Dry Kibble

Because raw feeding can sometimes be expensive, many people, including us, choose to feed dry kibble. It is convenient, cheap, and mainstream. In our case it is budget that excludes us from going 100% raw because of the amount of food that is needed to feed one great dane, much less two (100-240 lbs of food a month!) If I had my way we would be feeding all raw, here are some of the reasons why.

-Freshness: Like humans, dogs do better with fresh foods. The best source of vitamins and minerals is fresh food that has been unprocessed. If you choose to feed dry kibble, make sure to keep it in a airtight container. See our post on storing the food.

-Processing: Most dog foods are put through a proccess of extrusion. Unfortunately, as with human food, a lot of the vital nutrients are lost in the form of proccessing. Just imagine trying to live on pre-packaged foods.

-Additives: To keep the food stable for a long time, the manufacturers have to add food stabilizers and other additives. If it is possible to avoid this, then why not?

-Complete & Balanced? Most dog foods say on their bag that their food is complete and balanced nutrition for the dog. Why do you think dogs are anymore likely to get complete nutrition through one type of food than you? This is one of the reasons why I try to give our dogs variety.


If you are still set on feeding kibble because of the cost and the ease of use here are some important factors to consider when choosing a quality brand:

1.) Go Grain Free! Grain free is usually superior because it lacks many of the filler ingredients other foods may contain. It may be more expensive per pound, but the dog will eat less of it. Some people have even said that it costs less to feed their dog grain free food because they go through so much less. We go through 6-8 cups of dry kibble per dog in a day versus 10-14 of the regular kind. Many dogs do not tolerate wheat well (like some humans), so it is better to avoid it. Look for gluten free brands. *Gluten is the protein in wheat that many people and dogs cannot tolerate well.

2.) Avoid white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are far superior in their nutritional value (just look how colorful they are)! However, they are more expensive, so many times the bigger companies use white potatoes instead. Try to find a food with sweet potatoes. Unfortunately, most of the companies have switched over to primarily white potatoes instead of sweet for the cost savings. Our food, Orijen, lists white potatoes before sweet which means that it has more white than sweet.

3.) Choose a high protein percentage. Dogs are carnivores and the more meat in the food the better. The first several ingredients ideally should be meat--and no byproducts! The higher the percentage of protein, the tastier the food will likely be. Try to choose a food that at least has 30% protein. Here is a breakdown of some of the top brands and how they compare with each other in terms of protein.

4.) Avoid corn. This is a big filler for pet food companies and dogs usually don't tolerate them well. The pet food companies like corn because it is super cheap, and adds bulk and easy carbohydrates. Remember, that dogs are natural carnivorous scavengers. If it goes through you, it probably goes through your dog.

6.) Pay attention to the news. Listen for big buyouts of your food company. Usually the new buyers will change the formula of the food--often to its detriment, so it may be time to switch.

7.) Buy the smaller bags. The longer the bag is open, the greater the chance of rancidity. Would you want to eat food that has been opened for three weeks? If you still want to buy the big bag, also purchase an airtight food-grade container. I store a weeks worth of food in a smaller container that I keep in the kitchen. I store the rest in an airtight container in our basement. That way the food is only being mixed with new oxygen once a week instead of everyday.

8.) Buy from a pet food store, or at least a pet store. The more knowledgeable the staff, the better. Petco and Petsmart are now starting to carry some better brands, but not the best, and the knowledge of their staff in the food department leaves you wanting. At all costs avoid the grocery store. Note* Whole Foods, I believe does carry Wellness brand which is one of the better mainstream companies. But, don't start there. Go to someone who knows dog food and the pet food industry, only pick it up at WF in a pinch, if you are already set on a certain brand of kibble. Our local dog food store has been invaluable.

With those pointers in mind here are some good dry kibble brands in my experience:

Fromms- from Wisconsin they have several different varieties all very popular

Orijen- grain free, the highest protein percentage I can find for dry kibble. Now a bigger brand that has been lowering its protein percentages and raising their prices, but still the leader. I also like how many flavors they have, so we can rotate the protein source.

Acana- grain free, a more budget friendly version of Orijen. It has slightly lower percentages of protein than Orijen, and is still very good.

Horizon Legacy- grain free, we used to use it but it became harder to find. However it has a good protein percentage and is reasonably priced.

Born Free- recently was recommended to us by the wonderful ladies at our local pet food store. A good value for grain-free.