What Is the Best Food to Feed Your Dog or Cat?

 It Depends.

This is one of the most common questions I get: “What’s the best food to feed my dog?”

And every time someone asks it, I immediately have no less than ten questions I want to ask back.

Because here’s the truth no one loves to hear: there is no single “best” food. Every dog and every cat is different, just like every human is different.

Why “Best” Is a Loaded Question

I recently did a seminar with the Izzie Fund, and a former customer came up to me afterward and said, “I’m switching from Purina to Fromm. Is Fromm good?”

I said yes.

Then she asked, “But is it the best?”

That’s where things get tricky.

I didn’t have time in that moment to go deep, but the real answer is this: I can’t tell you what’s best until I know how your dog or cat does on it.  

Everyone will give you an opinion on brands. But opinions don’t mean much if the food doesn’t work for your animal.

Budget Matters (And I Won’t Shame You for It)

Another piece people don’t talk about enough is budget. Pet food can get expensive, fast. And I’ll say this clearly: I don’t shame anyone for not being able to afford a $150 bag of food.

Feeding your pet well doesn’t have to mean feeding the most expensive option on the shelf. There are ways to do better within every budget.

Understanding the Different Categories of Pet Food

Instead of obsessing over brands, I encourage people to understand food categories. This is where the real education starts.

Raw Food

Raw food is the closest to how dogs and cats would eat in the wild. In my opinion, it’s the best category of food to feed.

For raw, I love Raw Dynamic. Their sourcing and formulations are solid, and they make raw approachable for pet parents. I’ve talked about this in depth on my podcast, and it’s worth a listen if you want to learn more.

Freeze-Dried Food

Freeze-dried food is next on my list. It’s gone through only one process, and there’s no heat involved, which means very little nutrient loss.

It’s incredibly convenient, easy to travel with, and easy to feed. Freeze-dried has really evolved over the years, and Raw Dynamic is again a standout here.

Air-Dried Food

Air-dried food starts as raw and then goes through a very slow, low-temperature drying process. It ends up as small jerky-like pieces.

Ziwi Peak is a great example of a high-quality air-dried food.

Canned Food

Canned food ranks higher than many people expect because of one major factor: moisture. Moisture makes nutrients easier to absorb and food easier to digest for both dogs and cats.

Baked Kibble

Baked kibble is cooked at lower temperatures than traditional kibble. But it’s still processed.

Extruded Kibble

This is my least favorite category. Extruded kibble is cooked with high heat and steam pressure, which destroys nutrients and alters proteins.

That said, there are extruded kibble brands I support. If this is what fits your budget, the goal should be to minimize reliance on it by adding fresh food, canned food, freeze-dried, or raw when possible.

The Questions I Always Ask Pet Parents

Once you understand food categories, the next step is looking at the dog or cat in front of you.

I ask things like:

• How’s the skin and coat?

• How’s digestion?

• Weight okay?

• Any hot spots or ear infections?

• Paw licking or chewing?

• On any medications?

• Gassy?

• Discolored fur around the mouth or feet?

• What are they currently eating?

A lot of people say, “No issues at all.”

Then I dig a little deeper. “Well… they throw up once in a while.”

Let’s pause right there. If you threw up twice a month, would you consider that normal? Or would you think something’s going on?

I’ve had multiple customers tell me their vet said occasional vomiting is normal, especially for cats and hairballs. I disagree. Cats should be able to digest their food, not bring it back up.

When Budget Is Tight

If budget truly limits options, I’ll often suggest sticking with extruded kibble and supplementing smartly.

Believe it or not, healthy home-cooked scraps can help. I’m not talking about fast food leftovers or heavily seasoned meals. I’m talking about real food.

Scrape breakfast or dinner plates into a separate container for your dog. Think chicken, vegetables, potatoes. Avoid rice and grains when possible.

The Real Takeaway

The “best” food is the one your dog or cat thrives on. That means good digestion, healthy skin and coat, stable weight, and energy.

There’s no shortcut. There’s no universal answer. And that’s okay.

The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is paying attention and making thoughtful choices that work for your pet, your lifestyle, and your budget.

And that’s exactly where real nutrition starts.

For smart, engaging conversations about pet wellness, listen to the Toni Unleashed podcast on Apple and Spotify.