Nutrition is fundamental to dog health and welfare. Understanding evidence-based nutritional principles helps owners make informed choices about their dog feeding and avoid common harmful practices.
Dog nutrition is a welfare issue because dietary inadequacy, imbalance, or obesity causes suffering and shortened lifespan. Commercial diets formulated to AAFCO standards by veterinary nutritionists provide reliable complete nutrition for most dogs. Raw diets, while appealing to many owners, carry pathogen risks and are difficult to balance correctly without nutritional expertise. Grain-free trends driven by marketing have caused cardiac disease in some dogs. Maintaining healthy body weight through appropriate portion control is the most impactful nutritional welfare intervention. Working with a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist for dogs with specific health conditions ensures nutritional management supports rather than compromises health.