Healthy Foods for Dogs

Scanning the pet food aisle, you may wonder which food is the healthiest for your dog. As quality ingredients and adequate nutrients prolong a dog's life, healthy dog food is essential to daily care. Large manufacturing companies produce most commercial dog food, and increase of the profitable bottom line can require cheap, unwholesome ingredients for products. Available options for healthy dog food vary; however, smart shopping and knowledge of healthy foods promotes quality choices.

  1. Caution

    • Many commercial dog foods contain poor quality ingredients---such as animal by-products and grain filler---that are unfit for human consumption.

    Product Labels

    • Healthier commercial dog foods list a specific meat---such as chicken---as the first ingredient. Avoid packages that initially list grain---such as corn---or the generic term "meat."

    Substitutions

    • Addition of human food to a dog's diet---finely chopped vegetables and lean meat---provide rich nutrients commonly found in the wild.

    Avoid

    • Some foods are poisonous to dogs. Do not feed onions, potato skins, chocolate, ham or cooked meat bones to dogs. Cooked bones can splinter and cause internal injury.

    Healthiest Food

    • The healthiest foods for dogs are home-prepared meals. The raw and BARF diet guidelines provide instruction for proper ingredients and serving sizes.