Is fresh dog food really better?

Choosing the right food for your dog to eat is one of the biggest challenges dog owners face. Even though choosing the best kibble brand is challenging, fresh and frozen dog food is becoming more and more popular as a superior method of feeding your pet. What you should know about fresh dog food versus kibble is provided below.

If you have a dog and regularly browse the internet, you’ve probably noticed how many people feed their pets opulent homemade meals. In dog food bowls across the nation, raw meat, fresh vegetables, bone broth, and ground turkey all seem to be making an appearance.

Here are the opinions of experts on whether or not feeding your dog raw meat and eggs or making his food from scratch is actually necessary to keep him healthy.

What is fresh pet food, exactly?

Fresh pet food brands like Freshpet—found in the fridge in your local pet store—helped commercialize fresh options for pet owners. Today, there are dozens of brands out there, and many are available as subscription services that function the same way: You create a dog profile, complete a questionnaire, customize your delivery frequency, and voilà! Next thing you know, freshly made pet food arrives at your door packed in dry ice.

In my research, I discovered more than a dozen businesses that sell fresh pet food diets for cats and dogs, and their preparation techniques, components, and storage advice differ significantly. Bullen asserts that the phrase “fresh pet food” really has no defined meaning other than to describe pet food made with fewer or no preservatives. Cooked plain rice and boiled chicken could be used to make it at home, or it could be made in a facility with recognizable ingredients, packaged without preservatives, and then frozen. For the brands we list here, we looked for those that sell commercially produced, low-temperature, thoroughly cooked food that includes a variety of meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables. The food has a tendency to resemble a human’s Thanksgiving dinner plate.

Clubs Offering:

Food glorious food. Food plays a significant role in both humans and dogs’ daily lives. However, dogs don’t get to choose what they eat. We make decisions based on what we believe is best for our canine friends’ health, vitality, and enjoyment.

Choosing the best has gotten more difficult as the popularity of freshly prepared dog food (made by people like Ollie, who uses human-grade ingredients) has grown. The first step is to consult your veterinarian. When selecting dog food, keep the following things in mind:

  • Health: A balanced, nutritional diet is critical to maintain good health.
  • Activity level: Working dogs and service dogs have different caloric requirements than household pets.
  • Age and size: Nutritional requirements differ between puppies and adults, large breed and small breed dogs.
  • Food allergies: Some dogs are allergic to specific proteins or ingredients such as eggs, corn, wheat, soy, or milk.
  • Taste: No matter what you think, dog food has to taste and smell good – to your dog.
  • Your lifestyle: How much time do you have available to spend cooking and shopping for your dog?
  • Dogs’ overall health can be greatly improved by feeding them a diet made of natural, real ingredients like beef, chicken, lamb, peas, spinach, carrots, and blueberries. These foods also increase energy, improve eyesight, make coats shine, and make dogs’ breath smell better.

    However, feeding your pet is a time-consuming, space-consuming, and expensive process. “Most homemade diets do not undergo the scrutiny and rigorous testing applied to commercial complete and balanced diets,” the Merck Veterinary Manual cautions. Pet owners should follow veterinary nutritionist-created recipes when preparing and cooking homemade diets for their animals. ”.

    Fresh dog food delivery services like Ollie collaborate with canine nutritionists to create cooking techniques and custom formulas that include the vitamins and minerals required to meet the standards for dog food set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Based on weight, breed, age, activity level, body composition, and any allergies your dog may have, they determine the precise number of calories required.

    Ollie’s food is prepared using human-grade components that are sourced from reliable farms and have received veterinarian approval. They never use fillers, by-products, artificial flavors, or preservatives. Every recipe is manually prepared in a U-shaped pan at low temperatures in small batches. S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA)-regulated kitchen. You don’t have to do any preparation work, and the food is already portioned and frozen. They even offer all-natural, single-ingredient treats that dogs love.

    What to look for in fresh dog food

    As fresh dog food has grown in popularity, a ton of new options have appeared on the market.

    A good fresh dog food brand should have the following qualities:

  • Meet nutrition requirements set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
  • List meat or fish as the first ingredient
  • Don’t contain meat by-products, meat meal, artificial colors, preservatives or toxic ingredients
  • FAQ

    Do vets recommend fresh food for dogs?

    The American Veterinary Medical Association opposes the unrestricted feeding of raw foods and advises against “feeding cats and dogs any animal-source protein that has not first been subject to a process to eliminate pathogens due to the risk of illness to cats and dogs, as well as humans.” ”.

    Is it better to feed dogs kibble or fresh food?

    Is Fresh Food Better Than Kibble? In theory, yes. You have complete control over the ingredients you add to the recipe, and fresh food is more wholesome. You can give your dog the ideal diet based on their unique needs if you consult a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist.

    Is fresh dog food better than canned?

    Real ingredients that you can actually see in your dog’s bowl are considered fresh food. Compared to fresh, unprocessed, lean, human-grade meats, protein sources in dry food that have not been approved for human consumption are of much lower quality.

    What is the healthiest food to feed your dog?

    10 Superfoods for Dogs
    • Kale. This vitamin-packed leafy green is loaded with vitamins A, E, and C.
    • Carrots. Crunchy and naturally sweet, carrots are loved by most dogs.
    • Pumpkin. …
    • Sweet Potatoes. …
    • Fish. …
    • Nori (dried seaweed) …
    • Chia seeds. …
    • Quinoa.