Is fresh dog food better than kibble?

Fresh dog food is cooked, kept cold, and looks a lot like people food. Kibble is dry and made in big hot machines. Each side has fans. Here is what the studies really found, and what they did not.

What did studies find about fresh food and kibble?

Small studies found that dogs digest fresh food a bit better than kibble. Dogs on fresh food also made less poop. But the stools were not firmer or softer in a clear way. None of these studies looked at long life or long-term health. They tested only a few foods, for days or weeks, not years.

In one study, 12 dogs ate four foods, each for 28 days. One was kibble. The other three were fresh foods. Dogs on kibble made 1.5 to 2.9 times more poop than dogs on the fresh foods. The dogs had to eat more kibble to hold their weight. Stool scores did not change between foods.

A second study fed one kibble and four fresh foods to small groups of dogs for 10 days. Dogs on fresh chicken pooped about 1.2 times a day, and dogs on kibble about 1.7 times.

A third study used 10 beagles and gave each food for 35 days. Kibble again led to the most poop. But stools on fresh food were no firmer than on kibble. The gut germs changed with each food too. The authors said more work is needed to tell what made the change: the parts in the food, the cooking, or the mix of fat and protein.

Who paid for these studies?

All three studies were paid for by pet food makers, or done by people who work for them. That does not mean the results are wrong. It does mean you should read them with care. The studies were also small and short, and each tested only a few foods.

The first study was run at a big school, but it was paid for by a fresh food maker. In the second study, all five authors worked for, or held stock in, a fresh food maker. The third was paid for by a raw food maker. Each study tested only a few recipes. So the results may not hold for every fresh food or every kibble on the shelf.

Less poop is a real finding. It means more of the food was used by the body. But it is not the same as proof of better health.

Can both fresh food and kibble be complete and balanced?

Yes. The words “complete and balanced” are about what is in the food, not its form. A fresh food and a kibble can both earn them. A food earns them by meeting set nutrient levels or by passing a feeding test. Look for those words on any label.

The FDA says a “complete and balanced” food is meant to be the only thing your dog eats. To earn the words, a food must meet the nutrient lists from AAFCO, a group that writes model pet food rules in the US. Or it must pass a feeding test done the AAFCO way. AAFCO has one set of levels for growing, pregnant and nursing dogs, and one for adult dogs.

The full guide explains this: what complete and balanced means. To find the words on a bag or box, see how to read a dog food label.

What should you look at besides fresh or dry?

Vets who study food say to look past the form of the food. They ask who made the recipe, how it was checked, and if the maker shares its facts. These things matter for fresh food and kibble alike. Words like “premium” on the front tell you very little.

The WSAVA, a world group of pet vets, lists the questions to ask. Does the maker have a trained food expert on staff? Who wrote the recipe? Does the food say “complete”? How many calories are in each serving? Can you reach the maker by phone or email? The group says to be careful if a maker will not answer.

If you are also weighing canned food, see wet vs dry dog food. If your dog has a health problem, your vet is the best one to help pick a food.

You can check any label, fresh or dry, with Altie.