About Dog Food

People wonder into the store on a daily basis and want to find out more about healthy dog food. I smile and say "great". I say that because I know by the time they walk out, there's going to be another dog gaining better health through nutrition.

We all love our pets it's just that most don't know what they're feeding or why. They believe they're giving the best food for there dog, it says so on the package.... But then there's a problem. Or, sometimes they see how there neighbor's dog is doing and ask what they are feeding.

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First thing I ask is "What are you feeding now?" Most will have to think for a while on what exactly they are feeding. Then say something like, I think it's nutra something or one of the Purina's or something like that.

I say "OK", any health conditions, weight issues, scratching?" I want to find out what all is going on with the dog. I'll also ask how old is your pet, activity level and things like that. Depending on what they tell me may lead to more questions so I can narrow down the best choice for them.

We'll talk about some of the premium dog foods that could work for them. The big differences between the commercial dog foods and the premium ones. And why we believe there problems are associated with the current dog food they're feeding.

I'll offer some samples to take home so they can see what there pet may like. We like to find two or three different proteins that the dog likes so they can rotate every so often. Rotation is critical. If you leave your dog on one kind of food, even premium food, they can develop an allergy to that protein.

Next we'll talk about what I like to call "the pet food triangle." What that is, I like to place in order from the top to bottom of what I believe is the best nutrition for your dog.

On the top is raw foods for dogs or some like to call fresh foods. This includes various uncooked meats like rabbit, lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, etc. This is on top because that's the way nature made your pet to eat. There's no getting around this. For centuries dogs have been living on raw foods. More about fresh meat diets on the Raw Dog Foods page. Next down the list is something you cook at home. This again is chicken, turkey, beef, etc.

Adding rice and/or oats and vegetables along with some organ meat, can make a very good high moisture diet. High moisture is very important to your pets health. More about home cooked diets on the Homemade Dog Foods page.

Standing besides home cooking is products like Deli fresh. These are refrigerated foods that are lightly processed.

Next down the list is canned food. There is good moisture and many flavors available and come in a solid form or a stew mixture. Again, premium canned food is critical. The commercial canned food has some surprises in them that you don't want to know about. Read the Processed Dog Foods page for more information.

Not all dog food is created equal. This is never so evident than the differences from commercial pet foods to premium pet foods. We can help you make the right choices