When it comes to finding the best food for your four-legged family member, it can be difficult to know which brands and products are the healthiest. With so many options on the market, it's important to do your due diligence as a pet owner and consult organizations such as the FDA or the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for guidelines on pet food safety. Orijen is one of the best brands you can get if you're concerned about the traceability of human-grade food. Four of our experts recommended Royal Canin, saying it is of the highest quality and uses premium ingredients; many of them feed it to their own pets.
The brand has a variety of foods that help canines at all stages of life, from puppies to adult adult dogs, as well as food for specific types of breeds, which may require a prescription from your veterinarian. Richardson recommends Royal Canin's vegetarian option, as it provides enough vitamin B12 and protein for dogs without deriving anything from meat. Because dogs are omnivorous, putting your dog on a vegetarian diet is easier than with cats (the latter are carnivores) and could benefit the environment. However, it's also easier for them to lose crucial nutrients, so always consult your veterinarian before considering this option.
Phillips also recommends this brand for puppies because it has specific diets for growing dogs. Open Farm dog food is a great choice for CSA-loving fur parents. Its extensive food catalog includes kibble made with high-quality proteins, products and whole grains; limited ingredient meals for dogs with dietary restrictions; and high-protein dry and wet dog foods. This limited-ingredient food has a single source of protein (turkey) and two carbohydrates (brown rice and oatmeal).
Although there is no official AAFCO nutrient standard specifically for small and large breeds, some puppy foods are made especially for dogs of different sizes. Burbidge likes Nutro Natural Choice because the brand has many options for dogs of all breeds, sizes and ages, from puppies to older adults. Marty Goldstein (who literally wrote the book on holistic pet medicine and has his own line of dog food) explains that there are additional hygiene precautions you should take with raw foods, but believes those are worth the additional nutritional benefits, such as improved digestion and function of the immune system as well as less inflammation and allergies. Finn likes the Californian company JustFoodForDogs, which he says “has an amazing team of multi-specialty veterinarians and “is doing a good job at freshly cooked food terms. Tom Cameron, DVM, contributor to Nature's Logic, recommends this brand because it's the only pet food company in the U.
S. that follows a process called Human Grade Certification (HGC). This process must be meticulously documented and the label must clearly state that the food is for dogs. Richardson notes that this brand is strict on quality control and uses a team of nutritionists to help create new dog food recipes and review current ones to ensure they provide balanced nutrition that meets AAFCO requirements. While ingredients are important, what you really want to determine is whether the food contains the nutrients your dog needs to be healthy, not necessarily whether or not it contains grains, some experts argue.
Therefore, to understand how the nutrition of a wet food compares to a dry food, you need to look at the percentages of protein, fat and fiber based on dry matter. As valued family members (and sometimes the primary beneficiary of their owners' wills), dogs deserve to have the best food available to them. To make sure your pup gets all the nutrients they need in their diet, do your research on different brands and consult with your veterinarian before making any decisions.
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