Nutrition is a foundation of canine welfare — poor diet quality, overfeeding, and inappropriate foods cause preventable disease and shortened lifespans in millions of companion dogs.
Canine nutritional welfare is shaped by two chronic problems: overfeeding leading to obesity, and diet quality that ranges from excellent to nutritionally marginal. Obesity causes real suffering — joint pain, exercise intolerance, heat sensitivity, and shortened life. It is also almost entirely owner-controlled, making it a preventable welfare harm that requires honest assessment and dietary discipline. Diet quality is more complex — the pet food market ranges from well-formulated complete diets to nutritionally inadequate products. Navigating this requires attention to AAFCO/FEDIAF adequacy statements, ingredient transparency, and veterinary nutritionist guidance. The most evidence-based approach is a complete, balanced diet appropriate to life stage, fed in quantities that maintain optimal body condition.