Dog food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by dogs or other canines. Special dog foods given as a reward, and not as a staple, are known as dog treats.
Some people make their own dog food or feed their dogs meals made from ingredients purchased in grocery or health-food stores; many others rely on commercially manufactured dog food.
There are many different recommendations on what diet is best for dogs. Some people argue that dogs have thrived off of leftovers and scraps from their human owners for thousands of years and that commercial dog foods (which have only been available for the past century) contain poor-quality meats, additives, and other ingredients dogs should not ingest, or that commercial dog food is not nutritionally sufficient for their dogs.
- Commercial dog food
- Dry dog food
- Wet dog food
- Fresh dog food
- Contents
- Meat by-products or digests (which is rumored to include euthanized animals, although any verifiable evidence has yet to surface.
- Meat-and-bone meals
- Grain by-products
- Horse meat
- Special varieties
- Allergy-reducing
- Arthritis-relieving
- Breeding needs
- Dental aids
- Diabetic control
- Puppy needs
- Nursing female needs
- Senior needs
- Weight management
- Beef
- Buffalo
- Chicken
- Duck
- Fruits such as apples and berries
- Grains such as barley, oatmeal, and rice
- Lamb
- Salmon
- Vegetables such as carrots, green beans, and sweet potatoes
- Venison
- Premium labels
- Raw Food
The average dry food is the least expensive, per pound, when compared to its canned (wet) or semi-moist counterparts. It is usually 6-10% moisture by volume, as compared to up to 78% in canned food. It can be beneficial in the prevention of tartar buildup, as well as being less likely to spoil quickly than an open can.[1] However, if cans are opened only at the time of feeding, they will tend to keep longer than dry food, as dry food cannot be opened on an as-needed basis, and is by necessity exposed to air for the duration of its use.
Wet, or canned, dog food is significantly higher in moisture than dry or semi-moist food.[1] Because the food is sterilized after being canned (sometimes it is also cooked in the can), it is often easier to ensure the sterility of wet food. A given wet food will often be higher in protein or fat when compared to a similar kibble on a dry matter basis (a measure which ignores moisture). However, because water accounts for so much of the food, the canned food will generally be lower in protein and fat in terms of actual content.
Fresh dog food is a new category of dog food founded in Australia a decade ago. It has recently made its way into the American market. Fresh dog food uses the pasteurization instead of the traditional extrusion method used to process pet food. This processing technique makes fresh dog food more vulnerable to bacteria compare to dry and wet dog food. To prevent spoilage, refrigerators are used as storage instead of shelves. Fresh dog foods are highly palatable, contains zero preservative (BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin), and use only fresh wholesome ingredients.
Many commercial dog foods are made from materials unusable or less desirable for human consumption. These may include:
There are dog foods specially formulated for dogs allergic to common ingredients such as chicken, wheat, or corn. These foods usually contain "novel proteins" and substitute uncommon starches for the usual grains. Meats used in allergy formulas can range from the mundane, such as lamb, beef or whitefish, to the unusual, such as venison or duck. Carbohydrates in allergy formulas are usually a less common grain, such as rice or barley, but such ingredients as potato and quinoa are sometimes used.
-
List of Special Food Types
A list of specially formulated dog food types:
List of Food Types
A list of food types commonly found in dog food:
Certain manufacturers label their products with terms such as premium, ultra premium, natural and holistic. Such terms currently have no official definitions so caveat emptor applies. The AAFCO is currently looking to define some of the terms.
There are also varieties of dog food labeled as "human-grade food". Although no official definition of such term exists, the assumption is that other brands use foods that would not pass US Food and Drug Administration inspection according to the Pure Food and Drug Act or the Meat Inspection Act.
Raw food is also a growing industry