What kinds of food can you give your dog?
Before wondering which product to buy, you should know that there are several categories of food for your dog:
- The most widely used is kibble, an industrially produced dry food.
- Chunks or canned wet food, also industrially produced, but moist.
- Home-cooked meals, less common because they are more demanding.
- A diet made of meat and bones, which we advise against: it does not cover a dog's nutritional needs and leads to deficiencies.
As for industrial food, there is a wide variety, but to keep things simple it falls into two categories:
- Higher-quality food, often labelled "health" or "premium". These ranges are usually broken down further: "large breeds", "small dogs", "seniors", "active dogs", and so on.
- Lower-quality food, the kind you find in supermarkets.
So which food should you choose for your dog?
Home-cooked food may look like a good solution at first sight, perhaps even the best one.
It does let you control where the ingredients come from and how good they are, and to match quantities exactly to your dog's nutritional needs.
However, this approach has two major drawbacks:
- The time it takes to prepare the meals. If you already struggle to find time to cook your own, finding time to cook your dog's is unlikely to be any easier.
- It also requires you to know your dog's nutritional needs thoroughly, which is far from obvious without real knowledge of the subject.
Industrial food spares you all of that. The time saved is obvious, and the nutritional balance of the products has been designed around a dog's needs: it is one less thing to worry about.
If you go down that route, all that remains is to choose from the wide range on the market.
Should you choose dry food (kibble) or wet food (canned dog food)?
Most of the time we recommend dry food, always alongside fresh water freely available throughout the day.
Why kibble rather than wet food? Mainly for your dog's dental health. Wet food is also often fattier than kibble, which is a second significant drawback.
It is true that dogs generally seem to prefer wet food. Use that to make it a treat for your dog, but one best kept occasional.
Which kibble should you choose for your dog?
As noted above, industrial food, and dry kibble in particular, is in principle meant to supply the macronutrients your dog needs (protein, carbohydrates and fats) in sufficient and balanced amounts, provided you stick to the quantities shown on the packet.
Not all kibble is equal, though. Discount food has a clear price advantage, but it comes with drawbacks:
- The origin and quality of the ingredients are not guaranteed.
- This kibble is often too high in fat and salt, and contains a great many preservatives.
"Premium" or "health" kibble offers a better guarantee on the quality and origin of the ingredients, and is easier to digest. Although it costs more, it will give your dog better long-term health, and what you spend on food will be saved on veterinary bills.
Price aside, it simply means a better quality of life for your dog. Be careful not to judge on the sticker price alone: better kibble contains more essential nutrients, so your dog needs less of it than of a standard product. The real difference in cost is therefore much smaller than it first appears.
Since kibble provides a balanced diet, it is better to avoid giving your dog table scraps on top of it, or to keep them exceptional.
If you want to treat your dog now and then, occasionally swap its portion of kibble for wet food, or offer a dog treat as a reward. Sugar and chocolate must be avoided entirely.
Finally, bear in mind that your dog will feel better in good health than stuffed with departures from its usual diet. If you are hesitating about giving it anything other than its usual daily ration of kibble, we suggest you keep to its habits.
This is all the more true for a puppy, which picks up eating habits very quickly and generally keeps them into adulthood. By getting your puppy used to good-quality kibble only, you give yourself every chance of keeping it healthy throughout its life.
Conclusion
Food is a decisive factor in your dog's health. We therefore strongly recommend feeding it premium-quality kibble suited to its needs (age, size of the breed, activity level, and any specific condition such as being overweight).
To go further, use our food ration calculator to find out how much kibble to give your dog.