My dog is my best friend, and when I adopted him, I made a commitment to giving him the best of everything. That meant researching local vets, buying the right heartworm and flea preventatives, taking him on regular walks, and of course, choosing the best dog food for his breed and size. With such a wide variety of meal selections, deciding which would be the best dog food for my little buddy was probably the most difficult choice I had to make as a pet owner.

First, I had to consider things like raw diets, which are meant to imitate the way our dog’s wolf ancestors feed in the wild, wet food, dry food, or a combination of both. My great aunt used to cook for her dog on a daily basis, and her butcher liked to tease and say that her pup ate better than a lot of people. I would have loved to have followed in her footsteps, but I have heard mixed things about feeding dogs “people food,” and a raw diet can be very expensive to keep up with on a long term basis.

Because I have a small dog for whom urinary tract issues can be a problem, I decided to use both wet and dry food in his daily routines. The wet food helps to ensure that he will not become dehydrated and will keep his important internal organs like his bladder and kidneys functioning very well. It’s also much tastier, and I feel better seeing him eat dry food that has been mixed and moistened with wet. I’m a sucker for animals, and I feel a little sad for dogs that have to choke down plain, dry kibble!

Once I decided to combo-feed, I checked with the FDA to find out what sort of requirements they had for dog chow. I wanted to make sure that I was buying a brand that could be trusted, and I’d highly recommend that other pet owners do the same.

Fortunately, the research I did paid off, and my dog is happy, playful, and very healthy. By keeping up the positive routines we’ve established, he will hopefully be my favorite companion for many years to come!