Natural Vs Commercial Dog Food - Which is Best for your Dog?
By David Nordmark

Most dog owners want what\'s best for their dog, and will go to any lengths to ensure that their dogs are healthy and happy. This is why many dog owners try and feed their dogs a more \"natural\" diet. They are concerned that the mass produced, commercially available dog food is of questionable quality, and may ultimately not be that healthy for their pooch. Are these concerns truly warranted, and just what is \"natural\" dog food anyway?

To most people, \"natural\" food is food that is as close to the state which it is found in nature as possible. It uses few, if any, chemicals, as well as little processing and packaging as possible. To people who believe in natural dog food, the commercial variety is filled with low end ingredients, and is crammed full of chemicals and preservatives. They are often sprayed with animal fat to make them palatable to a dog, but are actually made with feed grade ingredients which are not that nutritionally substantive. Even premium dog food, these advocates claim, is made with a large amount of fillers which are needed to push the food through your dog. The higher price is only used for fancy packaging and ad campaigns, not improving the food quality itself.

From the articles that I have read from major dog trainers and veterinarians, the above has little evidence to back it up. Although there may have been trouble with commercial dog food 15 years ago, intense competition in the industry has substantially raised the quality of the product. From the articles I\'ve read, you can almost choose any product from a large dog food company, and your dog will be fine. In fact, he will probably be getting a healthier diet than you! Another advantage of dry dog food is that it can help clean your dog\'s teeth, and will also result in a lower volume of stools. The only caution flag here is that I have read that there can be issues with no name brand, generic dog food. A 1986 study by the University of Georgia School of Veterinary Medicine did report on a malnutrition syndrome that they called \'generic dog food disease\'. Again, however, this report was done in 1986. It is entirely possible that the quality of generic dog food has increased substantially in that time as well.

In the end, the choice is up to you and your best judgement. Most dogs you meet in a doggy park are probably fed commercial dog food, and they do just fine. However, this doesn\'t mean that your dog might not like a specially prepared, natural treat now and again. Further, if you wish to feed your dog specially prepared meals, I\'m sure he won\'t complain. There are dog owners out there who swear by this. Ultimately, it is probably wise to try both methods and see how your dog reacts. The choice is up to you.

David Nordmark created the website http://www.groversdogpound.com an information site concerning how to train and care for dogs.

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