Food & NutritionMy puppy is on starter food. What's the best dog food for her?
There are so many high quality foods available for dogs that it can be confusing, and marketing becomes the biggest tool that food companies have to try to give their food the "edge." Be aware that this has led to A LOT of general misinformation.
I give you this information openly and honestly as a professional who has devoted the last 10+ years to the health and care of pets. Dogs (and wolves for that matter) are omnivores, meaning they have evolved to seek to eat and digest meat AND plant material. In comparison, cats (and big cats such as lions, etc) are obligate carnivores, meaning they absolutely require meat as their primary food source. While some dogs may have sensitivities to diets with grain, many dogs do not. Just like people. And for those who do NOT have a problem with grains, they are a healthy contribution to the diet. That is just a fact. The trend to favoring "grain -free" diets has been pushed by marketing and the trend of fad diets for people that favor a "paleo" or "keto" diet. Many dog food brands and companies, and many specialty boutique brands have worked to push this idea that grains are bad for all dogs, when the science is just not there. And there has been information linking grain free diets to an increase in heart disease. See this article: http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2018/06/a-broken-heart-risk-of-heart-disease-in-boutique-or-grain-free-diets-and-exotic-ingredients/
Here is another great article summarizing how assuming "grain free" is better may be a mistake: http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/06/grain-free-diets-big-on-marketing-small-on-truth/
Here are some good resources to help you make decisions for Mini''s food.
http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/miscellaneous/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf
http://www.acvn.org/frequently-asked-questions/
Thanks for asking PetCoach !
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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