Holistic dog food, kibble, or canned food, Which is better for my dog? This is a debate that has been going on for several years now. And it's easy for the dog owner to be confused by the conflicting claims of various dog food manufacturers. There are dog foods to promote coat growth. Some claim to support bone health, and the list just goes on and on. The good news is that this dog good is still the easiest and option for feeding your dog. But is it the best?

As the popularity of holistic dog foods grow, more and more pet stores and specialty organic food retailers are now producing their own holistic dog food, often using all organic ingredients. These are foods that could be fit for human consumption. They use fresh ingredients and on the surface look like a great alternative to manufactured dog foods, but the nutritional value of feeding your dog this food is being hotly debated.

Many independent veterinarians feel that holistic dog food is something that can be nutritious to an animal when fed in controlled quantities, but overfeeding could result in an overexposure to certain quantities of vitamins, with side effects that are similar to human overexposure to vitamins like Vitamin A and B12. These side effects are lethal to enough to humans, but can be fatal to dogs.

Pet food manufacturers and their nutritional experts argue that these organic dog foods are a risky measure to take to feed an animal largely because the controls on these vitamins and other inputs like fats and calories aren't there. Pet food manufacturers argue that their blends are made to be fed to an animal in prescribed quantities safely with no side effects, and that the same can't be said about organic foods.

Finally, pet food manufacturers and their nutritional experts argue that because holistic dog foods don't use the same controls as the larger manufacturers, they can't guarantee the quality of their ingredients, which can cause health problems for the dog. The major manufacturers say that their own controls are stringent enough to ensure that they are producing a safe product.

This argument has come under fire following the mass of dog food recalls that involved hundreds of major brands on the market. These recalls occurred despite their touted controls. In fact, it was poor quality control that let tainted ingredients enter the production of the pet food. Dozens of cats and dogs died, because of the contamination. This recall has caused many pet owners to embrace holistic dog foods.

Bottom line, no pet has died as a result of eating holistic dog food in the United States in recent years. And studies are showing that holistic dog foods do have a nutritional value that promotes animal health. Not only that, there are controls on the production of the food. USDA guidelines for animal feed must be followed, and the food has to be tested by a nutritional expert to prove that the food is safe for eating.

Ultimately, the consumer needs to be aware of the nutritional content of the foods that they feed their dog, and how safe that food is. Organic foods are still proven to be the safest alternative on the market for dogs to eat, although bagged kibble is still fairly safe to feed a pet. The consumer needs to use their discretion, and possibly the advice of a veterinarian or animal nutritionist, in choosing food for their dog.