How much harm will 1 and a half years of bad dog food do to a dog?

Question

I just recently got interested in dog food, and all this time I thought I was feeding my dog "high-quality" dog food (Purina, Royal Canin) . Once I started getting interested in what manufacturers put in dog food, I discovered what I was feeding my dog wasn't at all high-quality! My dog is almost 2 now. I had him on these low-quality foods since he was a puppy, and I am thinking maybe his puppy growth might be a bit stunted? I will soon switch my dog to a REAL high-quality food, but right now I am wondering how much harm will 1 and a half years of bad dog food do to a dog?

I am soon going to switch him to Natural Balance (no by-products, high quality meats, no wheat, no corn, high quality grains, etc. )

Answer 1

Well, he might not have reached his full size potential, and his coat might not be as good as it could be. But after spending some time on a good quality food (out of curiosity, what are you using now?), your puppy should recover much of the health he lost. And since he's young, it shouldn't have any effect on him when he starts aging.

Good for you for finding out the truth behind dog foods! People need to know how bad most of the food out there really is for dogs.

Answer 2

I don't think there will be any problem with your dogs health from the dog food you used. Your vet would tell you if there were any problems with your dogs bones or growth rate. I fed my dog regular food when he was younger and switched about the same time you did, and he is now 13 years old. He should be fine but any questions you vet can tell you with a physical exam.

Answer 3

Some dogs go their entire lives eating the food that you named and live long and happy lives, so I don't think you did your dog any damage. But it is good that you have discovered that their are better quality foods out there.