How do you feed a dog?

Dogs have had 15,000 years to evolve from being primarily meat eaters into omnivores capable of digesting both animal and plant nutrients - just like their owner. They are no longer quite the same as their close relatives, the wolves, who are strict carnivores living on meat alone. Although dogs prefer meat-based foods, they can exist on diets high in vegetable proteins - as long as other missing nutrients and amino acids are added. Whether or not that is a good idea remains to be seen.

Good nutrition and a balanced diet are essential for your pet’s health. People often ask me what they should feed their dogs. Over the years, I have made some observations on the health of dogs fed an enormous variety of diets. It’s amazing how well they do on such varied entrees. Here are some of my conclusions.