A dog happily wagging its tail is a heart-melting experience to dog-owners, and they’d do anything to keep it going. Well, feeding your dog the right diet is a sure way to achieve this. But when it comes to picking a dog food, which type is the best choice: dry, canned or others? Let’s take a closer look at each variety.
Type of Dog Foods
Dry Dog Food
Dry dog food usually consists of bagged kibble that contains 3-11% water. It makes up the vast majority of pet foods.
Dry food is both convenient and typically inexpensive, with over $8 billion worth being sold in 2010 – a 50% increase over just seven years earlier.
Pros
- Ease of storage and feeding
- Energy-dense
- Cheap
Cons
- Often contains more grains, which may be undesirable for dogs with allergies
- More likely to contain preservatives
- Lower palatability when compared to wet food
Wet Dog Food
Wet dog food is a fan favorite among the three forms. Top rated canned dog food has a strong and inviting aroma with a human food like texture. Even the pickiest pooches find satisfying. Wet dog food comes in a variety of flavors, which means that is a delicious, nutritious option for your puppies.
Pros
- Increased palatability
- Often higher in protein and fat
- Easier to eat
Cons
- Linked to weight gain
- Spoilage
- Not cheap
Semi-moist Dog Food
According to Wikipedia, semi-moist dog food contains about 20-45% water by weight. It's more expensive per energy calorie than dry food. The extra sugar and salt make semi-moist food is not appropriate for every dog.
Beside 3 forms of dog foods, there are alternatives:
Dog Food Toppers
Dog food toppers are designed to make regular dog food taste better, improve its overall value and palatability and can provide a nutritional boost, such as kibble.
Wet toppers include gravies, sauces and broths, while dry food toppers are formulated as powders or can come in freeze-dried, air-dried or dehydrated form.
Dehydrated/Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Dehydration involves a slow, gentle process of using warm air to remove water or moisture from raw ingredients to preserve them. Since it's lighter, more nutrient dense than frozen raw, and does not require refrigeration, it's ideal for camping or travelling.
Buying Guide
When buying dog foods, ask yourslef:
1. What life stage of your dog?
Nutritional guidelines for humans are generally separated into age groups but adult dogs are considered a single category. As dogs age, their nutritional requirements change and evolve.
Senior
A senior dog who is fed the best food suitable for older dogs as part of a well-balanced diet is more likely to remain active, live longer, and have fewer chronic health problems.Joint and bone health is an important factor to be considered when purchasing a senior dog food.
Adult
Young Adult/Adolescent
Puppy
Puppies need puppy food to ensures they get the proper nutrition to develop and grow into healthy adult dogs:- Growing muscles: Protein-rich formulas.
- Energy: Carbohydrates.
- Developing teeth and bones: calcium.
- Healthy brain and vision development: DHA.
2. What flavor do you prefer?
- Beef
- Cheese
- Chicken
- Fruit
- Lamb
- Liver
- Milk
- Peanut Butter
- Pork
- Seafood
- Turkey
- Vegetable
- Mint
- Bison
- Duck
- Variety
- Sweet Potato
- Venison
3. What kind of food?
- All Natural
- Gluten-Free
- Grain-Free
- Holistic
- Limited Ingredients
- Organic
- Protein-Rich
- Raw
- Vegetarian
- Veterinary
4. What health benefits?
- Weight control
- Active
- Behavior
- Eyes
- Food Allergies
- Hairballs
- Heart
- Hip & Joint
- Indoor
- Parasites
- Skin & Coat
Pet Stores
- Petsmart
- Petco
- Chewy
- Petvalu
Check our list of pet stores.
Brands and Products
Mars Petcare
Altogether Mars Petcare owns 41 brands including $5 billion brands: Pedigree, Iams, Whiskas, Royal Canin and Banfield Pet Hospitals.Nestlé Purina
Brands includes: Alpo, Bakers, Chef Michael's Canine Creations, Dog Chow, Fancy Feast, Felix, Gourmet, Kit & Kaboodle, Purina and Purina ONE.WellPet
Brands included are: Sojos, Wellness Natural Pet Food, Holistic Select, Old Mother Hubbard Natural Dog Snacks and Eagle Pack Natural Pet Food.