I asked friends online a simple question: “What do you feed your dog?” I was surprised, as many of you may be, by their answers, which turned out not to be simple at all!
This week, I’ll share what they told us about these details.
What do you feed your dog (for meals)?
Brand name/s, specific product/s that you feed; raw or …?
How/why did you decide to choose this food?
How do you feed—bowl, food puzzles, Kong, timed feeder, or …?
How/why did you decide to feed by this method?
Colette Kase (Mexico) [I feed my dog] Virbac Gastro. Following a bout of giardia as a puppy, and heavy antibiotic treatment, his stomach issues continued. He also became itchy, so we tried him on a variety of diets. This was tricky and worrying as he was a rescued great Dane puppy. Giant breed growth is fast and with all the stomach issues it was hard to give him the nutrition he required. He rapidly developed some bone growth issues as we experimented until we could find food he could tolerate. Three months after [we found] the perfect food, it was discontinued. We tried another three new diets and the Virbac Gastro was the only one he could tolerate. Sometimes we feed in a hugely enriched way. We place his food in a bunch of boxes and cardboard toilet rolls. It takes him about 45 minutes to eat his meal this way. Otherwise, most of his diet is fed three times a day in a bowl and the rest by hand during walks and training. We have tried to shift him off three meals a day, but his sensitive stomach does not react well. So, we stick to what works. Feeding one of his meals in a day in an enriched way makes him incredibly happy. So why not? We live in a tropical climate with temperatures well over 42 C in the summer. Raw is neither safe nor practical for us, and as he can’t tolerate beef, lamb, fish, or chicken, pork is one of the only proteins left for us.
Em E Wolf (Vermont) Farmer’s Dog now and it’s going well. Kibble is too processed IMO—the fact that it’s a meat product that can sit opened for weeks at room temperature concerns me. I tried raw, but it was just too much for me. The Farmer’s Dog is convenient and feels like excellent quality. My dog is thriving on it.
Amy Cowley (United Kingdom) I feed raw. I had a dog who used to suffer from very severe allergies and [I] was spending so much on different foods and medication and nothing worked—his back was red with hives. I stuck with complete raw. Even the dogs I have now have been fed raw since they were eight weeks old.
Photo by Sarah Richardson
Jessa Lewis (Washington) I feed N&D from Italy because it’s made to a higher standard than what’s required in the United States and is more cost-effective than many of the other higher-quality options. I mix up the recipes to avoid allergies, and randomly top with raw foods to further mix things up and supplement.
Kenna Stonefern (New Hampshire) Three dogs on raw, four on Fromm classic adult kibble.
Sandee Strobel Szabo (Virginia) We feel our dogs Wellness Complete Health Adult Lamb & Barley Recipe Natural dry dog food with a can of sardines in water (not oil) split between the three dogs each morning. For the dinner meal, we split 1/2 package of Purina Beneful Prepared Meals Variety Pack + Chopped Blends Variety Pack Wet Dog Food between the three dogs so one package lasts two days. We will also add in some green beans, no salt, in their food on occasion. We have also done pure pumpkin every once in a while (when available). Yes, we do feed table scraps but usually just the veggies and a little meat with no additional salt added but it only goes in their bowls, NEVER from the table. On occasion, hubby will give a little bacon fat drizzled on their food but that is usually only if our bacon fat container is full or they had a lot of exercise, aka hiking, and need a bit of a boost of extra fat and reward.
September B. Morn (Washington) I’ve fed my dogs raw food for more than 20 years. Before I started doing this, they had intermittent ear infections, hot spots on their backs, tartar on their teeth, funky breath, lots of farting, and the Rottweilers snored when they slept. Also, I needed to feed supplements if I hoped for shiny coats.
After I stopped feeding dry commercial foods (and I was feeding “good quality” brands), all those problems stopped. All my dogs got healthier on raw foods. No more funky breath or dirty teeth, no more skin and ear infections, no more snoring and much less gas, and very shiny coats. I do still feed a small amount of dry food (Red Barn fish flavor) about once a week to keep their digestive system familiar with it in case we had to quickly leave our home (wildfires are frequent in this area and we live surrounded by forest). I feed them meats and veggies from the grocery store or that I grow or raise — same quality of foods as I eat. I vary their foods, but the main meat is chicken (raw, bone in) because that’s the least expensive protein locally. Also beef, pork, lamb, and on occasion wild meats like elk, venison, or others that my hunter friends share with us. Organ meats, too. I also feed them salmon, which I cook before feeding because these fish can harbor a parasite that sickens or kills dogs if they eat it raw. I usually pressure can the salmon, which cooks it and makes it very handy to feed whenever I want to. I also give them eggs (from my own flock of hens), cottage cheese, yogurt, and string cheese (makes great training rewards).
Alisha Ardiana (California) I started out trying to feed our dog raw. Unfortunately, the texture does not work for her, and I inadvertently created a food phobia. She literally would not take food from me. It was very stressful. We did kibble for a while, but she was never into it. Then I had the opportunity to take the professional course through this organization. They explain why fresh food is so important for our dogs, that carbohydrates are not necessary, and then, at the end of the course, you do a workshop and learn how to make your dog’s food! To this day, my dog does not enjoy raw food. So I sous vide the muscle meat, I dehydrate organs, and then I also use healthy powder so that she gets her calcium. I’m incredibly lucky, because we have this amazing small business, San Francisco Raw Feeders (SFRAW), and I can get all of my meat and supplements from them. Through the process of feeding my dog fresh food, I also inadvertently had some weight gain. Math is hard, especially when you have a ten-pound Papillon. She’s also a training machine. So I now divide her meal into four equal portions, I put them on little bamboo plates and hide them around the house. I also reserve some of the muscle meat for training.
Jane Beecham (United Kingdom) Nature’s Menu Complete Raw with veg. Sometimes grated carrot and chopped broccoli on top. Little handful of Scrumbles dry on top for crunch. He was on total raw diet when he came to us but poos were very runny and I’m vegetarian so the complete raw meat used to turn my stomach every morning! The one we use now suits him better! Gets it in a bowl but is a speedy eater. Won’t eat til I tell him ‘Yes’—morning and evening.
Natalie Sinton (Washington) I feed a Prey Model Raw diet (aka raw meaty bones diet) and have been since 2008. My Danes so far have been living until almost 14 years old. My dogs get a variety of proteins but the usuals are venison, elk, bison, beef, pork, and chicken. Their meals consist of mostly whole, raw chunks of red meat, some edible bone (chicken/pork/venison) and some organ meats (liver/kidney/spleen/heart) as well as raw chicken eggs from our own free-range laying hens. Sometimes they get whole raw meaty bones, like whole deer legs or necks. I chose to feed this way because of commercially produced diets being recalled, ingredients being sub par, and the side effects of a commercially processed cereal diet—dental disease, skin/coat/ear infections. I also like feeding this way because it’s cost efficient for me—I get probably 25% of the food I feed daily for free and the rest I cost out at $1/# or less. This way of feeding also gives my dogs a ton of mental stimulation, so slow feeders or food puzzles aren’t needed to fulfill that mental need.
Jett Wyatt (Arizona) It’s complicated! Breakfast is raw (Stella & Chewy’s), (though if I could get it in Arizona, I’d be feeding Northwest Naturals) and Answers’ goat milk. Dinner is a bit of (various companies but most often NutriSource) kibble, raw, and a random side; fat free cottage cheese, yogurt, egg, sardines, or rice. A couple times a week they get marrow bones, trachea, or knee caps. Then there’s treats, which count as food in my house and are usually low-calorie, high protein, either commercial or homemade. Or string cheese. Everything is rotated so they are less likely to develop allergies or sensitive tummies, and so they get a variety of nutrients (and tastes).
Jessica Theisen de Gonzalez (Alabama) My dog was recently moved to a different food after her Canine Cognitive Dysfunction diagnosis a year ago. We have two options—Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind as back-up, but she mainly eats Forza 10’s behavior formulation. It does seem to be making a slight difference in some anxiety displays, which is a win for us. Even better is that she likes it!
Elizabeth Kopczynski Moore (Washington) Farmer’s Dog. One of our dogs had throat cancer and could only eat soft food. I swear it gave him more life. After he died the company sent a beautiful bouquet. It’s all we use now. Our current dog loves it too.
Gwen Jones (California) Raw food with some kibble; the kibble is Inukshuk, raw food is locally produced and comes in several different proteins. The reason we still feed kibble is that if we need to travel/evacuate/lose power, the kibble is something they’re used to. We fed Orijen dry food for years until it was bought out by Mars. Quickly saw a difference in the food and outcome. Three dogs—all very active border collies—ranging in age from (almost) three to (almost) 12. Youngest dog uses a slow feeder for the kibble, older dog has used a raised feeder for a couple of years due to neck issues (too much tugging!). Will use kibble/creamcheese–stuffed Kongs for travel or leaving someone home.
Trillium Schlosser (Washington) I feed The Honest Kitchen. I originally started it because I needed something light but high-quality to put in my emergency preparedness tote. It is dehydrated raw, prepared of human-grade ingredients, and tasty. My dogs loved it. Izzy was two months short of 18 when I helped her cross, and Peanut was 18 on Thanksgiving and still going strong. I feed her in a regular bowl. She gets treats in a snuffle mat.
Sandy Knauft (Washington) When my granddog spends overnights with us she gets quinoa or couscous, plain chicken, and either carrots or squash for dinner.
Kasey Joy Nash (Connecticut) Purina Pro Plan Active 27/17. I used to feed more boutique-type brands, but in the last few years I’ve been trusting the WSAVA guidelines when evaluating foods. All my labs do very well on it.
Michelle Brady (Washington) We feed our dogs Red Barn chicken semi-moist. My older dog Kai is allergic to some preservatives that are not in this food so he does really well on it. I like how the ingredients list what meat from the chicken is used (heart, liver, etc.) and both my dogs love it. Kai gets fed with a slow feeder while my other dog Wasabi usually gets his meals in a bowl, but we will also stuff a Kong or top their food for enrichment. We used to do Farmer’s Dog and loved it, but it became too expensive over time.
Timothy Page (Oregon) For breakfast, they get cheesy vegetables (light on the cheese). I cook up broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans, with a sprinkling of cheese. Coco would be a fatty, but this fills his belly without raising his weight. In the afternoon they get canned Weruva and Merrick grain-free kibble with a sprinkling of NW Naturals. Lalo is super picky but he loves anything in the cabbage family. For the afternoon feeding, the NW Naturals get him started. Sometimes he skips the afternoon feeding due to his pickiness. Coco will eat just about anything. They get their “bones” in the evening, any one of a number of tough chews. We have some small bowls that flan came in that we use for both dogs, but in the afternoon, Coco gets his in a ceramic egg carton so he doesn’t gulp it all down at once. I chose the kibble and canned by looking on the DogFoodAdvisor.com site. Five stars.
Cecelia Sumner (Florida) I feed Hill’s Perfect Digestion, salmon flavor. He had a history of loose stool. Did lots of tests, and tried probiotics. This helps give him normal poop 90% of the time.
Marla Cooper (California) I feed Farmina from Italy, Ancestral Grains formulas. It is vet formulated and approved. It has excellent ingredients. I top it with fresh fruits, steamed veggies, and cooked meat. I feed them in a bowl because they are civilized and we eat together. They also get bites of whatever I’m eating because I think it’s good for bonding and they enjoy it.
Sandie Hanlon (Massachusetts) I have two dogs that eat a rotation diet of Inukshuk Marine-based kibble but I also will rotate Honest Kitchen grain-inclusive beef kibble. I will add raw chicken patties from Commonwealth Poultry in Maine. Also I use high-quality canned food from different brands that I stuff and freeze as a meal in Toppls. I will use dehydrated Stella and Chewy’s meal mixers on top of the kibble as well. Other ingredients I add to their meals are cottage cheese, yogurt, sardines, and leftovers from my meals like cooked chicken, pork, and fish. Each has a crate to go to and eat their meals. When we cannot get out and exercise the dogs because of weather, I use snuffle mats to feed their kibble and then canned food in a puzzle bowl. I decided to feed a wide variety of food many years ago, which has worked well for them.
Glenda Lee (Maine) Mine get lamb and brown rice for kibble (Blue Buffalo) and home-cooked for dinner comprised of boneless skinless chicken breast and an assortment of veggies with calcium added and a bit of steel cut oatmeal tossed in for a grain.
Cherie Marshall (Washington) Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach Salmon and Rice. Lily doesn’t tolerate chicken but does well on the salmon and her coat is silky and [she has] healthy skin. I was feeding Wish Bone and would rotate proteins but started having difficulty getting it into the U.S. during COVID and they ran out and couldn’t get it so I had to switch. I remain on this now and am happy with the results.
Frances Dauster (Alabama) My dogs never get the same brand twice in a row. Merrick, California Natural, Canidae, Fromm, Wellness, Wellness Core, occasionally a bag of Costco or 4health. Plus eggs raw scrambled or boiled from my own chickens, green beans, veggies, tuna, sardines in oil, sometimes canned food of good brands above, occasionally rice or pasta, plus something I make I call dog soup, meats and or bones boiled to make broth from scratch, with veggies in it.
Kat Camplin (California) A few years ago a wildfire ripped through my city and I was evacuated for ten days with three dogs. I landed at a hotel in the middle of a very small town with very few stores around and it was impossible to find the foods I had been feeding them. It was already quite stressful and I didn’t want to add dietary changes to the mix. Given that, my first priority is that the food is readily available and doesn’t need to be refrigerated. I settled on Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Diet since it’s digestible, but it has a number of protein choices. I went with the one that was available at both local pet stores, which is Turkey. I keep five days’ worth in my Go Bag if we need to evacuate again. Both dogs get the dry food with hot water and kefir and whatever fresh food toppings I have on hand. Last night I had half a tomato left, so they got that. They love cucumber and blueberries and bananas. I also will add cooked meats, but don’t always have those. They both eat out of a maze bowl and get to clean the mixing bowls I prepare the food in.
Jeanene Cook (Idaho) We cook brown rice and hamburger and raw broccoli or brown rice chicken and raw broccoli. We make both each week and keep it stored in the refrigerator in two separate bowls and feed from that. She doesn’t like kibble of any form or brand.
Jennifer Lowe Davis (Virginia) Fromm Gold, dry with a spoonful of wet.
Judy Ransom (Washington) I feed Dr. Marty’s raw freeze-dried. It’s an extremely healthy mix of meat, meat organs, fruits and vegetables with no added chemicals. I use stainless steel bowls and feed twice a day.
Shelly Keel (Idaho) I feed “Go Solutions” limited-ingredient turkey-based kibble with freeze-dried turkey topper. I started looking for limited-ingredient foods because Journey has had ongoing yeast and environmental skin allergies that I wanted to tame. She is an extremely picky eater and flatly refuses to eat any of the “fresh” options available; after having done my own fresh preparation for my previous dog, I don’t have the finances, time, or storage available now. Besides, we travel often in our RV and I need a shelf-stable food for Journey. I often feed in a puzzle bowl or other food-dispensing toy/puzzle for enrichment. Sometimes I will mix dry food with some jarred baby food and mash into a Kong for an even greater challenge. I have one dog, but often watch friends’ or family dogs and when they are with us, they get the same food and puzzles. Journey’s skin is doing much better and she agrees to eat the “Go Solutions.”
Rebekah Piedad (California) I feed Purina Pro Plan. One of my dogs gets a rotation of protein sources, and the other gets prescription NeuroCare because he has epilepsy. I used to feed raw and/or boutique diets. I switched when I became aware of WSAVA guidelines. I also realized that vets, who see all manner of health issues due to poor diet, were consistently recommending PPP or other diets that met WSAVA guidelines. Also, the vast majority of vets were opposed to raw feeding. My own current vet lost a patient to salmonella poisoning. I realized that, unless I was willing to work with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, I just didn’t have access to the knowledge to create or decide upon a diet that was both safe and met my dog’s nutritional needs with consideration given to bioavailability—so it was better to trust a food that met WSAVA guidelines where the work is done for me. Anecdotally, I’ve known dogs on PPP who lived many years past their life expectancy, including one of my own dogs currently.
Julie Ellingson (California) Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Lamb and Oat or Salmon kibble, topped with a little something extra as a treat for variety. Right now Fresh Pet, about 1/2 oz. per meal. I’m not a dedicated “feed this food or you’re a terrible owner” kind of person. The oldest dogs I’ve groomed were fed grocery-store food—Purina Dog Chow, that sort of thing. Good care and weight management seem to be key more than anything. [I chose the brand I feed] because it has given consistent good health to my dogs. Shiny coats, good skin, plenty of energy, long lives in general. It also doesn’t have the ingredients I want to avoid. (I find that beet-pulp stains around the mouth and eyes, and too rich a diet, have caused problems for me.) I measure my dogs’ food and feed meals 12 hours apart. When I tried raw, I used a scale. My Cavaliers get 1/3 cup kibble (they weigh 16 pounds) twice per day, plus about 20 calories in topper treats with each meal. Rib checks are done every week without fail and the diets adjusted if needed. I reduce calories by 15% the day any pet is altered.
As a pet groomer, all I can say is pay real attention to calories. It makes a difference in your dog’s overall health and longevity.
Don Hanson (Maine) I feed my dog a wide variety of commercial pet-food products. In the past 24 months, Muppy has been fed12 different brands of food and 12 different proteins. The article at this link needs to be updated, but it explains why I feed the way I do. I feed predominantly frozen raw or freeze-dried because I want the food to be minimally processed, but will occasionally feed kibble for convenience. The brands I feed most are Northwest Naturals, Steve’s Real Food, Vital Essentials, Primal, NutriSource Elements (Freeze-Dried & Kibble), Stella & Chewy’s, and My Perfect Pet. I carefully review the food and the company behind it before choosing to feed it or sell it in my store. I won’t sell something that I wouldn’t feed my own pets. [I feed them] in a glass bowl washed after every feeding. I do use Kong toys for enrichment but not as a primary way to feed. [I decided to feed by this method due to] years of personal experience of what works best. I’ve had as many as five dogs, but several years ago we decided to downsize so we can feed the pets we have to the best of our ability. We now have one dog and one cat.
Steven Cogswell (Colorado) Currently, Fromm Classic Adult Dog Food, I add salmon oil in the evening. Jasper gets turmeric sprinkled on top for his arthritis. My nutrition module in canine massage school recommended food with a named protein and protein meal as the first ingredient, then brown rice; no peas, potatoes, or legumes in the top five ingredients, with protein around 23-26%. I carefully measure their food for every meal to keep them on track for their weight. Sticking to that rather than worrying too much about the brand name has done us well. I go to a pet food store that I trust to have basically good-quality food.
NEXT WEEK We ask another simple question: “What do you feed your cat?”
