So you’ve got a new dog and you’re wondering what to feed him. The market is full of commercial diets, and you’ve heard that some people feed their dogs raw meat. Naturally, you want to make sure you get the best dog food for your pet, so it is useful to know which route to head down.

Dogs are omnivores which means they require meat, fibre, and other nutrients to stay healthy. Generally, adult dogs need a diet that consists of 22-25% protein and 15-19% fat, although puppies, pregnant dogs, and active dogs will have different nutritional requirements.

All owners love their pets enough to want the best dog food, but if you choose to buy a commercial brand, you need to make sure it is has what your dog needs. You want to make sure that a good quality protein source such as lamb meal, chicken meal, or turkey meal is the number one ingredient. An important tip is to refrain from purchasing high grain foods as these will inevitably contain many preservatives.

Of course, there are some people that prefer to feed their pets pure raw food. You would expect to find eggs and offal as two main components of this diet. You’ll often find that this diet is very popular in America, but in the UK people tend to stick to commercial dog food brands.

The Truth About These Foods

The best dog food names on the market tend to come from heavily commercialised brands and thus they can be trusted that the products contain all the necessary ingredients to keep a dog healthy. Compare this to the raw meat diet and you’ll find that raw food can be costly and stressful to prepare each day.

Proponents of commercial dog food say that as dogs are omnivores, it is only natural that they require the nutritional benefits of grains. Some people are sure that a raw food diet does little to help keep their pet healthy.

People who feed their dogs raw food diets feel that nature intended for animals to eat their food raw and that cooking damages the chemical makeup of foods and that cooking the food actually damages an animal’s immune system.

Still, then you can argue that there is actually no difference between cooking a dog’s food and cooking human food.

Whether you choose to feed your dog the raw meat diet or go commercial by choosing the best dog food brand, it is important to be educated on what a dog’s nutritional requirements are. You should also consult your veterinarian for his recommendation on diet.