Of all the animals humans have called their pets, dogs are probably the most special. Cats, rabbits, lizards, and all the rest have their place, of course, but dogs are the only ones to capture the title “Man’s (and Woman’s) Best Friend.” Dogs were the first animal we ever domesticated, and ever since then it’s been us against the world.
Of course, survival is hardly a pressing issue in today’s day and age, and so while our ancestors had to eat whatever they could afford, today we can go on special diets and eat premium food made out of only the best ingredients. And, being our loyal companions down through the ages, what’s true about us is true about dogs, as well.
The Dilemma Of The Dog Food Aisle
The average grocery store has a dozen different aisles packed with human foods, but we don’t often worry about which ones we should get. We know which ones we should get, which foods taste the best and have the best nutritional value, and so it’s easy enough to pick out our favorites from all of our options.
However, our decision isn’t necessarily so easy when we’re looking at dog food options. Almost every dog food is formulated to keep a dog healthy all on its own, but it’s hard to tell which brands and flavors they prefer when we can’t exactly ask them. Most dogs aren’t very picky eaters, either, so even if you run a taste test where you put two bowls of food in front of them, a dog won’t always choose the better option, or they might decide to eat both!
Get The Insider Opinion
Dog Food Insider is all about rating the top dog foods (and even the ones you might not have heard of) in order to find out which ones are best for dogs and which ones aren’t fit for canine consumption. We take a long, hard, look at the ingredients lists of top dog foods like Kibbles ‘n Bits, Blue Buffalo, Purina, Science Diet, and many more.
For instance, many top dog foods use grains like corn, wheat, and soy in their products since grains are cheap and contain the carbohydrates needed to produce and bake dog food into kibble. There’s nothing inherently wrong about using grains in dog food, since dogs can digest plant matter, but they are facultative carnivores, which means their digestive systems are much better at processing meat proteins and meat-based nutrients. It also means that dogs are more likely to have grain-based allergies than humans, which is why so many companies offer non-grain dog foods.
At Dog Food Insider, we go in-depth on which ingredients are good and which ones are questionable, and we also take a look at the companies that produce them. Dog food companies tend to use the same process for all their products, after all, and some brands tend to experience more recalls than others. If it’s at all relevant to your dog’s health and wellbeing, you’ll find it in our reviews.
And Much More
While Dog Food Insider is primarily about reviewing the top dog foods, that’s not all you’ll find on our website. We also have articles about other aspects of dog nutrition and training, like which human foods are safe for dogs to eat and whether there’s any truth to the idea that you should rotate dog foods to promote good nutrition and health.
Much like with humans, a few unusual diet plans for dogs have emerged in recent years, and we also have articles about their positives and negatives. For instance, dogs do better on a raw food diet than humans thanks to their smaller, more acidic digestive systems, but there’s still a risk of bacterial and parasitic infections that doesn’t come with cooked and processed dog foods. At the other end of the spectrum, while it’s possible for dogs to survive on a completely vegan diet, it’s very much not recommended.
Whether you’re looking to see which top dog foods really are the best or how to plan an alternative diet free of any processed foods, you’ve come to the right place. Dog Food Insider has the inside scoop on all you need to know about how to feed and raise a healthy canine.
