Dog Food: How Do You Choose?

There  are so many options available on the market now that it can be  overwhelming trying to decide where to start, what’s best for the dog,  what’s the most convenient for your own lifestyle, the pros and cons and  everything in between.

While  there is no ‘right’ option, as a food that suits one dog won’t  necessarily suit another, there are definitive differences in the  quality across the options.

One  of the biggest issues is that, historically, commercial dog food has  been made to keep your dog alive, with the cheapest possible  ingredients, without care for your dog’s health.  Thankfully, this is  starting to change with more and more natural, less processed, higher  quality and nutritionally beneficial foods available on the market.

The  downside, despite increasing popularity, is that these foods still make  up the minority of the market, and are typically more expensive than  the established, generic, and historic dry dog food brands.

While  global change is slow, the wheel is turning, and the only way to  further improve the dog food market is education!  So, let’s talk about  the different types of dog food, and their pros and cons!

Much  of the dog food market is made up of ‘dry’ dog food.  This is your  traditional kibble type foods and very popular due to its convenience.   Long shelf life and easy to serve, it suits most dog owners because it  doesn’t require any preparing or defrosting.

Dry  dog food has the most variety in terms of how it’s produced, and the  type of production greatly impacts the nutritional quality of the food.

The most common processing is Extrusion, but you also get Baked, Air Dried, Freeze Dried and Cold Pressed.

Extrusion  has been the main method used in dog food production for decades, and  it is the process in which the raw ingredients are mixed, dried, ground  and then rehydrated into a dough.  This dough is then put through the  extruder machine, which cooks the dough under high pressure, before  being pushed through a die plate which creates the kibble shape.  Once  sliced it is then put through another oven to remove any remaining  moisture.
The dried and cooled kibble is then put  into a revolving drum where it is coated with flavours and preservatives  before moving onto packaging.

The  extremely high temperatures in which extruded foods are made have been  proven to be detrimental, if not completely destructive, to the  nutritional content of the food.  

As  the most common format of dog food on the market, extruded foods come  in a massive amount of variation in terms of quality.  While a large  majority of the worst foods available on the market are extruded foods,  they are not all made equal.  There are some very highly rated extruded  foods available…but they come with a price tag to rival the rating.

Baking  undergoes a very similar process but is cooked at a lower pressure and  temperature that can maintain a sounder nutritional content, but baked  foods often have a high number of fillers to keep the kibble bound.

Alternative  options such as Air Dried, Freeze Dried and Cold Pressed are still  fairly new to the table but are increasing in popularity.  

While some Cold Pressed foods still undergo some cooking, it is much less invasive on the nutritional value than Extrusion.  

Air  Dried and Freeze Dried are processed at much lower temperatures, with  the Freeze Dried foods being very gently heated in a vacuum to remove  the moisture.  You may have heard of foods such as Pure Pet Food, who  featured on Dragons Den, or Innocent Hound and Rocketo.  All of which  are highly rated.

Air and Freeze  Dried foods often need to be rehydrated at feeding but are considered  the most natural and nutritionally intact of the dry dog foods.  They  have a good shelf life and maintain the convenience of dry food with the  only downside being that they are painfully expensive!

Similarly  to the extruded dog food, wet dog food (pouches, trays, rolls and tins)  are cooked and sterilised at high temperatures for extended periods  before being heat sealed.  They then hold a very long shelf life without  the need for artificial preservatives, which is convenient for  suppliers and consumers.

Unfortunately,  gelling agents and thickeners that are routinely used in many wet  foods, particularly pate or loaf type foods, are controversial and are  linked to various gastrointestinal health issues in dogs.  Pet food  manufacturers are not required to specify what gelling agents they use  on the dog food labelling, which can be an issue for many dog  owners…particularly for those who have dogs with sensitivities.

Again,  like the extruded foods, wet foods vary massively in quality with many  of the well-known brands sitting at the lower end of the spectrum.  

Issues  like these can be a big deciding factor for people when choosing a dog  food, and the furtherment in understanding of canine nutrition,  influence of diet on behaviour and incidence of medical issues from diet  has brought about a surge in popularity for ‘biologically appropriate  raw food’.

Raw feeding has become  very popular in recent years with many regarding it as the most natural  way to feed dogs.  There is a massively increasing variety and  availability, as well as pre-prepared balanced diets, on the market.   Some chose to do DIY raw, but this should be done with care and  thoroughly researched to ensure all nutritional needs are met.

Raw  feeding has its downsides such as the need for freezer space, ensuring a  routine defrosting schedule and ensuring safe hygiene practices but raw  feeders believe the benefits outweigh this.

Benefits  include improved physical and mental health, improved dental health,  poos are small and odourless and the dogs have greatly reduced wind.

Raw  feeding is an enormous subject and one that is still heavily debated.   The veterinary field is largely in opposition to this style of feeding,  but it is changing.  With bodies such as the Raw Feeding Veterinary  Society and RawSafe, as well as many other holistic vets and  nutritionally trained vets, owners can get more balanced advice within  the veterinary field in some areas.

As  with all types of dog food, raw does come in a variety of price ranges.   It is commonly believed to be very expensive to feed raw, but it  doesn’t have to be!

The last food  type is Fresh Foods, which is another new arrival to the market.  With  big marketing moves by organisations such as Butternut Box, the way has  been paved for more fresh food suppliers to enter the market with  newcomer, Years, taking top spot.  Fresh foods sit amongst the highest  rated foods on the market due to their use of high-end ingredients, high  meat content, very low processing such as gentle steaming to maintain  the natural nutrition, and lack of sterilisation and preservatives.

Unlike  their more processed counterparts, some fresh foods don’t have the same  long shelf life and often need to be kept frozen or in the fridge.  So,  it can be an inconvenience in some instances, but some producers have  developed ways of making them cupboard safe.

We  are very passionate about nutrition but choosing the right food for  your dog doesn’t need to be hard…but there are many factors to consider.   For instance, many people don’t have the freezer space to accommodate  raw feeding while others may not be able to financially accommodate  air-dried into their budget.

The best we can expect from anyone is to choose the best food available, within their budget, by making informed choices.

One  of the best bits of advice we can offer (other than following us!) is  to utilise the phenomenal All About Dog Food database as a quick and  easy way to compare different foods as you can easily break down the  options using the filters which include budget and type.