Introduction
Choosing a diet for your canine friend can prove to be an extremely challenging task, as the pet food industry can be slightly overwhelming! With such a vast selection of commercial dog foods now available, it is hard to know which one to choose and there is no ‘one diet fits all scenario!’ The following information will hopefully provide an overview of canine nutrition but remember that we are always here to help you with your companion’s needs.
What diets are available for my dog?
Depending on the age of your dog they may require a specific life stage diet, so remember to check this in the product information. For example, it is important that young dogs are fed a complete puppy diet as opposed to an adult/senior diet to ensure their nutritional needs for growth are met. Please contact us if you are not sure what type of food your dog should be having at their current life stage and we can provide you with guidance on this. Below will list some of the commercial diet options which are available for your dog today.
▪ Dried kibble – This type of food is made up of a variety of ingredients and is often shaped into various kibble sizes to suit different sizes of dogs. These ingredients usually include meats or fish, grains, cereals, vegetables and minerals.
▪ Wet food (tinned or pouches) – Wet food is composed of very similar ingredients to dried kibble, but it has a much higher moisture/water content. Some dogs prefer wet food to dried food or vice versa. Some owners may choose to feed a combination of both, and many dogs favour this variety.
▪ Raw food – Raw food diets were produced to provide a diet thought to mimic the natural diet of a wild carnivore. Raw food diets generally consist of meat, bones, and vegetables. However, there is no scientific evidence to prove that raw feeding is better for your dog’s health than a commercial diet. Additionally, there are risks associated with raw feeding including the spread of foodborne bacterial pathogens (a risk to humans too!) and gastrointestinal issues. If you feed your dog a raw diet, be very mindful of food hygiene and ensure that you utilise a reputable raw feeding company.
▪ Home-cooked diets – Home cooked diets are steadily becoming quite popular but it needs to be stressed that this needs to be done properly with the correct guidance. Home cooked diets need to be nutritionally balanced and provide the correct amounts of vitamins and minerals to avoid deficiencies for your dog.
Feel free to come in and see us or give us a call as we welcome any questions that you may have about your dog’s diet and nutrition. We are always more than happy to discuss this further. We do have some commercial foods available for you to purchase directly from our practice for your convenience, please contact us to enquire about this further.
What are prescription diets?
Pet food production is currently bigger than ever and we currently have a vast number of diets now available for our dogs. But this doesn’t stop with life stage diets.
There are now many long-term health conditions recognised in dogs and there are available diets tailored to support your pet with certain disease processes. For example, some companies have produced diets specifically formulated for dogs with diabetes, renal or liver disease, and these are often given alongside other management methods to optimise their health.
Furthermore, a popular prescription food is a ‘hypoallergenic’ diet which is fed to dogs with underlying allergy issues. There are many brands now offering hypoallergenic ranges, but they all typically contain a novel or hydrolysed (broken down) protein source and are often fed exclusively (on their own) as a complete diet for your dog. This type of diet is particularly beneficial in dogs suffering from canine atopic dermatitis where a common trigger of their itchiness is a food hypersensitivity.
Common food misconceptions
It can be quite overwhelming searching for a diet for your beloved dog and you may be faced with lots of conflicting information about certain types of food. As Veterinary professionals, it can be quite frustrating hearing about certain food myths and common misconceptions, however, we are here to educate and share what we do know about dog diets!
It is a very common misconception that feeding dried kibble is dangerous for your dog!
Some people misunderstand dried kibble as just being ‘processed’ food to feed your dog, a bit like humans eating junk food. However, this is not the case. Commercially prepared dried kibble is nutritionally complete and it is perfectly acceptable to feed this to your dog. Commercial dog food also goes through strict regulation by the pet food manufacturers associated (PMFA).
Another huge misconception is that ‘grain free’ diets are hypoallergenic, they are not!
Grain free foods are only free of grain, they are still at risk of containing other ingredients which may trigger an allergic or hypersensitivity reaction in your dog. Hypoallergenic foods do not usually contain grain, so many people wrongly
assume that grain free diets are similar in the way that they work. Please contact us if your dog has underlying allergic disease and we can discuss the most appropriate diet for your dog.
Conclusion
To conclude, we hope that the above information has provided you with an insight into the different dietary options for your canine friend. There are many diets available for your dog and every dog differs in their nutritional needs and preferences. You are welcome anytime to contact us to discuss your dog’s diet so that together we can ensure that their optimum health is achieved.
References
Is Kibble Safe for Dogs? | VetHelpDirect
Laflamme D, Izquierdo O, Eirmann L, Binder S. 2014. Myths and Misperceptions About Ingredients Used in Commercial Pet Foods. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 44: 689-698.
Pet food Manufacturers Association
