Four Ways to Feed a Dog

For centuries, dogs have been fed leftover human food scraps, and in fact, even today in many towns across Spain and Mexico, they're still fed this way.

Not many years ago, what we now know as kibble for dogs was invented — the classic pellets made from meat or fish and including cereals, fruits, tubers, etc.... a complete diet in pellet form.

However, there are other ways to feed our dogs, many of them unknown to most people. We can use these feeding methods exclusively or alternate between them so our dog doesn't get bored of its food. Let's go over them :)

Dehydrated Food

Many companies have emerged offering natural products in dehydrated form to feed our dogs. Normally these are products fit for human consumption but formulated to meet a dog's nutritional needs.

As an example, this is usually dehydrated meat or fish, along with some digestible cereal such as rice, also dehydrated, and fruits, vegetables, and other supplements.

Using this type of dog food is very simple — just add a bit of water to the dehydrated food, wait a few minutes for it to hydrate, and give it to the dog to eat. Normally, they love it.

Precooked Canned Food

Canned dog food has also become an excellent option for feeding a dog — it comes ready to open and serve, saving us the trouble of heating or cooking the food.

There are two types of canned dog food: those including a kind of broth with cooked animal meat or fish, and those that come in pâté or purée form. The latter are more recommended for their digestibility, though they're mainly used in cases of illness and not as a continuous feeding method.

The problem with this type of food is that it has low nutritional value, a very low calorie content that doesn't come close to covering a dog's nutritional needs. However, dogs love it, so we either give them double what the manufacturer indicates or use it as a treat to feed them once a week, for example.

Many people feed their dogs dehydrated products or dry kibble, and use a can to give their dog a treat every so often. Some of these cans, mainly the pâté-format ones, are indicated for dogs with digestive disorders.

Dry Kibble (Pellets)

This is without a doubt the most widely used option nowadays for its simplicity and convenience, though that doesn't mean it's the best option, since many manufacturers don't offer quality products.

We should look for a manufacturer that uses quality ingredients and offers balanced food at a reasonable price. Many companies invest large amounts of money in advertising but very little in quality, making people believe they're feeding their dogs healthy products when they're practically poisoning them.

Because of this, it's extremely important to know what we're really giving our dog, since its health and life expectancy largely depend on the quality of its food. From our own experience, we can recommend a manufacturer offering high-quality products at a fair price: NFNatcane.es, though obviously everyone is free to buy whatever they want and wherever they want for their dog.

Fresh Products (BARF Diet)

This method involves feeding dogs starting from natural products we can find at butcher shops and markets, using meat and animal organs as well as soft bones and highly digestible cereals such as rice.

This is an increasingly widespread practice that requires some dedication to selecting, preparing, and storing food for our dogs. Meat and fish, as well as organs and offal, can be given raw or lightly cooked.

However, soft bones should be given raw to prevent them hardening and splintering, avoiding damage to its digestive system. Not everyone shares this technique, but those who use it are highly satisfied with the results.

Personally, we've used it for years with one of our dogs, who for still unknown reasons couldn't tolerate other types of food, and the results were highly satisfying. However, we have to admit it requires dedicating time to prepare it and learn about the different menus.