by Americans have been looking to diets for health miracles and weight loss magic bullets since before the 1830s, trying everything from subsisting on grapes in the 1920s to various variations of high-fat, low-carb diets that they are very popular nowadays.
The global weight management market has been valued at a whopping $142.58 billion in 2022, according to Grand View Research. Still, another industry behemoth proves that consumers do not care only about their own diets: They want to feed their pets only the best. At $103.3 billion in 2023, the pet food industry is growing year over year as pets become more popular and more premium and customized options are available.
Diet and dog nutrition, in particular, have been increasingly in the American consciousness in recent years. Some dog owners have moved away from a kibble only diet a few decades ago and towards fresher, higher quality and more specific foods for their pups.
Dog fitness trends and fad diets, such as raw meat and veganism, have also become more popular – and sometimes even correspond to human fad diets. The overlap between human and canine diets is hardly surprising considering that Americans, generation after generation, are moving toward adopting pets rather than having children.
Like human fad diets, these dog-oriented diets are often based on inconclusive or shaky science and can be dangerous if not approached with all available information. To get the lowdown on the most popular long-term dog diets, Ollie explored the nutritional value of four major ones using information from the Food and Drug Administration and the American Animal Hospital Association.
raw food
In the early 2010s, there was growing interest in feeding dogs a raw food diet meant to mimic the diet wild dogs ate thousands of years ago. This dog fad diet came about when more and more people were exploring the paleo diet, which shows that eating “like our ancestors” – meaning only foods that could be hunted or collected, aligned with our genetics. The paleo diet has long fallen out of favor, but it’s still very popular: The global paleo foods market was estimated to be worth $12 billion in 2023, according to Global Industry Analysts.
Proponents of the raw food diet for dogs – which consists of whole raw or ground meat and bones, as well as raw fruit, veggies and eggs – say it can lead to higher energy levels, healthier coats and cleaner teeth. result, among other benefits. . Still, it can come with health risks for our four-legged friends as well.
Vets warn that a diet of only raw meat and vegetables can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies and that raw meat and eggs often carry food-borne illnesses. salmon, which is a threat to both animals and humans. The American Veterinary Medical Association has warned against feeding dogs a raw food diet and recommends pasteurizing or cooking these foods to reduce the risk of contamination.
Vegan
About 1% of American adults were vegan in 2023, according to a Gallup poll on eating preferences. Veganism peaked in 2018 at 3% of American adults, and vegetarianism peaked between 1999 and 2001 at 6%. Since cultural trends in human diet often make their way into the foods that people feed their pets, the discourse about vegan dog diets is becoming more visible in the media and within dog owner communities.
Commercially produced plant-based dog foods often include ingredients such as tofu, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and flaxseed oil, among other things. Although vegan dog diets have been controversial, with critics arguing that it is unethical not to feed dogs meat, the nutritional science regarding the health of vegan diets for dogs is inconclusive. While cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they get essential nutrients from eating meat, dogs are more omnivorous and, with a balanced and careful diet, can be fed non-meat based foods. If you try a vegan dog diet, veterinarians recommend monitoring your pet’s taurine, vitamin B12, and omega-3 levels to make sure they get the nutrients they need.
Free from hate
Grain-free pet foods have grown in popularity as more Americans adopt keto and paleo diets, which largely avoid grains and carbohydrates in favor of meat and vegetables. Grain-free dog food brands market the inclusion of grains as “fillers” with no nutritional value. Still, veterinarians and animal nutrition experts have since stated the nutritional value of grains for a well-balanced dog diet.
In 2018, the FDA investigated increased reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart disease that can be fatal for dogs. Many of these reports involved eating grain-free dog food. Insufficient taurine, a critical amino acid, appears to be part of the link between canine dilated cardiomyopathy and diet. Although there is no proven cause between grain-free dog foods and heart disease, experts have warned consumers to stick to popular and well-vetted dog food brands that contain grain and meat.
Home cooked
Amid concerns about tainted pet food in the 2000s, some pet owners decided to forego store-bought food altogether and cook for their furry companions instead. There is nothing wrong with making homemade meals for dogs, and there are two sides to the argument. There is no proof that homemade food is better than commercial products, but then feeding processed foods is also like “eating the same highly processed food for every meal, day after day, for years,” said Dr. Joe Bartge with the American Kennel Club. Vets recommend reading carefully about dog nutrition beforehand.
For one, some human foods make dogs sick – including onion and garlic, grapes, and avocados – so it’s best to steer clear of those ingredients. Additionally, getting the balance of nutrients right is key to keeping your dog healthy. If the food contains too much or too little of a certain vitamin or other nutrient, your dog could develop serious health problems. It is important to consult a board-certified veterinary nutritionist about making home-cooked dog food and avoid generic internet recipes that have not been developed by experts.
Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy edited by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.
This story originally appeared on Ollie and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
