Dogs are omnivores, so they need a balanced diet with more meat (protein) as the primary component, supplemented by vegetables for essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and hydration, typically making vegetables around 10-25% of their total intake, never more than half their diet. While meat provides critical amino acids, vegetables offer nutrients absent in meat and aid digestion, but dogs can't thrive on veggies alone. A healthy diet combines quality animal protein with a variety of cooked or raw, safe vegetables, always ensuring it's complete and balanced, often best achieved with veterinary guidance.
Phytonutrients are one of the most important kinds of nutrients you can give your dog – they kill cancer cells, reduce inflammation, promote gut health and support a healthy liver. But they are only found in fruits and vegetables. So if your dog only eats meat, he or she is missing out.
When preparing homemade dog food, a common ratio is 1 part meat to 0.5 parts rice and 0.25 parts vegetables by weight. This balance ensures adequate protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. Use lean meats and cook rice thoroughly. Vegetables should be dog-safe and cooked or pureed for digestibility.
What Should Top 3 Ingredients Be in Dog Food?
80/10/10 dog food refers to the Prey Model Raw (PMR) diet, a popular raw feeding method with a ratio of 80% muscle meat, 10% raw edible bone, and 10% secreting organs (like liver and kidney), aiming to mimic a whole prey animal's diet. While considered a natural approach, many experts stress that this model alone often lacks essential nutrients, requiring additions like fatty fish, kelp, or supplements to provide complete nutrition and prevent deficiencies, especially for long-term feeding or growing puppies, notes Houndsy and The Canine Dietitian.
The 3-3-3 rule for dogs is a guideline for the adjustment period after adoption, representing 3 days (overwhelmed/hiding), 3 weeks (settling in/testing boundaries), and 3 months (feeling at home/bonding) to help owners manage expectations and provide patience, routine, and a calm environment, understanding that anxiety is normal as they decompress from a stressful past. It's a framework for recognizing stress and fostering trust, not a rigid timeline, but it helps owners understand why a new dog might seem timid or act out initially.
There's no single "number 1" healthiest dog food, as the best choice depends on your dog's age, breed, and health; however, look for foods meeting AAFCO standards (Association of American Feed Control Officials), with real meat as the first ingredient, and vet-recommended brands like Hill's Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, and Royal Canin are often cited for balanced nutrition. Freshly prepared or raw diets can also be healthy but carry risks, so always consult your vet.
The healthiest dog food depends on your dog's specific needs, but top veterinarian-recommended brands known for science-backed nutrition and meeting AAFCO standards include Hill's Science Diet, Royal Canin, and Purina Pro Plan, offering options for life stages and health conditions. For sensitive dogs or allergies, limited ingredient diets (LID) from brands like Prime100 (single protein, human-grade) or raw/air-dried diets from Eureka (high meat, organs) are excellent choices, focusing on whole, digestible ingredients for better gut and skin health, but always consult your vet first.
Common Ingredients to Avoid in Homemade Dog Food
Starting With Protein
The first five ingredients of your dog's food should always start with protein. Dogs are omnivores, so they receive energy and nutrients from both plant and animal nutrients. But protein is essential to their muscle and tissue development, immune system health, energy, and healthy skin and nails.
Using Unsafe or Unhealthy Ingredients
There is a wide variety of unhealthy and unsafe foods to avoid when preparing meals for your dog. Potentially toxic ingredients are of special concern, including chocolate, xylitol, avocado, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, and macadamia nuts.
Each dog needs plenty of protein, easily processed from a high-quality meat source, like muscle tissue. Your pet can also benefit from fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats for body maintenance. The combination of these creates what every pet parent is looking for: a balanced diet.
The leading cause of death in dogs, especially older dogs, is cancer (neoplasia), affecting about 1 in 4 dogs, similar to humans, with specific breeds at higher risk. Other significant causes include old age, heart disease, digestive disorders (like bloat), infectious diseases (like Parvo), and trauma, with sterilization influencing risks for cancer and infections.
Some studies suggest that dogs can maintain health by eating a plant-based diet; others point out nutritional deficiencies, including insufficient protein, insufficient essential nutrients (e.g., calcium, phosphorus, sodium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, taurine), trace element deficiencies, and an unbalanced calcium to ...
The 90/10 rule for dogs means 90% of their daily calories should come from a complete, balanced dog food, while only 10% should come from treats, training rewards, and any extra human foods or toppers, preventing nutritional imbalances and obesity. This guideline ensures essential vitamins and minerals are met through their main diet, keeping treats as occasional indulgences rather than dietary staples.
There's no single "number one" food, but chocolate, grapes/raisins, and foods containing the artificial sweetener xylitol are among the most dangerous and common toxic items, causing issues from vomiting and seizures to kidney failure or death; other major threats include onions/garlic, alcohol, and fatty/cooked bones that can splinter. Always contact your vet immediately if your dog eats anything suspicious.
Concerns About Bacteria in Raw Dog Food
One of the most common reasons veterinarians oppose raw diets is concern about pathogens like Salmonella, Listeria, or E. coli—not just for pets, but for humans in the household as well.
The 95% Rule in dog food labeling, set by AAFCO, means a product named after a specific ingredient (e.g., "Chicken Dog Food") must be at least 95% that ingredient by weight (excluding water) and 70% including water, with the ingredient listed first and comprising more than 95%. If two ingredients are named ("Chicken & Beef"), they must total 95% (minus water), with the first ingredient being more abundant and both making up at least 3% each. This rule ensures transparency, indicating foods with a very high concentration of the named ingredient.
The "worst" dog foods often contain low-quality fillers (corn, soy), unspecified "meat meals," artificial colors/flavors, and excessive sugar, leading to poor nutrition, allergies, or weight gain; brands frequently cited include Beneful, Kibbles 'n Bits, Gravy Train, and some Purina varieties, though specific product quality varies. Key red flags are generic ingredients like "animal fat," "meat by-product meal," and a first ingredient being corn or fillers instead of real meat, with ingredients like BHA/BHT also concerning.
Our vets highly recommend Purina Pro Plan's Complete Essentials dry dog food as one of the best dry foods for dogs, largely due to the fact that the brand employs animal nutritionists and underwent feeding tests using AAFCO procedures to ensure this diet provides complete and balanced nutrition for dogs of all life ...
Yes, dogs can eat cooked eggs in moderation. Boiled, scrambled, and poached are all great options—as long as they're plain and not cooked in butter or oil. Raw eggs should be avoided due to potential health risks such as salmonella and reduced nutrient absorption.
Oily fish like herring, salmon, sardines, and anchovies are tasty superfoods for dogs, packed with protein, healthy fats, and the essential fatty acid, Omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids boost dogs' skin and coat health, as well as fight arthritis, inflammation, and brain aging.
Based on Dr. Marty's advice, Oprah says she now feeds her dogs a mixed diet of chicken, beef, lamb, brown rice, potatoes and carrots. Dr. Marty says most people feed their dogs diets that go against their animal nature.
Due to the range of benefits that wet and dry diets boast, a mixed feeding approach can help your dog get the most out of mealtime. Combining both wet and dry to their diet can give them some variety, where they are exposed to different textures that they will generally be more tempted to try.
7 Best Dog Foods in 2025, Recommended by Vets