what dog food is the best to fed your dog!? dry,wet,and the brand?

Question

i need to know what to feed my dog because this is my first time owning a dog!

Answer 1

There isn't one single dog food that is the overall "best" on the market for all dogs. For example, some dogs do best on grain-free diets, for others, grain-free is too rich and they need a little lower protein diet. What you want to find out is what HIGH-QUALITY dog food is the best food for your dog.

Dry food is better for the teeth than wet food.

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On choosing a dog food:
Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don't digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of "by products" listed.

Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd

And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

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Some GOOD foods are :
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Timberwolf - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
* Wellness - http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/
* Chicken Soup brand - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* Blue Buffalo - http://www.bluebuff.com/
* Fromm - http://www.frommfamily.com/
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Innova EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp

Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)

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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, Purina, etc.)

Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. It has the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)

Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.

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It may seem like the initial cost of the better food is more expensive, but it really isn't in the long run. Right now, you're feeding your dog fillers. Your dog eats more to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. By feeding better food, your dog will eat less (and poop less, so less cleanup for you!). Also, it will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.

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"Big box" petstores like Petco and Petsmart rarely have quality foods. Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren't good places to buy food either.

Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:
- small, locally owned petstores
- dog boutiques
- farm supply stores

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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A
.

Answer 2

The best is to feed dry and wet both. Contrary to popular belief, even among some vets, dry isn't best, it doesn't prevent tooth issues nor does wet cause tooth issues.
(In a perfect world everyone would feed a well balanced raw or homecooked diet, but since it isn't perfect feed the best quality commercial food you can)
Some good choices both dry & wet:
Canidae, Wellness, innova, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Merrick, Fromm just to name a few.

Stay away from store brands such as IAMS/Eukanuba, pedigree, Science Diet, Beneful (one of the worst),etc

Canned foods do NOT make a dog gain weight nor are the good brands mostly water...this is nothing more then uneducated, popular belief..actually dry foods are more likely to cause weight gain because of the higher carbs (especially those foods that have a lot of cheap fillers, especially corn)..also wet foods are better nutritionally since they contain a higher percentage of meat and lower carbs. In the good quality foods there is no added water, moisture comes from the natural moisture in the meats.

******vets do NOT get paid to sell ANY brand of food..they like every other pet business MUST BUY the food at a wholesale price (the cost of which is usually higher then pet stores because vets don't sell in the same volumne) and then they sell at retail.The only money made is the difference between the wholesale and retail price.******

Answer 3

Taste of the wild:All formulas Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural & Ocean Fusion Solid Gold Barking At the Moon Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish I feed majority grain free of any high quality very low grains to no grains in dry/can food.

Answer 4

i have answered about 50 questions exactly like this, im starting to get tired of it. Search for similar questions.
Some good foods:
- Canidae
- Orijen
- Royal Canine.
food should not have corn or wheat in the first three ingredients. Dry food cleans their teeth better, and is healthier. Dont ask a vet about what food to get the dog, they are paid off, and nutrition is an elective course for vets.
NO DOG CHOW, IAMS, SCIENCE DIET, PEDIGREE, OL ROY.
Just because some are expensive, doesn't mean they are good.

Answer 5

In a sense there is no such thing as the "best dog food." Much of it depends on your individual dog's needs. You need to take into consideration the age of your dog as well as any special needs he /she may have. Many dogs suffer from sensitive stomachs, food and skin allergies, obesity, etc. These are all things you need to think about.

From there, the best thing to do is to learn about general dog nutrition. Dogs are not naturally designed to digest corn, wheat, and soy. Anything with the word by-product in it (which basically means the leftovers from animals not deemed fit for human consumption) should also be avoided. Not only are these "fillers" not necessary and unhealthy, many dogs are allergic to them. Also avoid foods that contain chemical preservatives; many of these have been linked to causing severe medical problems due to long term consumption. If any of these things are present in the first five ingredients, the brand is best left on the shelf.

As far as brands, the ones people tend to be the most familiar with are Purina, Pedigree, Science Diet, Iams.....the list goes on. Because many of these foods have been around for years, many consumers naturally assume they must good quality brands. Unfortunately, all of these brands contain to some extent, the unhealthy ingredients listed above. A good rule of thumb is: if you can purchase it in your grocery store, it's probably not the best food for your pup.

To find many of the truly good brands, you may have to travel to a smaller family owned pet store or order them online. Believe me, it's worth it. You should a distinct difference in your dogs overall health; greater activity level, healthier coat, less stinky poos.;)

Some of these very good brands are:
Canidae
Solid Gold
Wellness
Innova
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul

If you are unable to locate these, some of the larger pet store chains (Petco, PetSmart) carry a few decent brands as well such as Nutro and Blue Buffalo.

I would recommend sticking to dry food and avoiding canned wet food. Because of the high fat content wet food contains, it's really only necessary to feed to sick or underweight dogs or perhaps pregnant or nursing mothers. Dry food will better help maintain your dog's weight and promote healthy teeth and gums.

I would also consider offering your dog occasional raw meats such as chicken or beef. Many people now consider the BARF diet to be the healthiest diet one could possibly feed a dog as it consists purely of raw meats and is as close as you could get to their natural diet.

Answer 6

Dry food is best for teeth and prevents dental problems later on in life, please be sure to buy your dog high quality food, i mean if you had to eat only ONE thing a day wouldnt you wnat it to be the best?

Wet food can/should be used as a treat... even when i do i mix it with dry foods..


anothe roptions is you can get dry food and many brands of "pet gravy" to add a lil sauce to it

Answer 7

Anyone should be hesitant to give you a brand. However, dry food with a high percentage of protein will be better for you dog and easier on you wallet in the long run. Wet food is just that, wet(Mostly moisture).

Answer 8

NEVER give your dog wet dog food due to the recent recall. Give your dog Purina dry dog food. That is the only brand that hasn't been on the list. If you want your dog to live a long healthy life, feed them Purina.

Answer 9

I go inbetween feeding the wet and dry food.

Sometimes I'd just mix half and half.
*Half dry, half wet*

But either way and organic/natural kinds.

NO BY-PRODUCTS! (Just check the labels before you buy it)

I just learned that from my vet. Its very harmful to your animal.

Answer 10

We feed our lab/golden mix dry Eukanuba large breed formula. It has just the right balance of nutrients, and I love how dry it is because I hate the squishy feeling of wet food. Of course, you could always mix the two, but I don't prefer that. It might help if you tell us how old and what breed your dog is, but oh well. I hope I've helped! ;)