When it comes to your canine companions, choosing the right food is one of the most important decisions you make as a pet parent. There are so many options that understanding optimal doggie nutrition can feel overwhelming. Understanding the basics can empower you to make informed decisions that suit your dog and boost their health and happiness. 

That’s where we come in. In this guide, we’ll explore your dog’s nutritional needs, explain the head-spinning terms, investigate your options, and teach you what to look for when choosing the best food for your pup. Welcome to dog nutrition 101—class is now in session! 

The Pillars Of Dog Nutrition

Choosing the right food for your dog starts with an understanding of canine nutrition. Dogs have lived alongside humans for centuries, so their dietary needs have evolved as we’ve tamed and bred them to be our ideal companions. Dogs are omnivores, which means they can digest meat and plant-based ingredients and derive important nutrients from both. 

Proteins and fats are the most important pillars of a dog’s diets, but carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals are also essential components. We break these requirements down further below. 

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates pet food production (who knew the same organization that approves vaccines, sunscreen and tobacco products is also keeping your dog healthy?). This ensures that pet food labels are truthful and that the food is safe, sanitary, and contains no harmful substances. In addition, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) provides guidelines to pet food regulation agencies, with many states basing pet food production regulations on this. These regulations and rules give you the safety and comfort in knowing that you’re feeding your best friend safe food that’s good for them. 

AAFCO has developed nutrient profiles for commercial pet food which give minimum and maximum requirements. All of Ollie’s food is formulated to meet these nutritional levels, to give you peace of mind. 

Here are the six basic nutrients that dogs require for a balanced diet: 

• Protein: AAFCO recommends a minimum of 18% protein on a dry matter basis for adult dogs who are maintaining their weight, and 22.5% protein for growing dogs.
• Fat: Adult dog food should have 5.5% fat on a dry matter basis, with 8.5% fat for the growth stage.
• Carbohydrates: AAFCO doesn’t provide minimum requirements.
• Vitamins: essential vitamins for dogs include A, B, E, B12, and a long list of others. 
• Minerals: crucial minerals include calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, and more. 
• Water: essential for all living beings, including your furry BFF! Dogs should consume around an ounce of water per pound of body weight daily, so a ten pound dog requires approximately 10 ounces of water. Bear in mind, though, that fresh food can contribute up to 85% of the daily water needs of healthy dogs. Water requirements also differ depending on your dog’s activity level, climate, and the kind of food they eat. 

Your dog can’t thrive without all of these essential elements, and the ingredients in their food make a huge difference in supporting and maximizing their health and longevity. 

What Makes A Dog Food Good?

Dogs are omnivores for a reason, and they need the essential minerals, vitamins, and fiber that they get from vegetables, fruits, and grains. These non-meat foods aren’t just fillers, but are crucial for your pup’s health and digestive system. Just because dogs can survive on processed kibble and cans of gloopy, anonymous-looking meat mixture, however, doesn’t mean that that’s the best thing for them, or that they enjoy it. The best dog food combines a balance of high-quality ingredients that provide your dog with everything they need to thrive. 

Ollie believes that your dog’s health and longevity begins with their food, just like for us humans. One of the brand’s advantages is their focus on using whole, human-grade ingredients, the kind you’d find in your own fridge. Unlike processed ingredients such as pulps and meals that have been ground down into small pieces and mixed with preservatives, Ollie uses nutritionally-rich ingredients such as organ meats, fresh fruits and vegetables as the building blocks of all of their recipes. They’re gently cooked in small batches to lock in nutrients and completely absent of artificial preservatives, fillers, and fake flavours. Your dog deserves a real meal, just the same as you do. The result? Happy dogs that lick their bowl clean, every time, and peace of mind for you. 

How To Choose The Right Dog Food

There’s a lot to consider when choosing dog food. Firstly, you should ensure they’re following the AAFCO standards we mention above (Ollie knocks this out of the park like your dog catching a tennis ball). This ensures your dog’s food contains all the nutrients they need to succeed. 

You should also consider your pup’s life stage. Are they a puppy still finding their feet, or an older, wiser hound who sometimes needs a hand making it up the stairs to go to bed? Your dog’s dietary needs change as they age, and you want to make sure they’re getting what they need. 

Size is also a key consideration. Different breeds have different nutritional priorities—a Great Dane is going to need more food than a Chihuahua, for instance. Health conditions also need to be prioritized. If your dog has allergies, sensitivities or specific dietary requirements, they’ll need food that fits that brief. 

We get that this can feel overwhelming. The key is to choose a dog food brand that does this hard research work for you, and that you trust. Ollie works with vet nutritionists to design its nutritionally-optimized meals that meet the highest AAFCO standards. Even better, they understand that dog food isn’t one size fits all. Your doggie friend is unique, and they deserve food that understands that. Ollie creates personalized meal plans that take into account your dog’s weight, activity level, spay/neuter status, and preferences to craft perfectly portioned and tailored meals. Plus, their canine care team makes sure that your dog’s eating the right amount of calories for their requirements, as every dog is different! So all you need to do is soak up your dog’s love as you feed them a meal that they adore that contains all the nutrition they need. 

Understanding Dog Food Ingredients

Let’s dive deeper into the components that keep your dog healthy. 

Protein

High-quality lean protein supports growing and maintaining healthy muscles, cartilage, tendons and ligaments, forming new skin cells, and growing hair and nails. Protein breaks down into amino acids, which provide energy and sustain life. There are 10 different essential amino acids that dogs need to stay healthy. These nutrients can’t be created in the body, so they must be supplied via diet. Animal protein sources have the highest amounts of these essential amino acids, and proteins that provide large portions of all the essential amino acids are considered to be high-quality. 

Dog-friendly proteins include: meats such as beef and lamb, poultry such as chicken and turkey, fish such as salmon, and plant-based sources such as soy. 

All of Ollie’s products contain only high-quality meat, poultry, and plant-based proteins, with no fillers, by-products, or artificial flavours. 

Carbohydrates

Simple and complex carbs provide dogs with energy from glucose that generate body heat and form the base for other nutrients, as well as maintaining the nervous system. They also provide essential dietary fiber for gut health. Living things crave glucose, and if it's not available from sources of carbohydrates then it will detract from bodily processes. There’s no official requirements for carbohydrate content in dog food, but dry dog foods typically contain around 30-60% carbohydrates. 

Dog-friendly carbohydrates include: grains such as corn, wheat, rice, barley, and oats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, legumes, chickpeas and complex and more fibrous forms of carbs such as carrots, wheat bran, beet pulp and dried chicory root.

Ollie’s dog food contains human-grade carbohydrates including sweet potato, oats, and butternut squash, with no added corn, wheat, or soy. These slow-burning carb sources are whole foods with plenty of fiber, and are packed with essential nutrients as well as providing energy via glucose. 

Fats

Fats are essential for energy, support cell and nerve function, reduce bodily inflammation, and support skin and joint health. Healthy fat sources provide crucial omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation from arthritis, cancers, burns, and kidney disease. Deficiencies in these polyunsaturated fatty acids can create dry, dull hair and coat, and increase the risk of certain skin diseases. It also helps with the absorption of certain vitamins which are only soluble through fat. 

Dog-friendly fat sources include: beef and chicken fat, fish oils, flaxseed, and corn and canola oil.

Ollie provides these essential fats by utilizing high-quality ingredients such as salmon oil and  beef and chicken meat and livers. Nutrient-dense and balanced, you can trust that Ollie’s considered, natural recipes are great for your dog and that you’re providing them with everything they need to thrive and enjoy a shiny coat and skin, and stay bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. 

Vitamins And Minerals: Ollie-Approved Additions That Are Great For Your Dog

Vitamins and minerals are essential for dog health, supporting organ function and your doggie’s eyes, skin, heart, bones, immune system, nervous system, digestive system, and thyroid. They balance your pup’s bodily fluids and pH levels, support muscles and electrolytes, and are involved in hormone and enzyme systems. Without these crucial nutrients and minerals, many biological systems would stop functioning. In short, dogs can’t live without minerals and vitamins! 

Ollie takes care of balancing the vitamin and mineral levels in their recipes, ensuring your dog gets everything they need. 

Which Vitamins Do Dogs Need?

Which Minerals Do Dogs Need?

Conclusion

It may seem like a long list of requirements to make sure your dog stays healthy, but Ollie has your back. Each of their recipes is packed with protein, grains, vegetables, and fruit that are carefully chosen for their nutrient content and balance, and are then portioned perfectly to deliver the correct amount of calories and nutrients. Ollie’s food delivers visible results, resulting in happy, energetic dogs with great digestion and shiny coats.