Dog nutrition has been plagued by marketing-driven myths and genuine scientific controversy. Evidence-based guidance helps owners make welfare-positive feeding decisions.
Dog nutrition is an area where marketing has significantly outpaced science, leading many well-intentioned owners to feed diets that compromise their dogs' health. The grain-free diet trend emerged from the anthropomorphization of dogs as wolves who should not eat grains — but dogs evolved with humans over thousands of years and have developed genes enabling starch digestion that wolves lack. The subsequent association between grain-free, legume-rich diets and dilated cardiomyopathy in some breeds has been a significant welfare concern. Raw meat diets pose pathogen risks while providing nutritional profiles that vary enormously from brand to brand. The most welfare-aligned approach is feeding complete and balanced commercial diets appropriate to life stage, with body condition monitoring to adjust caloric intake and veterinary guidance for any health conditions affecting nutritional needs.