Finding the Healthiest Dog Food: An In-Depth Guide for Pet Owners

Key Ingredients in a Healthy Dog Food

Just like us humans, dogs need a balanced diet that includes macronutrients and micronutrients. Each of these components play a role in maintaining overall health and well-being.

Here’s a closer look:

• Protein: Essential for muscle growth, repair and overall bodily function. Real meat like chicken, beef, fish or lamb should be at the top of the ingredient list.
• Fats: Provide energy and support the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Healthy sources like animal fats, fish oil or flaxseed help improve and maintain energy levels, skin and coat health.
• Carbohydrates: Serve as an energy source and aid in digestive health. Easily digestible carbs include sweet potatoes, lentils or whole grains (if tolerated).
• Vitamins & Minerals: These micronutrients support bodily functions, including immune system and bone health. AAFCO (the Association of American Feed Control Officials) sets the standards for the vitamins and minerals that should be included in dog food. 
• Probiotics: Help support your dog’s healthy digestion.

What to Look For on the Label

Dog food labels lack the simple nutrition panel we’re used to on our own food, and they aren’t always easy to understand. However, learning what to look for (and what to avoid) is key in decoding dog foods and finding the healthiest option for your pup.

Here’s a good place to start—look for these key items on the dog food label, packaging or brand’s website to ensure the best quality product:

• Named Meat Sources: High quality dog food should prioritize real meat as the primary ingredient. Look for whole proteins like chicken, salmon or pork, and avoid vague ingredients like “meat byproducts” or “animal fats.” Specific meat sources are those that are identified by species, such as “deboned salmon meal.”
• AAFCO Statement: Always check for the AAFCO “complete and balanced” statement. This ensures that the food meets the nutritional standards for your dog’s life stage, whether they’re a puppy, adult or senior.

• Nutritional Analysis: Every dog food package should provide a guaranteed analysis of its protein, fiber, fat and moisture content. Look for food with a high protein content and balanced fat levels.

• Whole Foods: Look for human-grade, minimally-processed, whole food ingredients including vegetables, fruits and whole grains like brown rice. These should appear toward the top of the ingredient list, indicating that they make up a higher percentage of the food. Fresh dog food brands like The Farmer’s Dog offer recipes that meet all of these criteria, with a convenient home delivery service and pre-portioned meals customized to your dog’s individual nutrient needs.

What to Avoid

Just as important as what to look for on a dog food label is what to avoid. Some of these ingredients are used to bulk up a food’s volume, while others are used to enhance the texture, flavor, appearance or shelf life. The problem is that they don’t have a lot of nutritional value, if any. They’re often used in place of other, more healthful ingredients like those listed above, and can cause potential allergies or digestive issues.

Here’s what you should avoid when choosing a dog food:

• Fillers: Ingredients like corn, soy and wheat are often used as a cheap filler in dog foods. While not inherently harmful, they provide limited nutrition and may be difficult to digest, especially for dogs with allergies or sensitivities.
• Byproducts: Vague, unspecific “meat,” “animal,” “poultry” or “fish” products and byproducts make it more difficult to assess the quality and should be avoided. Byproducts may contain high quality ingredients, but also contain parts of an animal that don’t provide any nutritional benefit, like beaks and feathers.
• Artificial Additives: Artificial colors and flavors, and preservatives like BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, carry potential health concerns and can be linked to allergies and sensitivities in some dogs.

Other Considerations

A dog’s dietary needs vary by age, breed, activity level and other health factors. Your vet is a great resource for information and input, so be sure to check in with them when choosing a new dog food. This is especially important if your pet has any pre-existing health conditions, such as kidney disease or diabetes, or if they’re overweight or have any other special needs.

Expert Tips

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) publishes guidelines for selecting dog food, which helps pet parents evaluate companies based on their nutritional expertise, food safety practices, quality control and nutrition research.

Here are the recommended questions to ask when considering a new dog food company: 

• Do they partner with nutritionists? Appropriate qualifications are either a Pd.D. in Animal Nutrition or a Board Certification by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN) or the European College of Veterinary Comparative Nutrition (ECVCN).
• Who formulates the diet? Is the recipe developed by a veterinarian or experienced pet food formulator, with a MS or Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition?

• What is the quality control process for ingredients and finished products? Whether a diet is formulated to meet AAFCO guidelines, and how the diet was analyzed (nutrient database or a chemical analysis of the finished product) should be considered. Adequate quality control includes ingredient validation, final nutrient analysis, toxicology, bacteriology and packaging and shelf-life screenings before, during and after manufacturing. 
• What kind of product research or nutrition studies have been conducted? Pet food companies are not required to conduct research to sell a food, so when they do, it indicates a commitment to animal health and wellness that distinguishes a brand.

The Farmer’s Dog meets or exceeds all of WSAVA’s guidelines for selecting pet food, as well as AAFCO standards for dog food. All of their recipes are formulated by board-certified staff nutritionists and are 100 percent complete and balanced. They never use fillers, mystery byproducts, artificial flavors or preservatives—just whole, human-grade ingredients, like real meats, vegetables and fruits, cooked with a gentle cooking process to retain vital nutrients. The Farmer’s Dog calculates the exact amount of food your dog needs based on their unique factors, and ships it to your door in convenient, pre-portioned packs.

The Farmer’s Dog has put a huge focus on research, investing $10 million in additional funding this year alone. They’ve completed several long-term feeding studies that clinically prove that their recipes are complete and balanced, along with a number of other studies that show the effects of feeding The Farmer’s Dog versus a standard kibble diet.

Your dog’s diet is key to a long, healthy life. Thanks to The Farmer’s Dog’s research, we now know that everything from their digestion to their immune system, metabolic function and lifespan can be positively impacted through fresh, human-grade dog food. Healthy skin, a shiny coat and better energy levels are just the cherry on top of an optimal diet. 

Finding the healthiest food for our pups is a top priority. And while it may take some time and effort, it’s one that will pay off in spades—or in our case, tail wags, kisses and unlimited cuteness.