Food
Dog nutrition is a passion of mine, however I like to remind everyone that I am not a vet. I do a great deal of my own research and keep up to date with the current information available. I work in a California based pet food store, where quality is king. My goal is to share information and help pet parents make the best decisions for their pup!
There are enough contradictions and myths surrounding food to make you dizzy! Not to mention countless brands and different forms of food. I categorize food in three sections, Kibble, Raw, and Fresh. Fresh to me is the wide variety of a whole food diet.
I am a fan of Pantry Feeding, which simply means I feed a little from each category. It’s never a bad idea to choose a brand of kibble that has multiple protein options to rotate between. This helps prevent boredom and gives your pet a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Kibble
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Kibble is a popular, convenient option. Not all brands are created equally, and you may be surprised to learn that the super well known kibble brands are not that great. The following three brands are ones I have come to know very well, and trust the most.
Nature's Logic is the least supplemented ​kibble, meaning the vitamins and minerals are coming from whole food ingredients. This makes the nutrients more bioavailable. They don’t have a puppy specific formula but it isn't necessary because Nature’s Logic is appropriate for all life changes.
Nulo Challenger is a grain formula with three protein blends: beef, lamb, & pork; duck, turkey, & guinea fowl; haddock, salmon, and acadian redfish. It has a great protein percentage at 35% and is biologically appropriate for both puppies and adults.
Stella & Chewy's is a baked kibble, which means it is cooked at a much lower temperature. Baked kibbles tend to be more appetizing and more bioavailable. They also enhance their kibble with freeze dried raw meat. You can find this in both a grain and grain free option.
Fresh
Fresh is a whole food diet, and there are a variety of types. Just Food for Dogs is a vet created diet that consists of gently cooked meat, whole produce, and other human grade ingredients. Kiwi Kitchens has a frozen diet that is cooked but almost entirely meat. The Honest Kitchen is a freeze dried diet that also includes produce.
Raw
Raw is absolutely one of the healthiest options for feeding, as it is the most natural, biologically appropriate diet. I don't, however, recommend just any raw meat. It is important to feed a complete and balanced diet, meant for daily feeding. Pet store raw food is treated and tested for any harmful bacteria. For those who have an aversion to raw meat, you can find raw food that has been freeze dried. Brands like Primal and Stella & Chewy’s are available frozen and freeze dried, but Kiwi Kitchens has my favorite freeze dried raw formula.
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