Dog Food: How to Choose and Feed the Right Diet

A good diet affects your dog's weight, coat, energy and how long it lives. Here's how to pick a food and feed it well.

What dogs need

Dogs are omnivores. They can use both animal and plant food, but they still do best on a diet built around good animal protein.

• Protein builds muscle, skin and coat. Dogs need ten essential amino acids from food, and protein quality matters more than the percentage on the bag.
• Fat gives more than twice the energy of protein or carbohydrate per gram. It also supplies essential fatty acids and carries vitamins A, D, E and K.
• Carbohydrates aren't essential, but they provide energy, and fibre helps digestion. Too many calories from any source lead to weight gain.
• Vitamins and minerals, including calcium and phosphorus for bones, must be in the right balance. A complete food provides them.
• Water should always be available and fresh.

Types of dog food

Dry food (kibble)

Cheap, easy to store and easy to portion. It holds about 10 percent water. Quality differs a lot between makers, and the dental benefit is limited unless the food is designed for teeth.

Wet food

Around 75 to 80 percent water. Dogs like it, and it's easier to chew for seniors and dogs with sore mouths. It costs more per meal and must be refrigerated once opened.

Semi-moist food

Holds 25 to 35 percent water and often contains added sugars and preservatives. Not a good everyday choice.

Raw food (BARF)

Raw feeding has fans who report a shiny coat and smaller stools, but the risks are well documented:

• Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, which can make dogs and people ill
• Unbalanced recipes when home-made
• Bone fragments that can block or perforate the gut

Many vets advise against it, and WSAVA has published a warning about the risks. If you still want to try, ask your vet first, and take extra care if children, older people or anyone with a weak immune system lives with you.

Home-cooked food

You control the ingredients, but balancing a recipe is difficult. Use a recipe from a veterinary nutritionist, or the diet can lack key nutrients over time.

Reading the label

• Look for a statement that the food is "complete" for your dog's life stage. In the EU, FEDIAF guidelines set the nutrient levels, and many makers also refer to the US AAFCO profiles.
• The ingredient list is a weak sign of quality. WSAVA suggests asking the maker who formulates the recipe (a qualified nutritionist), whether the finished food has been tested, and whether the company answers your questions. If it can't, be careful.
• A named protein such as chicken tells you more than "meat".
• Artificial colours add nothing for your dog.
• Words like "premium" or "natural" on the front of the bag have no nutritional meaning.

Life stages

Puppies. Choose a food made for growth, since puppies need more protein, fat and a balanced calcium and phosphorus supply. Feed four meals a day at 8 to 12 weeks, three at 3 to 6 months, and two from about 6 months.

Large breed puppies. Too-fast growth can harm developing joints and bones. Use a large breed puppy food, measure portions and keep puppies lean. Large breeds stay on growth food until about 18 months, and giant breeds up to about 24 months. Ask your vet to review amounts. Our veterinary team can check your puppy's growth.

Adult dogs. One or two meals a day, with portions matched to activity and body condition.

Senior dogs (from about 7 years, earlier for giant breeds). Many need fewer calories, easy-to-digest protein and a food that's easy to chew. Omega-3 fatty acids may help sore joints. Dogs with kidney disease need a diet low in phosphorus, so have your senior's blood checked regularly.

By size and shape. Small dogs burn more calories per kilo and need small kibble. Flat-faced breeds can struggle to pick up round kibble, and tend to gain weight.

Medical and prescription diets

Your vet may prescribe a special diet for:

• Food allergy. Most commonly beef, dairy, chicken and wheat. The reliable test is an elimination diet trial of at least 8 weeks (some vets go to 12) with one new protein. Blood and saliva tests aren't reliable for food allergy.
• Digestive disease, including low-fat food after pancreatitis
• Kidney disease, with reduced phosphorus
• Urinary stones
• Liver disease
• Overweight

Signs of a food allergy include itching, skin and ear infections, paw licking and digestive upset.

Grain-free and heart disease (DCM)

In July 2018 the US FDA began investigating reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain diets, many of them grain-free with peas, lentils or potatoes high on the ingredient list. The FDA hasn't established a cause and stopped routine updates in 2022. Grain-free food isn't better for most dogs. If you feed it, or want to, ask your vet, and choose a maker that meets WSAVA's questions above.

Feeding well

Weight

Overweight dogs are at higher risk of diabetes, joint disease and a shorter life. Measure food with scales, adjust for body condition rather than the feeding chart alone, and check weight regularly. You should feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat. City dogs with short walks often need smaller portions than the bag suggests.

Meals

Most adult dogs do well on two meals a day. Large, deep-chested breeds can get bloat (gastric dilatation volvulus), an emergency. Ask your vet about the risk, feed smaller meals, slow down fast eaters with a puzzle bowl, and avoid hard exercise right after meals. Feed from a floor-level bowl: studies suggest raised bowls don't protect large breeds and may raise the risk.

Changing food

Switch over 7 to 10 days:

1. Days 1 to 3: 75 percent old food, 25 percent new
2. Days 4 to 6: half and half
3. Days 7 to 9: 25 percent old, 75 percent new
4. Day 10: all new food

Dogs with sensitive stomachs may need 2 to 3 weeks.

Several dogs

Feed in separate places and supervise meals, so no dog steals or guards food.

Treats and supplements

• Keep treats under 10 percent of daily calories.
• Never feed chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions or xylitol (a sweetener in some foods and chewing gum). All are toxic to dogs.
• A complete food doesn't need extra supplements. Joint supplements, fish oil or probiotics can help some dogs, so check with your vet first.

Signs the food suits your dog

A shiny coat, clear eyes, healthy skin, good muscle tone and a steady weight, normal energy, a good appetite and firm stools.

When to see a vet

Book a visit if your dog:

• Gains or loses weight without explanation
• Has long-running digestive trouble
• Has itchy or sore skin, or a dull coat
• Needs a diet for a health problem
• Is a puppy or senior and you want feeding advice
• Needs a food change and you're unsure how

We can go through food and portions at a veterinary appointment. The clinic is open Monday, Thursday and Friday 10:00 to 16:00, and Tuesday and Wednesday 09:00 to 17:00. Outside those hours, contact an emergency vet clinic right away if your dog has a swollen, hard belly and retches without vomiting, since that can be bloat.