredients they purchase or raise themselves. When done correctly, this can provide your dog with the best nutrition possible. The crucial key here is that you must know what you are doing, following recipes from appropriate books, to ensure that you include all the vital nutrients your dog needs.
The big advantage of a homemade diet is that it is made from fresh food; since you are buying the ingredients, you have direct control over the quality. Disadvantages are the cost; the time needed to prepare it; food safety issues involved with purchasing and handling raw meats in a home environment; and the amount of knowledge and research necessary to learn how to provide meals adequate to meet your dog’s needs.
While feeding a homemade diet gives you ultimate control over what your pet is fed, it is often the most expensive option in terms of cost of ingredients and time for preparation.
Don Hanson and his wife, Paula, own and operate the Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, where he is the director of behavior services and training. He is a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner animal specialist, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Certified Pet Dog Trainer. Hanson hosts the “Woof-Meow Show,” which airs at 8:30 p.m., Sunday, on WVOM, 103.9FM.
