We all know dogs have to eat but until the early 1900’s dogs survived on scraps from the table or hunting their own food. In the early 1900’s Ken-L-Ration canned horse meat. In the 1930’s dry dog meal was introduced. In the 50’s people had more money to spend on convenience items and manufacturers like General Mills and Nabisco saw this as an opportunity to increase their sales by selling their by-products as dog food both dry and canned.

During the 1960’s the method of extrusion was introduced. This is the process of forming pet food into pellets and spraying it with additional nutrients. During the next 20 years both canned and dry dog food was developed that "treated" specific needs. The public ate it up. Higher end, health specific brands were introduced and thrived. The trend now is towards holistic and natural food sources. More and More owners are demanding their pet’s food include only natural ingredients. As an owner choosing a brand of dog food is overwhelming so a comparison of dog food brands is a necessary step.

If price is the major consideration a store brand like Ol’ Roy may be your choice. Ol’ Roy is made up of grains and fillers like ground yellow corn, soybean meal, ground whole wheat, corn syrup and poultry fat. While dogs may eat it; its nutritional value is limited and in fact, most dogs being carnivores, tend to only eat these types of products if they have no other means of nutrition.

If, as an owner, nutritional value is important then a higher end brand like IAMS may meet your needs. IAMS offers a wide selection of food choices for different size and age dogs all of which list a meat like chicken as their first ingredient. Indicating this item makes up the highest percentage of ingredients. Other ingredients include egg products, multiple grains, oils, vitamins and minerals. These types of products are higher priced but offer a better choice and more completely fulfill a dog’s nutritional needs. They are also readily available through grocery stores and pet store chains.

If feeding your carnivorous dog the way nature intended is your goal; then an all natural meat diet is the ticket. Brands like EVO offer several canned meat products like beef, chicken and venison that include no grains and offer 95% meat, cartilage and fat fortified with vitamins and minerals; Mother Nature in a can. These products tend to be very pricey and only available at select pet store chains.

Looking at these products you begin to see a trend towards natural food sources or going back to what nature intended. But price and convenience still tend to make up the major factors when choosing a dog food brand. Since IAMS offers nutritionally balanced options, is reasonably priced and readily available it is a great option. Its natural ingredients will meet your dog’s needs and its different sizes and health benefits will allow you to feed this brand through all stages of a dog’s life.

Dogs are carnivores. Nature made them this way and we need to respect that. Choosing a protein based food, sticking with that food and possibly supplementing with the occasional meat table scraps you will have a bright, energetic and happy dog.