Arguments Against Dry Dog Food

Pros and cons about dry and wet dog food have been the topic of many arguments. Dog owners have mixed dry and wet dog food and have even mixed dry dog food with human food to try to solve problems that crop up issues against dry dog food. The debate may be ongoing forever about wet and dry dog food. However, the arguments against dry dog food stand firm.

  1. Sugars and Sweeteners

    • Many dry dog foods are high in sugar content to make them more tasty to dogs. Many dogs become addicted to the the sweeteners, which can cause or aggravate the dog's health. Sweeteners can cause ear infections or diabetes. Sugars or sweeteners are usually added to low quality dry dog food, which causes problems when an owner tries to switch the dog to a higher quality food and they discover that the dog won't eat the dog food that does not contain the sweetener.

    Nutrients

    • Dry dog food does not contain enough nutrients to be the only food for a dog. All foods are required to meet certain nutrient standards, but some nutrients are lost or altered during processing and are not replaced by the company.

    Dyes

    • Dogs do not care what color their dog food is. Dyes are only placed into dry dog food to please the human eye and is used to to hide the gray color of poor quality food or visible differentiations of ingredients. Adding red dye, for example, makes the food appear to have more meat. Any numbered dye in a dry food should be avoided.

    Preservatives

    • Many dry dog food companies fill the dog food with preservatives to keep it fresh. Some preservatives are necessary, but many add hidden preservatives that are not listed on the container. Chemical preservatives should not be placed in dry dog food.

    Fat

    • Fat is sprayed on many dry dog foods that are made with an extruder machine. This fat has no nutritional value for the dog. Dogs need some amount of fat for coat health, skin health and brain health. But, fats that are sprayed on are non-specific fat sources, which are animal fat, generic fish oil fat, vegetable oil or mineral oil, which have no value. Unless the fat is specific, such as herring oil, chicken fat or flax oil, sunflower oil or canola oil, nutritional content is non-existent.