When you write about dogs, you get tons of questions about everything from grooming to training to the best jackets/collars/treats/Halloween costumes. But the number one question I get over and over again is this:
What should I feed my dog?
I used to hate this question.
This is one of the many areas of pet care that is highly contentious, and some people are extremely passionate about their preferred method of feeding. Plus, I’ve always felt like this is one area where pet lovers judge each other, often unfairly or harshly. As someone who gets very uncomfortable with confrontation, I would strive to avoid this discussion altogether.
Well, not anymore!
OhMyDogBlog.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I now have a new answer that I stand behind!
Someone: “What should I feed my dog?”
Me: “Calculate your monthly budget, and figure out exactly how much you can and are willing to spend on dog food each month. Then, buy the best food you can for that budget.”
Ta-da!
Yep, it’s unspecific. But here’s the deal that I’ve come to embrace in many facets of pet care: Whether someone chooses to feed their pet raw, homecooked, organic kibble, or grocery store brand chow… the important thing is, they’re feeding their dog with love. No, it may not be what you would choose for your family. And that’s okay.
We need to step away from the “OMG, you buy brand X for your dog? I would NEVER! Here’s why it’s bad” or – even worse – “If they can’t provide the healthiest food then they shouldn’t have a dog.” Those sentiments are rampant across the internet, and at best, they make people feel bad about doing the best they can do. But at worst, those judgments and admonitions could deter someone from adopting a pet from a shelter. (“Well, I can’t afford $74.99 for a bag of dog food, so I guess I shouldn’t get a dog.”)
For the record, I feed the big dogs this kibble and, because of Cooper’s allergies, he gets this, which is why we don’t go to the movies and our monthly date night is at Jimmy Johns. But that’s my decision for us and our budget. The food you choose to feed your dog needs to work with your family’s budget.
I’d love to know your thoughts. As a super savvy bunch of pet people, I’m sure you get this question and have this debate frequently. What do you think? How did YOU decide what to feed your pets?
More on pets and pet food:
Why I don’t feed my dogs raw (but couldn’t care less if you do)
How to budget for pet care (including pet food) and a free budget tracker
Debra
I feed a kibble that is probably considered expensive but I’m honestly not sure. It’s a grain free because I didn’t want the extra grain carbs for Ray, not because of allergies. I chose it because it has a high rating from pet food adviser and also because I don’t have to feed these large bubbas 6-8 cups a day. I sometimes give them a bit of freeze dried to supplement for the variety, but honestly this food is the first that Ray will consistently eat. They also get a teaspoon (ish) of organic coconut oil with each meal. I believe that is a magical ingredient.
I do believe there are certain things I would not feel comfortable feeding them but I reserve my answers to what I do feed and not what I wouldn’t feed. If you love your dog and feed them what you think is best, I’m all for it.
Abby
I think this is a great point, and it’s one that the dog-crazy among us could do better to advocate. Give your dog the highest quality food you can afford, and cease the judgments thereafter.
We feed our girls Taste of the Wild kibble, which they both really like. I’m always swayed by the raw food camp and the anecdotal evidence there, but I think doing it well would be too expensive for us, not to mention that I’m frankly squeamish about handling raw meat (even when cooking for myself, which is why we are now vegetarian 6 days a week). Who knows? Our tactics may change, but this is where we’re at now.
Lara Elizabeth
Wonderful post. I feed a combination of kibble and canned, and rotate between several brands I feel good about.
It is such a contentious issue, and while I’m happy that we’re becoming more educated about canine nutrition overall (it wasn’t too long ago that all dogs ate Ol’ Roy…) people can get so emotional and downright unpleasant about it.
I actually left one discussion forum because I ended up feeling like a monster for not feeding my previous dogs raw. I think your advice is great: make an informed decision within your budget.
Jessica
A cashier at the pet food store shamed me when I refused to put Silas on a food that would cost $300+ a month. Yeah. “You’d put a price on your dog’s happiness?” Thank goodness I had the presence of mind to say “Yes, and it’s less than that.” (It’s a lovely food, and we use it from time to time, as a treat.)
Diet is important, but I think, allergies aside, a careful and loving owner can go a long way to outdoing a bad diet.
jan
This is probably the only dog related subject I have never written about. People are so hysterical and judgmental about what should be fed to dogs. Even people who normally are polite seem to grow horns and fangs if someone disagrees with them. My dogs seem to like something called bi-products more than they like lettuce or broccoli.
Lisa researching dog food
This is the best advice I’ve ever heard about what to feed your dog. Thank you!
Rebekah
I feel that as long as a person does a bit of research, and is feeding what they feel is best for their dog (and the dog is doing well on it) then all is fine. Gentle redirection works best, and is how I convinced both my brother and parents to feed kibbles with “better” ingredients to their respective canine family members. You’re right, people are very passionate about canine nutrition, and some are downright bullies. I left a couple of raw feeding groups because of this. We all do what we feel is best for our dogs.
Linda Szymoniak
I have five Treeing Walker Coonhounds – all rescues – and you can bet they eat a LOT of food. I wish I had the money to feed them the best of the best, but I simply don’t. I don’t know too many people who can afford steak for themselves every night either, and many families that eat more mac ‘n cheese than anything else. I do avoid the store and generic brands, but will admit that I buy more Purina products than anything else. I used to buy their regular Dog Chow but tried the Healthy Morsels and my dogs love it, so that’s what they eat most of the time. I have been slowly adding more grain-free treats and food to their diets, but my dogs are happy and healthy and full of energy. I’ve lost three dogs during my adult years – each due to old age and everything that comes with it. My Misty was just over 16 years old; my Muffie just short of her 16th birthday; my Bailey (sweetest little Beagle ever who was heartworm positive when we adopted her) passed at 16-1/2. I must be doing something right.
Jan K
We feed a kibble that is probably middle of the road to a bit high price-wise, and rated 4 star on Dog Food Advisor. Wouldn’t we love to go grain free? With four dogs we just can’t afford to spend that much more, and whether that’s important is another debate out there. What I would really love to do is give them nothing but homemade food….but I just don’t have the time for that…maybe some day when we’re retired!
I try not to judge others but I did try to nicely tell a friend that what she fed her dogs was probably not a very good food (she brought the subject up). I just wanted to be sure she knew that, and then she can decide for herself from there.
www.dogbreeds101.org
I would have to agree that it doesn’t really matter what brand of food you are feeding your dog. As long as it stays within your budget and it gives your dog the proper amount of nutrition then you are doing it right.
Erin
So you feed everybody the same thing because it keeps there from being issues if Cooper gets into someone else’s bowl (and it’s easier to just buy one thing)? I’ve wondered about that with out next dog. Rhys eats an expensive dental diet that’s full of fillers, but it keeps his IBD on an even keel. He seems to be doing fine on it otherwise — no signs that he’s missing anything — so I’ve wondered about, even though it’s not my food of choice, whether to feed it to our next dog when we get a second. Any stories to share about the process of getting everyone on one food, whether there were any mix ups that led to it, etc?
Jodi Chick (+ Kolchak & Felix too)
Yesssssssssssss! HOLLA TO THIS!
I do a lot of kibble consultations and the biggest fear people have coming to talk to me is that I’m going to guilt them for not picking a more expensive food than they can afford. Not in the least. I’m a huge advocate for doing the best you can with you have.
I *may* get frustrated when people who CAN do better bury their head in the sand and insist that the pure sh*te is really good food, but when you’re doing the best you can? No judgement from this corner!
Dog Toys
Quality food is always key, but keeping on the budget is important too.
Kimberly Gauthier
I used to belong to a raw food group that I joined when I first wanted to switch to raw and I was so excited to learn from the members. 6 months later, the group turned into more of a Purina hate group and although I wouldn’t feed our dogs Purina, I think it’s a mistake to assume that those who do feed Purina are doing so, because of ignorance, being they’re cheap, or because they don’t care about their dogs.
So I left the group when they started targeting people who like the Purina Facebook page, attacking them for their choice.
Since feeding raw, I’ve been attacked by other raw feeders, because of how or what I feed our dogs and by people who are unfamiliar with raw, because they feel that I’m poisoning our dogs on a fad. I think there’s just too much attacking going on when we should be focusing on doing the best that we can.
Thanks for reminding us of that message.
Anna
This is SUCH a huge topic in the dog world, one day I will tackle it on Luna’s blog too. I feed her raw but it was a long time coming. Tons of research and planning went into it. Well not so much financial planning as I kinda knew we could swing it so long as I had storage space. That being said our Lab is still kibble fed, we have been through several types of food due to some GI barfy problems with him. I have done a tiny bit of raw with him with not so fun results. So we will tackle his switch when we move and have more storage space for meat.
I am with you on this topic though, it is my responsibility to educate if they ask me. But it all comes down to what everyone can financially swing, and that is different for each family. You have to do what you feel called to do with your pet. Sure it would be nice if we could all afford the best, but many have done just fine on less than the best too, it is so hard to know what is right. But the judging for and bickering because someone is feeding different than you is just ridiculous and sad.
Keep doing what you are doing, sounds like you have done your research.
Bill
Hey, folks.
I just picked up a Humane Society rescue dog this afternoon, was on the web refreshing my dog ownership skills, and found this site. This 1 1/2 year old dog I adopted likes to chew EVERYTHING…shoes, clothes, books, boxes, even the side of my mattress. I hope it’s temporary anxiety. But I digress.
It’s been a while since I have had a pet, my last were a dog and a cat that were both exclusively fed a grocery store house brand of food (Giant Food for those of you in the Mid Atlantic). I never changed brands on them and I never gave them human food (although some friends could never resist doing this occasionally).
Max and Snowy (dog and cat) each lived to be 20-21 years old. They were both rescue animals. Neither of them ever had any health issues, aside from bumps & scrapes.
I think that the important things you can do is to be consistent with their foods, do not feed them people food, take them to the vet every year, and as others have said, love them.