It can be hard and confusing to figure out what to feed your dog. You can’t go anywhere without seeing a new ad for fresh dog food that promises to meet all your dog’s nutritional needs. You’ll also find that the scientific evidence and opinions about healthy dog food change the more you look into it.
Recently, fresh or handmade dog food has become popular among pet owners. But is this new trend based on science, or is it just another fad? Should you stop giving Fido dry food and feed him fresh food instead? Read on to discover more about fresh food vs. kibble and how a Pure dog food subscription can help your dog’s health in the long run.
What to Examine for in a Well-Balanced Diet
When selecting dog food, you must ensure it has all the nutrients your dog needs and is suitable for its age. A diet that isn’t complete and balanced can cause serious health problems, so always look for the word “complete” on the dog food label. The Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PDSA) says that “complete” means that the food is safe and has the right amount of nutrients.
Most of the time, vets will tell you to feed your dog commercial dog food, whether raw, cooked, or kibble. Vets don’t recommend making your dog’s food at home because it’s hard to ensure it has all the nutrients it needs. The brand of dog food should also be backed by a veterinarian or animal health nutritionist and made by one. Usually, this information will be on the label.
What exactly is Fresh Dog Food?
Fresh dog food can mean a lot of different things, but generally, the food has been processed as little as possible and doesn’t have any preservatives. Even though raw diets are based on fresh food, there is still some debate about the health risks of natural dog food. In this article, we’ll talk about cooked, fresh dog food.
Why you must switch your dog to a diet of fresh food
Getting your dog to eat fresh food has many benefits. Still, most dog owners switch to fresh food for three main reasons: to improve the quality and taste of the food, to reduce the number of preservatives, and to treat specific health problems.
Researching the health benefits of giving your fresh dog food can help you decide what to feed your dog. There is evidence that dogs with allergies, gluten intolerance, and sensitivities do better on a fresh food diet because it is easier to take out ingredients that cause problems.
Another study found that feeding fresh, antioxidant-rich vegetables to Scottish Terriers three times a week cut their risk of getting transitional cell carcinoma in their bladders. Several studies have shown that feeding dogs fresh food is good for them in many ways. As the number of people who want to feed their pets fresh food grows, veterinarians and researchers study the long-term health benefits for dogs.
Fresh Dog Food: Pros and Cons
- Aside from the health benefits, the main pros of feeding your fresh dog food are that you can customize it and measure the right amount.
- Fresh dog foods are easy to change, and many companies that offer fresh dog foods personalized meal plans. Usually, the manufacturer will ask you to complete a questionnaire and note if your dog has allergies, sensitivities, or intolerances. You’ll get a meal plan based on your pet’s breed, weight, level of activity, and food allergies.
- Fresh food diets for dogs are generally sent in containers with the right amount already measured. Not only is it convenient to know exactly how much to feed your dog, but it also helps your dog stay at the right weight.
- Even though this could also be seen as a pro, one thing to keep in mind about a new diet is that it usually doesn’t have preservatives. Because there are no preservatives, it is essential to consider how fresh food is cooked and stored.
- When food is cooked, it must be heated to the right temperature. If it is not heated to the right temperature, harmful bacteria like Listeria and Salmonella could get into the food. Bacteria tend to grow more in fresh food, especially if the temperature keeps going up and down.
Why Do People Pick a Kibble Diet?
The pet food industry has used kibble for a long time, and it’s easy to see why. Because kibble has preservatives, it’s easy to store for a long time without worrying that it won’t go good. Also, kibble is made to have more calories per gram than fresh food.
Most of the time, your dog would have to eat more than one cup of dry kibble to get the same amount of nutrition. The number of calories in kibble depends on the age and activity level of the dog, but the number of calories per cup must be written on the label of every type of kibble. This creates it easy for people to know how much food to give their dogs.
Kibble: Pros and Cons
The best things about kibble are that it is easy to get, convenient, and cheap. Since kibble has taken over the market for dog food, it is the most common type of dog food in grocery stores and pet stores. Kibble is usually mass-produced, so it’s cheaper than fresh dog food. It’s a good option if you’re traveling or don’t have a lot of room in your fridge.
Two big problems with kibble are that it tastes terrible and is hard to make. Kibble is usually dry, so dogs, especially picky eaters, don’t like it as much as other foods. Kibble is highly processed, so it has more additives and preservatives than fresh dog food.
When it comes to kibble, you should also think about how good the ingredients are. Because kibble is positively processed and the labels can be disjointed and hard to read, you can’t be sure that it doesn’t contain cheap fillers and low-quality meat by-products.
Conclusion
Most importantly, your dog is eating food that is safe and good for him. There have been some promising studies, and many dog owners have seen the benefits of feeding their dog’s fresh food. If your dog has allergies, sensitivities, or intolerances, new dog food can help because it’s easier to leave out problem ingredients. Dog kibble isn’t as processed as fresh food, so it’s easier to know what’s in it.
