Is your puppy not eating? Well, it may be time to switch the choice of healthy dog food brands. If you’ve ever thought, “what are the different types of fresh pet food near me”, well today we will break down the differences between types of all-natural dog food.

Kibble diet

Kibble diets are the most common type of food given to dogs. It’s legally required to be nutritionally balanced, and is cost-effective with a long shelf life. Although most kibble food is dry and mild smelling, this doesn’t mean that your dog’s teeth are cleaner than other types of food. Cheaper options often contain poor-quality ingredients, carbohydrate fillers, and synthetic vitamins. Be sure to inspect the ingredients list closely when choosing a dry dog food brand.

Canned food diet

Canned wet food actually contains more meat content and less grain carbohydrates compared to dry food. This is beneficial for dogs who require more protein. Not only is wet food easily digestible and high in water content for hydration, the canning process also allows for natural food preservation without the use of preservatives. For doggies who are elderly or picky eaters, wet food offers a more natural and stronger flavour. However, do take note that many wet food cans are lined with chemicals BPA and BPS, to prevent acidic content in the food from absorbing the metal in the can. Such chemicals contribute to obesity, neurologic problems, reproductive disorders, and cancer.

Home-cooked diet

With a home-cooked diet, you can control your dog’s nutritional balance. You won’t need to constantly check ingredient labels for unhealthy components or worry about your dog missing out on vital nutrients. Also, some dogs don’t like drinking water. A home-cooked diet is useful to ensure your pet gets enough hydration. However, home-cooked food takes a lot of time and effort to prepare. How can we save time? You can prepare large quantities at one go, and then freeze them as individual portions. All you need to do is defrost and reheat them during meal times. Indeed, it’s important to be aware of what we are cooking for our dogs so that we do not cause any harm!

Raw Food Diet

Raw food could include uncooked muscle or organ meat, raw eggs, fruit, vegetables, crushed bones, and dairy. Fans of raw food claim that the natural enzymes, beneficial bacteria and vitamins are undamaged by heat application, hence they provide better digestive health, healthier skin, shinier coats, lower blood triglyceride levels, better digestive health, and even cancer prevention. The downside is that raw food diets are super expensive. Also, there is a risk of diet imbalance, food poisoning, or the risk of contracting diseases like salmonella. The raw food diet is also not suitable for dogs with digestive issues, or kidney or liver issues, due to the high amount of protein.

Vegan diet

Plant-based diets are amazing! They are easily digestible, allergen-friendly, and anti-inflammatory. This makes it suitable for dogs with meat-related allergies, weight management issues, joint pain and arthritis. On the other hand, dogs cannot totally rely on a plant-based diet! Supplements like vitamin D3 and L-carnitine are lacking from plant-based sources. If the body does not get enough of these substances, your dog could start suffering from eye and heart problems.

Conclusion

In the end, no matter what you feed your dog, it should always have 6 major nutrient groups: proteins, minerals, vitamins, fats and oils, carbohydrates, and water. Most importantly, check with your vet or even better, simply get a curated subscription meal plan from Supawbox to solve your dog’s dietary needs.