5 Myths About Dog Food

There are a lot of brands of dog food out there, some of which are more reliable and have a better reputation than others, and it’s always a good thing to be wary about what you are allowing your dog to eat.

But there should be a limit to that. Being overly concerned and indecisive can just lead to stress for you and an inconsistent diet for your dog. It’s better to be confident in what you’re feeding your pet, and sometimes, public perception doesn’t help that.

Myths About Dog Food

There are a lot of people out there who spread misinformation about dog food, some with malintent and some because they genuinely don’t realize that what they’re saying is factually inaccurate.

So here are five of those myths that you often hear about dog food, which aren’t real.

1. Raw Food is Healthy

I can understand where this particular misconception comes from. Dogs are basically wolves, right? And wolves sure aren’t throwing all those mountain goats they catch in the oven before chowing down right?

Well yeah, that’s true, but our dogs are the product of centuries and centuries of domestication, they are pretty far removed from their bloodthirsty ancestors. Their bodies have evolved over time and acclimated to the diets that we have them on.

While eating raw meat wouldn’t make a dog as sick as it might make a human, there are still some potential health complications for dogs that eat raw food. Their teeth aren’t quite as healthy and could be damaged or even broken.

It can cause damage to their stomach and intestines, and they could get some infectious diseases from the bacteria that are found in raw meat. Plus, you could put yourself at risk of the same diseases while preparing this food for your dog. So it’s the wrong choice for several reasons.

2. Homemade Food is Better

Homemade dog food

It’s not uncommon for people to try and convince you that you should avoid commercial dog food products at all costs. In fact, this is pretty common in regards to all kinds of food. But it’s really all just paranoia and conspiracies.

The major dog food companies all know what they’re doing, and they all have a reputation for producing good, healthy food. Your dog is just like you, they need a well-balanced diet, and you can’t put that together yourself.

Unless you have the help of a certified nutritionist, of course, if that’s the case, then go for it, but don’t try and feed your dog meals that you are putting together from stuff that you can find in your pantry.

Read more: Homemade Dog Treats Your Dog Will Love

3. Dog’s Should Eat Grain-Free Food

This myth stems from the idea that grains such as corn, which is pretty common in most canned dog foods, are just filler and don’t serve any real nutritional purposes for your pet. This is not necessarily the case.

The assumption is that a grain-free diet is a relatively new fad among humans, and some people like to drag their pets into their little lifestyle experiments. But even sorn does have its benefits for dogs.

It’s got Vitamin A in it, and it’s also high in Carotene which is good for your pet’s skin, eyesight and their bones. The typical grain-free diets can actually cause long-term heart problems for dogs too.

If you are going to eliminate grains from a dog’s diet, you’ll have to replace it with things like potatoes and other starchy vegetables, and these are less nutritious than the grains that they’re replacing.

4. Kibble is Superior to Canned Food

Kibble is basically dry dog food in case you’re unfamiliar with it. There does tend to be a bit of a debate in regards to whether your dog’s diet should mainly consist of kibble or canned food, and while you can incorporate both, there actually shouldn’t be a debate.

The only benefit that kibble really has over canned food is that it’s quite a bit cheaper. And it should be cheaper too. In order to produce dry dog food, a high amount of carbs are necessary.
Too many carbs can lead to issues like obesity and some cancers too.

Dogs don’t need carbs anyway, it doesn’t benefit them in any way. And while the packaging of the products might lead you to believe that there is more protein in kibble, that actually isn’t the case at all.

The protein percentage relates to the overall weight of the product, but when you consider if without moisture, and purely on the basis of dry matter, there is much more protein in the canned food.

You can give kibble to your dog sometimes if you want, but it has no nutritional advantage over canned dog food.

5. Exotic Protein is a Good Choice

I have no idea why people have decided to feed their dogs outlandish things like crocodile and kangaroo meat, but it’s happening these days. A lot of dog food will have poultry such as turkey, duck or chicken, or maybe fish like salmon or herring.

These are great sources of protein that have been analyzed for years and years by professionals. Crocodile meat hasn’t been. Kangaroo meat has had a little more research behind it, but the results make it seem far less healthy than traditional protein.

It sounds ridiculous to feed all of this exotic food to your dog. That’s because it is. Don’t waste your time with this notion; just stick to the reputable, established brands.

To sum things up here, most of the significant myths about dog food come from a place that almost feels anti-commercialism. But the truth is that you can rely on the store-bought products to ensure that your dog has a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Richard Hayes

Hey there! Meet Richard Hayes, the big boss and marketing guru behind Pet Dog Planet. He's been a total doggo fanatic since forever and loves all kinds of pups, from tiny teacup Chihuahuas to big, burly Bulldogs. His absolute favorite pastime? Snuggling with adorable puppies—he can't get enough of those cute little faces! Plus, he's totally into iced coffee, chilling in hammocks, and, of course, more puppy cuddling!

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