Recently I noticed a lot of online discussions on dog food diets, that turned into battles between “advocates” of different types of dog diets. Well, you will not get that from me. I strongly believe it´s your own personal choice, as you know your dog the best and his/her needs.
Roughly, these are the types of diets:
- Raw diet,
- Cooked diet,
- Processed diet (kibble, air-dried, baked, freeze-dried, cold-pressed).
As you might know, I feed my dogs a mixture of all types of diets, because I want them to be able to eat anything, as long as it´s good for them. The reason for this is that I found myself in a very bad situation right at the beginning of Covid19 pandemic, when Ziggy was still a puppy and Darwin was an oldie, and I needed specific food for each of them – but due to the situation, dog food distribution stopped or was very slow. That´s when I realized very quickly that I will need to find plans B, C, D, etc., in case this happens again. Majority of their diet is still raw, or BARF to be more specific (BARF – biologically appropriate dog food), but sometimes my work schedule doesn´t allow it, or we spend entire days outdoors, we travel, go on holidays, don´t have access to a freezer, etc. – in that case I need to replace their food with something else.
So, my decision is based on:
- practicality
- how much time I have to prepare their food
- how much space I have in the freezer for raw food
- how many fresh ingredients are in season and available (especially fruits, vegetables)
- nutritional value (this depends on my dogs´ activity levels and age & of course, you have to know that high temperatures “kill” all the nutritional value of the ingredients)
- ingredient list (and transparency of the producer!)
Another consideration is, of course, also the price, and packaging (and how recyclable it is).
This mixture works for me, because sometimes I need something practical that is already prepared, sometimes I have time to prepare cooked food in advance, sometimes they get raw food, and I always add some fresh toppers (fruits, vegetables, yoghurt, kefir, eggs, goat milk, etc.), depending on the season and availability. Of course, everything has to be in moderation. I think it´s 100% your decision on how you will feed your dog, this is what works for me.
My advice for you is:
- dogs need variety, so switch up types of meat from time to time,
- feed also fresh ingredients (fruits, vegetables, eggs, kefir, goat milk, etc, as long as your dog can tolerate them) and use them as treats and snacks,
- make sure your dog drinks plenty of fresh water,
- don´t fall for marketing tricks, colourful packaging and fancy words. There is no regulation (or very little) on marketing of pet food, so don´t believe everything you see on the internet, especially on social media.
and MOST importantly, when choosing processed dog food: learn to read the ingredient list! There are a lot of hidden ingredients in dog food, that are not good for your dog. These are usually meant to bind the ingredients, or to save on costs of production (these are usually grains and legumes, which are not good for dogs!). A lot of brands/companies also add flavour enhancers, preservatives and other additives to extend the shelf life of the products, as well as to make your dog “hooked” on the flavour, so that you will keep buying their brand.
Now that we have experience with producing our own line of products, we can tell you that it is actually legal not to list all ingredients, so there is a lot of room for misleading the consumers. That´s why we try to be as transparent as possible, and we only support brands and companies who are transparent about their ingredients as well.
You might have noticed that I always say that our treats are not “just” treats (as an extra), but they are meant to be a part of your dog´s diet. So, think of everything that your dog consumes, as part of his/her diet.
And my last advice: try to view your dog´s diet as an investment into their long, healthy and happy active life. “What you eat is what you are” is also true for dogs.
