There is no one type of dog food that is best for all dogs, but there are pros and cons to most types of dog food available. Here are some Pros & Con’s to some of them, so you can feel more informed when figuring out the best food for your dog. 

Homemade – This kind of dog diet is becoming increasingly popular, but it’s very important to make sure you’re clued up on canine nutrition, your dog’s individual dietary needs and food safety. It also requires true dedication and planning.

Pro’s of Homemade Dog Food:

1.       Homemade food provides a wider variety or healthy and fun foods for your dog. Things cooked from fresh also have more nutrients and less/no preservatives;

2.       You are in control – you now exactly what your dog is eating;

3.       Dogs prefer the taste of a home cooked meal (who doesn’t?!);

4.       Ingredients you use to make your dogs food will be much less processed and fresher;

5.       More fresh foods and less preservatives will have appositive effect on your dog’s overall health!

Cons of Homemade Dog Food:

1.       The possibly of neglecting or forgetting about certain nutritional needs or necessary ingredients is much higher. This could risk nutritional deficiency if you’re not vigilant with that you’re providing in your dog’s diet;

2.       Cooking homemade food for your dog regularly/completely takes a lot of time and planning;

3.       Feeding your dog exclusively homemade diet can be quite costly and more expensive than commercial foods.

Complete Dry Food or Kibble – A dry food diet is one of the most popular ones; it comes with some real benefits and can be much more cost effective. But a dry only diet can come with its downfalls too – if you’re thinking of this diet for your dog you need to ensure that your pup has access to lots of fresh drinking water.

Pros of Dry Food/Kibble:

1.       It’s generally the most cost effective diet you can give your dog;

2.       Kibble transports and keeps much better than other diets available. A bag can be packed up in a car for trips and doesn’t need t be stored quite as well as wet foods (though this is for a certain period of time, of course);

3.       Dry food that is commercially available have a complete and balanced diet guarantee, so no supplements or extra steps needed from the owner (apart from the aforementioned water supply);

4.       Kibble and dry food are available in a wide variety of flavours, sourcing, cost and textures.

Cons of Dry Food/Kibble:

1.       Kibble (especially lower cost) tend to include low-quality ingredients including meant by-products, processed meat, low-grade grains, sweeteners and preservatives;

2.       Dru foods tend to be more card-heavy, not great if you have a pooch who is prone to putting on weight or trying to lose it;

3.       Dog food expiration dates matter! Dry food shouldn’t be more than half-way to the end of its “best by” date, as vitamin levels and preservation diminishes with time;

4.       When feeding dry dog food, you must trust the company and manufacturer (if different) as to ingredient quality and safe food manufacturing processes – your dog is at the mercy of the pet food manufacturers’ diligence.

Canned/Wet Food – Next to dry food, canned and wet food is probably the most widely used dog food diet. It’s available in a wide range of flavours and varieties and dogs tend to prefer the taste of kibble.

Pros of Wet/Canned Food:

1.       Wet food tends to be more appetizing to dogs than dry food;

2.       Most canned foods use fresh or frozen meats rather than more processed meat or by-products;

3.       It’s shelf stable for a long time without relying on lots of preservatives;

4.       Wet food tends to be less carb-heavy;

5.       Little to no preparation needed with canned foods;

6.       Commercial wet food offers a complete and balanced diet.

Cons of Wet/Canned Food:

1.       Wet food may be a bit too fatty for some dogs;

2.       Wet food tends to be quite smelly to humans, it’s a small con but one that might quite an issue for some;

3.       Canned food is usually more expensive than dry food/kibble;

4.       In lower-quality wet food tends to contain more meat by-products;

5.       When feeding canned dog food, you must trust the company and manufacturer (if different) as to ingredient quality and safe food manufacturing processes – your dog is at the mercy of the pet food manufacturers’ diligence.

Commercial Raw Food Diet – Commercially available raw food provides the health benefits of raw food with the convenience of packaging, a complete diet and nutritional information.

Pros of Commercial Raw Food:

1.       Commercial raw food includes guarantee of nutritional completeness;

2.       Raw food diets show marked health improvements for many dogs;

3.       Dog diets that include raw food are closest to evolutionary and biologically appropriate diets of wild and ancestral dogs;

4.       Store-bought raw dog food uses fresh, unprocessed ingredients, which means maximum nutrient retention for your dog;

5.       Most commercial raw foods contain no preservatives, or artificial flavours or colours at all.

Cons of Commercial Raw Food:

1.       Raw food must be bought frequently, or it takes up a lot of freezer space;

2.       Raw diets are not good for sick or old dogs because raw meats may contain pathogens – it is a risk for immunocompromised dogs;

3.       Raw dog food is difficult to travel with;

4.       Raw dog food must be maintained at safe temperature (no thawing until consumption).

Please do bear in mind that everything in this post is strictly advisory and has been gathered from various reputable sources from the internet. We're not vets, and you should always seek professional advice if you ever have concerns.

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