This thread was created for collecting questions about dog food. Primarily commercial products, but questions about home prepared (cooked or raw) are ok, too.

Please don't give answers or discuss details (feel free to start a separate thread), just post any questions you would like to see in a possible "Frequently Asked Questions about Dog Food" document. They could be questions you personally don't need answers to but find interesting, things that frequently come up on the forum, or something you don't know and would like to see addressed.

This is a long-term project, so don't expect anything finished really soon, but feel free to add anything whenever it comes to mind.

Please separate questions clearly, e.g. one per line like this:

* Is commercial dog food really "complete and balanced"?
* What purpose does fiber have in dog food?
* Is expensive dogfood better?
* My vet says home made food is bad for my dog, is that true?

Thanks for helping out.

I get this asked to me alot....

"What's the difference between holistic and natural dog food?"

Do I have to feed only one dog food at a time or can I mix different foods -- at the same meal? In the same day?

Is a lamb and rice dog food the best choice for a dog that has allergies? (I hear this a lot at the bakery -- I think people have come to equate "allergy" with "lamb and rice" and they just assume that's all they can do for allergies in the food area.)

Can I mix canned and dry food together? My dog won't eat dry food by itself.

I feed kibble, but I want to give my dog some people food, too. What can I give him, and how should I mix it with his kibble?

Should food be fed from raised bowls to decrease chances of bloat? (You can tell what thread I've been reading :-)

*Do I need to give my dog a multivitamin to supplement their kibble diet?

*Is it true that the baking process cooks most of the nutrients out of kibble?

(Basically the issue of oversupplementation. I've run into a lot of people lately that supplement their premium kibbles with lots of kelp, bonemeal, a multivitamin and other items. )

Is there really such a thing as "human grade" dog food?

How do I compute the correct amount of calcium and phosphorus for my raw fed dogs? By dogs weight? By amount of meat fed? By mgs per day of each?

TIA!

if the food already claims to have omega 3s, do i have to supplement more for my dog to get the proper amount? How do i tell how much omega 3 is in the food? (for example, Wellness claims to have omega 3s but is ambiguous with the label)

if my vet says i should feed Science Diet prescription food, should i take his word for it since he's supposed to know what he's talking about?

Thanks guys - keep 'em coming!

are high-protein foods ok for senior dogs?

are grain-free formulas ok to feed to large-breed puppies?

how much bone should be included in a raw diet?

what are safe, healthy chews for dogs?

does my puppy really need to be on a "puppy food"? conversely, same thing for seniors.

what are good additions to a commercial food if i'm trying to have my dog lose weight? or gain weight?

i can't find [insert better food brand] at my local pet store. what do i do?

What's better baked kibble or extruded kibble? (very common question)

Why does my vet say that raw is unsafe for the dog because of possible bacteria & salmonella? Don't dogs eat poop with no problems?

Why would feeding a dog a raw diet be any more unsafe for humans than chopping up chicken? Wouldn't washing the bowl and coutner be sufficient?

Is organic really necessary?

My childhood dog did just fine on Mighty Dog and Alpo. Isn't all this stuff about high-quality dog food just hype and marketing?

Is it true that senior dogs don't need as much protein as adults?

(of course leading to the reason why senior dogs need more protein than adult dogs)

How were the nutritional requirements that dog foods base their formulations on reached?

Why do so many vets recommend Science Diet?

How did "dog food" originate in the first place?

Does raw food really digest faster than kibble?

Where does nutrient absorption occur most in the canine digestive tract; the stomach or the intestines?

How does a dog utilize protein, fat, and carbohydrates? For high performance and working breeds that expend alot of energy, is it better to feed high fat, high protein, high carb, or a combination?

What are the most common allergen sources in dog food?

Why aren't there detailed food standards for dogs like there are for humans?
Where is the dog food pyramind?

What affect does long range ingestion of preservatives have on a dog's body.

My dog looks great on Purina. Why should I change his food?

Whats the best way to choose a food for my dog?

My vet recommends Iams. Whats wrong with this (and similar) food?

Why is it important to feed organ meats (liver, kidney,....) to dogs?
What kind of nutrition education do vet students receive?
Why is it important to find out about a dog food company's quality control?
There's a _____ rep at the pet store. Should I believe him/her about their product?

What's wrong with by-products and why should i avoid them? I read on the site of a particular dog food company that a study showed that dogs fed a diet of only by products lived long lives and didn't get any diseases or disorders as they aged.

If ethoxyquin is a carcinogen, why is it allowed in dog food? It can't be that bad if its legal, right?

How should I store my dry dog food? Should I keep it in the bag or put it in a container?

How do I talk to my vet about what I am feeding and why?


How do I tactfully turn down the prescription diet the vet recommends?


How do I read the dog food labels? What is a must to avoid?

I don't really know how to word this into a question, but I had a woman come by work the other day and ask what she can do for her chihuahua who won't eat dry food. She said she mixes in canned food to get the dog to eat. When I asked why she just didn't feed solely canned food she replied, "Because my vet said it doesn't have as much nutrition as dry food..."

And...

Should I supplement commercial food with glucosamine if it's already contained in the food?

"Well, what makes a good food good?"

1. is it better to rotate between different food brands every couple of months or like asked before can i (or is it even better) to mix one or two different dog food brands?
2. can i feed for example a mix of 2 different brands of kibble in the morning and then feed the honest kitchen at night?
3. is it better for a young dog to feed him 3 times a day or just 2?
4. are raw carrots ok as a chewy? i know that the vitamins are only used if fed with some source of fat but is it bad for the dog to chew on a carrot? missy loves chewing on the big carrots
5. should i give the dogs water out of the tab or filtered (f.e. from the refrigerator) or even out of bottles for humans?

I had a vet put it to me this way: "Canned food is like cheesecake for dogs and cats. It's good and it won't hurt you in small amounts, but it's not a sufficient diet on its own." So how about, "Is it true that canned food isn't as nutritious as kibble? Why or why not?"

I've got another one.

"It seems like everyone is saying they're the only ones who are concerned about my dogs. How do you know who to trust? My vet has had a lot of education and you wouldn't be a vet unless you loved animals. Why can't I trust his dog food advice?"

some popular questions I've seen:

*should I give my (kibble fed) dog a multivitamin?

*should I give my (kibble fed)puppy a multivitamin?

*can I mix leftovers/raw/etc with kibble?

What kinds of kibble is appropriate for my large breed puppy?

What about performance types of food.

WOW! Will there be answers to these questions!? So many are awesome and I can't wait to read the answers. Many of my ideas have been mentioned but here is one thing I personally get asked a lot (and would LOVE a succinct answer to give):

"Why on earth do you feed those expensive foods? Surely Purina, etc., have figured out exactly what dogs need."

We've all heard that large breed puppies need different foods. What about very small/toy breeds, do they have any particular nutritional need quirks?

How to determine how many calories your dog needs daily to stay fit (without a consult with Sabine)?

Commercial foods seem to be high in vitamins and minerals. In time can this be a negative issue?

Most these questions are also what I am going to ask. My additional question is:
I have been feeding Butter 3 times a day since he was 3 months old, should I keep this or feed 2 times a day as suggested by many doggy parents?

How much water do you add to dry food?


How much rice or chicked for tummy issues?

How long do you boil the rice?...( strange I know)

My vet has prescribed a glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplement in tablet form. The dosage per tablet is stated in milligrams.

The dog food labels' ingredients are stated in mg/kg, but the kibble feeding directions are written on a "per cup" basis. How do I convert the mg/kg into "cups" so I know how much of each ingredient my dogs are actually getting from the food on a daily basis?

1. I don't want to feed canned because it's not good for the teeth. My vet says the same thing but why do you say differently?
2. Why should I believe you over my vet?
3. Why is holistic better than regular commercial dog food?
4. Why is it so expensive?
5. Why would pet food companies create such bad food? Isn't it illegal?
6. I don't believe you, can you give me more evidence?
7. My dog is so picky and won't eat anything but, (insert crap food here), what do I do?
8. Too much protein makes my dog hyper and aggressive, what do I do?
9. Is grain-free really that much better?
10. Raw food makes my dog aggressive, what do I do?

I think this should be re-worded to say, "Will raw food make my dog aggressive/blood thirsty?"

Ah yes, the often-asked "If you feed them raw bones/meat won't they now have the taste for blood?"

I've also heard "will a diet high in protein cause aggression?"

I prefer to cook for my dogs instead of serving them raw food. What do I need to keep in mind for nutrition?

*Good for people who possibly don't want to leave out uncooked food in a bowl or have small kids. Or, they may be concerned about food safety. Maybe raw just grosses them out too much or one of their dogs (Like Tasha) won't touch much raw food anymore.

Do dogs need fruits and veggies?

I would prefer to feed commercially prepared raw. How do I select a good one? How do I know if it's balanced?

Is it ok to feed some kibble and some raw?

What are endotoxins in dry food?

Late to the train but I also hear ...

* Isn't too much protein (or high protein) bad for dogs?
(it's amazing how many people tell me that they selected XYZ product because the protein level is XYZ%).

Yes, I never noticed this thread before either Manoa

This I heard from a local vet tech
"The Raw food diet is just a fad"

"Dogs have evolved to eat commercial foods and their digestive system is taxed by feeding raw"

In regards to raw food diets
"dogs do not have the gut acids to properly digest bones, unlike wolves or artic breeds, if I had a Huskey or Malimute I might think about it for a second even at that it take those breeds something like 3 days to digest the meal, from start to finish."

I have also heard something similar, but still,

How long has commercial food beem widely available? Maybe 60 years? Compared to 100,000 years of speciation and adaptation prior to that? I think my dog still has a little in common with the Cocker Spaniel my mom had as a child that ate mashed potatoes, canned fish, crab and fish leftovers (our family is from SFO), hamburger, boiled veggies, and dog biscuits. Not much evolution goes on in 50 years.

I'll have to tell Scarlett, she has been on raw for 10 years now.

Hi this is Nanette and I live here in Idaho on a ranch we raise bordercollie working dogs, We would like to feed them a all natural diet. We raise longhorns (range fed natural beef) We butcher our own meat and are interested in your oppinions on how to make a nutritionaly complete dog food.

Feeding regimens I've seen are: 1. Find one feed that works and stck with it. 2. Like (1) but switch every few months. 3. Feed ____ (for example, kibble) in the morning and ___ (for example, canned) in the evening. 4. Mix two or more feeds at a single meal. All of the above may or may not include added supplements, table scraps, or other toppers.

My regimen differs from all of these. It is like (2)+(3), but I switch approximately daily. I currently have two varieties of ___ (kibble, actually) and switch between them daily for breakfast. I currently have three varieties of ___ (canned, actually) that I use for dinner and switch among them approximately daily (as the can empties, actually).

The question: what, if any, are the advantages and disadvantages of these regimens (and any others that seem worth mentioning)?

Are Veterinary Prescription Diets really good for your dog? When I look at the ingredients of some...I question why anyone would feed there dog that stuff, yet Vets routinely prescribe them for many issues such as digestive problems, food alleries, diabetes etc.

I am releaved to see that I am not the only one who KNOWS vet prescribed diets are junk. I just read the artical about "The Science Diet Scam" and it is exactly what I always thought. I'm posting in the health and nutrition forum as a follow-up to this....this is a great website

A member of another forum has just posted this question:

The foil-like lining of my Blue Buffalo dog food rubs silver off on my hands. Could this be toxic?

Isn't it best for me to feed my <insert breed here> the breed-specific food?