The Best Way to Feed a Dog

Homemade Versus Commercial Food

• If you have followed the news, you are likely to be afraid to keep feeding commercial pet foods. The pet food recalls expose the basic problems. Pet food manufacturers often subcontract the manufacture of their pet foods to a handful of plants in the United States. When one plant gets bad ingredients, many foods get the tainted ingredients and there are massive recalls as pets get sick and die.
  Many pet owners have turned to making their own pet foods so they can have better control over the ingredients. The fallacy of this is if they fail to properly balance the nutrients, their pets can suffer from malnutrition or imbalances. However, the plus side is that if they do their research, they can feed an exceptional diet to their pets.
  But there are still many good reasons to buy commercial pet foods. They are convenient, and if they are formulated according to the Association of Animal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines, the food is considered complete and balanced. What's more, not only do you know you are feeding the proper nutrition to your pet, but it is less expensive than formulating the dog's diet yourself.

Commercial Pet Foods

• If you decide to feed a commercial pet food, be sure that the diet is AAFCO certified as complete and balanced for the life stage of your dog or for all life stages. The statement is on the package and ensures that your dog will be getting proper nutrition for his age.
  Commercial foods come in various forms, including kibble, canned, semi-moist, meat rolls, dehydrated and frozen. Of all the forms, the most convenient and cost effective is dry kibble, although it is usually less palatable. The second most common is canned food but you are paying for the canning process and the extra water weight within the can. Semi-moist is probably the worst food because it is made with coloring and sugar to keep the food moist and looking like hamburger.
  Meat rolls, also a form of semi-moist food, is highly palatable but very expensive compared to other forms. Frozen and dehydrated food is harder to find and very expensive. Frozen meat needs freezer space, so you will be paying for storage and handling. Dehydrated food is expensive because of the amount required to produce proper proportions plus the overall dehydration process.
  Many pet owners often mixed forms of food and even brands of food. Mixing brands of food is a good idea to ensure the dog is getting good nutrition and variety to avoid overfeeding too much of a possible tainted substance.

Premium Dog Food Versus Generic

• Whatever commercial food you choose, make sure that the dog food is a premium food. This means the manufacturer uses premium, high grade ingredients and protein sources. The first few ingredients in your dog's food should be the protein source (beef, chicken, poultry, meat-by-products) and fat. The carbohydrate sources (grains or potatoes) should come later. The food should be labeled as highly digestible -- the more premium the food, the less you have to feed and the less feces waste you have to pick up later. Most premium foods are sold in pet supply stores, although a few are sold in grocery stores. When in doubt, visit the pet food's website and look at the ingredients and nutritional values.

Homemade Dog Food and Raw Diets

• Many pet owners have turned to making their own pet's food and some feed raw diets. The good side is that the pet gets a nice variety of food--usually of human food grade ingredients. The downside is that if the food is raw, it can harbor dangerous bacteria that could make a dog sick or be transferred to the owner and make them sick too. Cooking a food destroys the bacteria but can also destroy some vital nutrients.
  If you choose to feed your dog a homemade diet, be sure to make sure it's balanced, either by having a veterinary nutritionist analyze it or use a vitamin and mineral formula such as Balance-It to ensure it has all the necessary nutrients.

Feeding Your Dog

• Most pet owners feed their dogs twice a day. If you are feeding a commercial diet, look at the package and use the guidelines to feed your dog. Split the daily amount in half and feed morning and evening. Puppies should be fed three times a day until about four to six months when they can drop down to twice daily.
  If you are feeding a homemade or raw diet, follow the diet instructions.
  Regardless of what diet you feed, monitor your pet's weight closely to make sure it isn't getting too fat (can't feel the ribs anymore) or too thin (no padding on the ribs). Make sure that you always provide plenty of fresh water.