May 08, 2020

Raw vs. Kibble vs. Wet - What's Right For Me?

It’s the question on the mind of many dog owners, all we really want is what’s best for our dogs. When looking for answers it’s common to go to most trusted source to find information: Google. What do you find when you ask the question? Contradicting answers with different ideas on what is right. It can be very disheartening to not be able to get the answers you want but the truth is; it’s not as simple as you might think.

Today we take a look at what the two main ways to feed your dog and what would be the most suitable to you.

Raw Food

Rising in popularity in the pet food market & for good reason. Raw food can take away the worries of what ingredients you are feeding your dog. Feeding a raw diet at first may seem daunting, but once you get into the routine it is almost just as easy as dry food. Purchased normally in frozen blocks, all you need to do is allow time for the product to defrost & feed as is! No need to cook or any additional work. Here are some things to look for when purchasing a raw diet:

No Added Ingredients – The main selling point of raw food is that you’re getting exactly what is advertised. If you find any foods with any additional ingredients you weren’t expecting, it would be best to avoid.
Bone Content – If you’re new to raw feeding, you might see bone content as something to avoid. This could not be further from the truth! Bone content found in raw food is essential to their diet to ensure they get the necessary nutrients needed.

Kibble

The most common means of feeding your dog & for good reason too. I think as a human if you could find a tasty & nutritious kibble, some of you might be tempted to! Complete dry foods are designed to meet all the nutritional requirements needed to keep your dog healthy on a day to day basis. There are however some warning signs to look out for when picking a dry food. It is very easy to be fooled by pretty packaging on dog food claiming to be the best around, with misleading information, an enticing price & gobbled up by your dog when fed, you may think you’ve struck gold in picking that food. This however is often unfortunately not the case in most cases. A vast majority of big dog brands will use unhealthy ingredients which may entice your dog more when feeding. They can also use cheap protein sources (gluten) so they can stick a ‘High in Protein’ sticker on their label. Here are some of the things to avoid when picking a dry dog food:

Gluten – Usually found in cheaper dog foods as it provides a cheaper source of protein. Not all dogs have issues with gluten, however if they do you’ll find your dog may have itchy skin, loose stools, poor coat condition & weight loss. It is best to avoid foods containing gluten to ensure the diet is providing proper ingredients when designing the food.
Colourants – Typically if you find a dog food with multi-coloured kibbles, avoid it. Only added to appeal to dogs senses & adds nothing beneficial to their diet.
High in Fat/Poor Ingredients – Some kibble diets will be gobbled up by your dog as quick as you can put it down. While some quality dry foods will have the same experience, it can also be sign of a dry food which appeals to a dogs taste, but not their nutrition.

Wet Food

While not as common as kibble, wet dog food offers that almost in-between goodness between raw food & kibble. Produced with a low ingredient list it’s easy to what exactly goes into the food. They are also commonly served with vegetables as part of the meal, which is mostly unique to wet food. A quality wet food should offer a complete nutritious meal with a high meat content, if you are worried you aren’t getting the complete meal however, most wet foods can be mixed with kibbles to help soften the kibble and get the extra benefits kibble has to offer!

With the above in mind, as long as you’re vigilant with what food you’re feeding, dry, raw or wet food both offer their own positives & negatives. The best route to go in is to decide what type is bested suited to you, research into the diets & trial them with your dog. There’s no guarantee you’ll find the perfect food for your dog on the first attempt; keep an eye on your dog’s condition (their stool, coat, skin & appetite) when trialling your new food. If you picked dry food & have trouble, consider switching to raw; & vice versa!

What does Brown’s Pet Range Offer?

I’m so glad you asked! Brown’s Pet Range actually offer a selection of complete dry dog food & complete raw food!

Signature Dry Dog Food – Our Dry Dog Foods are designed by senior zoological nutritionists, who have spent years honing their craft to manufacture our dog food to contain all the nutritional requirements needed to keep your dog healthy! Our Signature Dog Foods are produced using Gluten-Free ingredients & come in 3 main varieties: Puppy & Breeder, Health & Activity & Light & Sensitive. These 3 diets aim to produce the best diets for each age group; puppy, adult & senior. One thing that makes these foods special? The added Beta-Glucans found in these foods provide a huge boost to a dog’s immune system & several other benefits you’ll notice as you progress. More information can be found here: https://www.brownspetrange.com/collections/macrogard-dog-food

Raw Dog Food - There’s not much we can say about our raw food; exactly what you see is exactly what you’ll get. They are 100% complete, with no added ingredients. Our Raw Food is available throughout Mainland UK & can be delivered the next working day if ordered before 3:00pm. More information can be found here: https://www.brownspetrange.com/collections/bones-and-raw-food

Wet Food - At Brown's we understand the importance of giving your pets the best possible food. Our wet foods only use quality ingredients, locally sourced wherever possible and our food is always free from artificial colours and flavours! More information can be found here: https://www.brownspetrange.com/collections/browns-hearty-dog-dog

Conclusion

With everything in mind, the most important thing to remember is keeping safe. If we can help in any way, we can be reached on 01268 690706 or email us at hello@brownspetrange.com.