What do dogs eat? Here’s what you should definitely pay attention to!

“ What do dogs eat? “ – This fundamental question is not only asked by people who are becoming proud dog parents for the first time. Even after years of experience with four-legged friends, doubts often arise. Is the dry food you feed really the best? Does my dog perhaps need more fresh vegetables after all? Or is grain-free food really always the healthier choice?

Nutrition is the absolute foundation for a long, healthy, and happy life for your dog. By feeding your dog a species-appropriate diet, you strengthen their immune system, protect their organs, and ensure a shiny coat.

We have written this comprehensive guide so that you can more easily recognize the signs of an intolerance or a nutritional deficiency in your dog in the future. Here you will learn everything about proteins, fats, vitamins, and get the best tips for consciously and healthily feeding your best friend.

As a dog mom or dad, you have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. Your dog is completely dependent on you, especially when it comes to their daily nutrition. After all, they cannot put together their own menu at the supermarket. It is therefore your most important task to ensure well-balanced and wholesome meals.

But what do dogs naturally eat? Although they are descended from wolves, dogs are no longer pure carnivores due to thousands of years of domestication. Today, dogs are adaptable omnivores with a strong emphasis on meat-based food.

Dogs absolutely need a nutritionally complete diet consisting of an ideal mix:

• Proteins: The most important building block! They provide the greatest energy supply and are essential for muscle building, cell renewal, and all vital bodily functions.

• Fats and oils: They are the ultimate energy booster and are important for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

• Carbohydrates: As a quick source of energy.

• Vitamins, trace elements, and minerals: The fine-tuning for strong bones, good eyesight, and a strong immune system.

Attention: Complete food vs. complementary food

You should pay special attention to the exact designation of the food type on the packaging. To ensure that your dog is supplied with all the truly essential nutrients, check whether you are using a complete food or a complementary food (such as pure meat cans when barfing). With complementary food, you must add the missing minerals, oils, or carbohydrates yourself, otherwise a dangerous nutritional deficiency is imminent!

Taking a discerning, critical look at the ingredients of dog food is incredibly important. The exact composition should always be easily visible to the consumer. However, large manufacturers often make this more difficult by hiding ingredients behind vague terms.

What you need to look out for when buying:

• For example, it is important that the food contains absolutely no undefined animal by-products (such as feathers or hooves) or low-quality animal meal.

• Exact percentages of the meat content and the type of meat should be stated (e.g., 60% chicken muscle meat).

• You should never feed your four-legged friend meals with artificial food additives such as flavor enhancers, attractants, sugar, artificial preservatives, and colorings.

An excellent and much healthier alternative to the often highly processed, commercially available dry and canned food is freshly cooked dog food. Here you can see exactly what is in it! Thanks to gentle cooking at low temperatures, the meals contain significantly more natural nutrients and can be ideally adapted to your dog's individual needs (weight, age, allergies).

As mentioned before: Because of the long coexistence with humans, we can no longer equate the digestion of a dog with that of a wild wolf. The question “ What do dogs eat? “ can therefore be wonderfully supplemented with fruit and vegetables!

The dog's digestive tract can assimilate nutrients not only from meat, but also from high-quality vegetarian food. Although absolute caution is required with some varieties (more on that later), your four-legged friend's gut always appreciates a healthy vegetarian balance full of fiber.

Fruit and vegetables are an indispensable addition to the food bowl. They contain vital secondary plant compounds, regenerate cells, and strengthen the immune system.

This is how you feed vegetables correctly:Dogs often cannot break down the cell walls of raw vegetables well. It is best to opt for a gently cooked vegetable or fruit puree. What dogs should not eat are large, raw pieces, hard-to-digest seeds, and stems. Please always remove these!

These varieties are particularly healthy:

• Pumpkin: It is very suitable for preventing overweight or gently reducing weight. It fills you up quickly and is extremely gentle on the stomach.

• Carrots and apples: Very digestible! Carrots support the gut flora extremely well, while apples provide important vitamins.

• Beets: Support kidney function and promote blood formation.

Are carbohydrates, grains, and starch harmful?

No! The marketing myth that has often been spread in recent years, that all grains are generally harmful to dogs, is not true. The main component of grain is the carbohydrate starch. It is broken down into sugar molecules in the digestive tract and serves as a quick, valuable energy source for dogs (especially active dogs).

The only important thing is: The grain (such as rice, millet, or oats) should never be fed raw, but always gently boiled. If plant proteins are fed, extremely high quality must be ensured, as low-quality protein leads to severe bloating and bad breath. Note: Carbohydrates should not exceed the 60% mark in the food to avoid overweight. Read also: Gluten-free dog food and what you should know about it.

Are fats and oils healthy for my dog?

Absolutely yes! Fats and oils are not only flavor carriers, but are essential for the healthy growth and regulation of the dog's hormones. They increase brain activity, are important for cell regeneration, and contribute significantly to a shiny, dense coat and a healthy skin barrier.

A huge advantage of high-quality fresh food is the use of the best oils. One component of our HelloBello meals is, for example, the finest hemp oil or linseed oil – both are extremely valuable sources of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon oil and black cumin oil are also fantastic additions to the dog bowl.

Unfortunately, our dogs do not always instinctively know what is good for them. There are foods in our kitchen that are highly toxic to them. Your dog should absolutely stay away from these foods:

• Grapes and raisins (Can lead to acute kidney failure!)

• Chocolate and cocoa (Theobromine contained in them is life-threatening)

• Onions, garlic, and leeks (Destroy red blood cells)

• Macadamia nuts and bitter almonds

• Xylitol/birch sugar (A sweetener that causes blood sugar to drop to life-threatening levels)

More detailed information on this vital topic can be found in our special guide: Stay away from toxic foods!

If you are wondering when the best time is to feed your dog, you can use your walking times as a guide. As a rule of thumb: Feed your dog only after the walk! After eating, the dog absolutely needs rest to avoid a life-threatening stomach twist.

How much food does a dog need? It is highly individual! An excited growing puppy, a pregnant dog, or an active working dog burn a lot of energy and need more food. A relaxed senior dog who spends the day on the sofa needs significantly less to avoid becoming overweight.

Dogs often demand larger portions of food if the current food contains too few nutrients and the body is deficient. In this case, urgently check the quality of the food!

The seemingly simple question “What do dogs eat?” is actually a fascinating, complex topic. A dog needs a perfectly balanced mixture of high-quality muscle meat, healthy fats, easily digestible carbohydrates, and vitamin-rich fruit and vegetables.

Watch your dog closely – you know them best! A shiny coat, normal-formed stools, and bursting with energy are the best indicators that your pet’s diet is perfect. We hope this guide gives you plenty of confidence for the next feeding.