Is Dry Dog Food a superior food, or is a natural wild dog's diet(bones,meat,offal, etc) the best option?

Question

I know some people who feed their dogs dry almost exclusively.

Dry food is processed and man made (which is a big worry).

I have read in some alternative publications that there is too much protein which is incomplete and indigestible and that high calcium is a problem.
It has also been suggested that despite the claims that it is a teeth cleaner tartar still forms on dog's teeth from using it.

High amounts of cheap grain are also added which is not a natural part of a dog's diet according to some.

So is the truth out there somewhere?

Unfortunately American Vets and Commercial Food Companies have tight links. Just as Medical practitioners and Drug Companies are in bed with each other. A sort of symbiotic relationship I suppose
So I am a little suspicious of their opinions and motives

I just read some vets get a 40% cut for recommending certain CDFs

Answer 1

Natural diet. This nonsense that dogs have "evolved out of eating like wolves"? Neat trick since kibble hasn't even existed more than 100 years. Same with the silliness about dogs being omnivores. Dogs are biological carnivores -- the fact that they can survive on non-meat doesn't change that. My cats like to eat grass and cantaloupe, but I don't hear anyone ever trying to argue that cats are omnivores. And once off kibble, dogs digest up bones quite nicely. I have to laugh at the guy who thinks that "wolves don't eat the bones". It's only cooked bones that are indigestible.

Dogs don't need grain, rice, or vegetables which comprise a major part of kibble. Says so right in Merck veterinary manual. Course, the dog food companies subsidize veterinary nutritional education, so many vets seem to skip over that part.

A great one-stop shop for more information is:
http://www.rawfed.com/myths/

I know too many sick dogs that have made complete turn arounds on raw diet to doubt it. I have personally had two dogs that had serious health problems which resolved only after I got them off kibble. I finally got the hint.

Ultimately, you've got to feed what's right for you and your dog, but it's worth it to do your research. I've tried expensive kibble after expensive kibble, and while they are hands down better than cheap kibble, it's still... kibble.

Answer 2

Dogs like a steady diet of the same food. High end dry dog foods have minimal amounts of grain and use the same proteins found in fresh meats, offal etc. Most of this protein has a high digestibility (>70% in pepsin) and produces less stools.

Answer 3

I prefer a super premium dry dog food. I have seen too many dogs get sick from being fed raw meat. Every company will tell you why their brand is the best and that other brands suck.

Answer 4

the best thing to do is to use a combonation of both! don't only use dry food, it's not good for them in the long run. use a combonation of dry and canned/wet food. also every now and again give your dog a raw egg (or two if it is a big dig) with the dry food, or even by itself, it's better for the dogs coat (makes it soft and shiny). it's also goo to get doggie treats that are good for the teeth if you are concerned about tartar build up! they also have rubber toys that are good for the teeth!

Answer 5

I assume you are referring to the recent trend of feeding dogs a "raw" or BARF diet, instead of the conventional kibble.
Dogs are not domesticated and therefore, no longer wolves.
Wolves eat what they hunt, bones and all. They also live outdoors all the time and fend for themselves. Domesticated dogs rely on their humans for everything, including their nutrition.
Feeding a raw diet means feeding meat straight from the bone, with everything in it's complete form.
Dogs have conformed to eating kibble for so long, that they can no longer digest certain enzymes and large bone pieces naturally, those found in the raw diet.
Kibble, albeit processed and some better than others, is a dog's one pure source of nutrition. There has been so much research and years of experimenting with all the different ingredients, and animal nutritionists have still concluded that although a dog's ancester's may have eaten their kill, dogs of today cannot thrive on it.
A raw piece of meat usually comes straight from the slaughtered animal, and therefore has enzymes and nutrients that dogs just cannot digest.
Same with humans...we CAN eat cooked/boiled chicken, but feed it to us raw and drippy, and it could kill us.
Dogs are certainly NOT human, but they have concise digestive systems just the same. Take in what is good, filter out what is bad, and reject what cannot be digested.
I have a housefull of animals, and you could not pay me enough to feed them a raw diet.
I am very satisfied with their kibble, Natural Balance and AvoDerm, as they are all athletes and working dogs.
You also could not pay me enough to feed something terrible as Iams or Pedigree, simply because the ingredients are something to be ashamed of. Corn is highly-un-digestible in both wolves and dogs, and wolves do not eat it in the wild, nor do they eat much grass or wheat.
Dogs do not have a choice if their master serves them a bowl of Iams, which is filled with corn and other by-products which do not meet their nutritional needs.
There is far too much risk with feeding raw, as many veterinarians agree. Many vets you talk to recommend against it.
What you CAN do if you choose to feed natural un-processed food, is substitute a number of meals your dogs eat per week with a homemade meal.
I feed fresh cooked chicken, whole brown rice, cooked eggs, fresh apples/bananas/carrots, and anything else fresh and healthy, and feed my active dogs this meal up to three times a week.
My dogs are as healthy as they could be, and I say:
Just say NO! to raw/barf diets.

Your dog will thank you.

Answer 6

I feed dry Pedigree exclusively. Both my dogs are trim and active at nine and twelve years old.
Come to think of it, grains aren't a natural part of the human diet, either: we had to domesticate them and develop sophisticated processes for harvesting, grinding, and preparing them. Before that, we just had nuts, greens, tubers, berries, and meat. But today, millions of people eat seven servings of breads and cereals daily. We adapt.
Good commercial dog foods have an adequate balance of minerals, and all the fat and protein the dog needs.
The important thing is not to overfeed your dog, whatever you give him.

Answer 7

There are many types of dog food and different grades of it. What you are asking about, natural dog food such as bones and stuff is not good for a dog. If a dog eats a bone it can put a hole in the intestine and cause you a big vet bill. In the wild wolves do not eat bones, they eat the marrow in the bones and spit the bones out. Domesticated dogs have not learned this trick and they will eat the bone. You are better off give your dog high quality dog food such as pro plan and such.

Answer 8

i always used a combination of both. plus i added some table scraps and fat.