Feeding your dog DRY DOG FOOD is animal abuse! Do you agree?

Melvin? Dat you?
St. Clair, Michigan
December 4, 2025 10:43am CST
This is just what I’ve heard around YouTube and by some vets, and a couple Carnivore Community members + doctors. They say dry dog food is full of stuff dogs don’t naturally eat, corn, wheat, fillers, etc. I don’t agree or disagree. I kinda think dry dog food would be good for their teeth. But catch this! I had 2 dogs, never had dogs before in my whole life. A Chow-Mix and a pretty hefty Chihuahua-Mix. Despite their differences, they were best friends. Both rescues, at different times. Had Michele first. Then Kevin joined in about 6 months later. Because I didn’t know much about having dogs as pets, I sorta just went with my instincts. I would wing it, as they say. I always had cats. Dogs were this new thing to me, and they both drifted into my life almost around the same time. I never gave them dog food. I just figured, Hmmm if I was a dog, what would I like to eat? Probably meat. Just meat. So I would cook meat for them every night. Steak, chicken, “ground beef surprise” all kinds of stuff. Or plain double cheeseburgers from McDonald’s without the bun. Kevin was obsessed with pork. He would NOT eat if there wasn’t one slice of chopped up Kowalski Polish ham on top of his beef or chicken. It had to be Kowalski brand. I was always standing in line for that Kowalski ham. Or if he’d find a ham bone my mom would throw outside way by the lake for the wildlife, sometimes he would find it and bring it inside. Gnawing away at it for hours. And you have the warnings like don’t let them chew on bones like that! They’ll get splinters! I just let him do it. I figured dogs could most likely catch wild hogs outside. And when they catch em and eat em, I doubt they’re worrying about splinters. Plus, good luck trying to get a ham bone away from Kev. He was a little whipper-snapper. That bone was his. The only treats I gave them were chicken strips (dehydrated chicken for dogs, like chicken jerky.) So I raised them both pure Carnivore. And that’s what dogs are. I got it right. And I didn’t even know what I was doing. They both lived long, happy, healthy lives. Boy, do I miss them. Even the nightly walks in the freeeezing cold. They insisted. I’m thinking about getting another dog soon (not here). I want him to be a combo of Michele and Kevin, all wrapped into one. I’m gonna name him Melvin. Michele + Kevin = Melvin (And yes, I do see my name mixed in there too.) Haha! I’m guessing this dog will look something like the one in the pic. A Chihuahua mixed with Chow Chow. When I see him, I’ll know it. No rush. No searchies. He will drift into my life the same way my other 2 Angels did. Do you have a dog or dogs? What do you feed him/her/them? Do you think dry dog food is badddd like some vets & docs are saying?
7 people like this
7 responses
@Plethos (13605)
• United States
16h
it depends on the dry dog food. some of it is total waste, akin to feeding a child doritos every day as thier main food source. when i had dogs and cats, id give them some wet packs or meat. im iffy on pork, it may be too salty for certain breeds. to me dry dog food is like having dry cereal. i also would mix in moist food. cats always got the water from my tuna cans, tuna canned in water only! the bones thing, i never gave either a bone that was already cooked, cooking rids the bone of the marrow and bone dexterity thy crave. cooked bones are dry and this is where splinters happen.
2 people like this
• St. Clair, Michigan
16h
It all sounds good to me. You know I’ve always liked the look of Gravy Train. How you can add water to it and it makes somewhat of a gravy. I’ve seen it at dollar stores. Thanks @Plethos you sound like a very responsible pet owner.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (107595)
• United States
18h
My vet told me (when I said I was going to change) to feed my dog dry dog food because it helped keep the dog’s teeth healthier. Small dogs especially, apparently, have a tendency to have bad teeth (mine never did until I adopted a dog already 5 years old with already bad teeth). So I have kept with the dry dog food, with an occasional wet probiotic treat. My dog is in good health, so I’ll keep on until the vet tells me differently. I think you did well by your dogs, and they sound great. I look forward to when you get another fur baby. Here is my current dog, a Chihuahua named Sadie.
1 person likes this
• St. Clair, Michigan
16h
She’s so cute Amber What a sweetie-pie. Add some brown to her and we’ve got Kevin’s sis. I think you’re absolutely right about the smaller dogs and teeth issues. My Kevy struggled with his teeth - when he got a lot older he would lose a tooth in the water bowl and come sit next to me.. just staring at me like, something happened. It was his teeth that actually took him in the end, his jaw. Vet had him under anesthesia to work on his teeth and said his jaw was just too messed up to even reconstruct. Said I could “syringe” feed him. Dogs hate that crap. I knew it was his time. If he couldn’t chew on the bones he’d find, or even eat on his own, what life was left. Thanks Amber I’m lovin’ that Sadie of yours Xx You are both so lucky
@moirai (2883)
• Philippines
13h
Hmm... well, as I remember, we started out putting the dog food in water and the dogs didn't like it. Then we tried just giving it to them dry, and they ate it. So therefore...
@RebeccasFarm (90860)
• Arvada, Colorado
14h
Hi lovely Mels..was raised with dogs.
@FourWalls (80700)
• United States
18h
I think the people who say that are usually trying to sell their dog food. It’s not “dry dog food is bad for you,” it’s more like “you buying a $10 bag of dry dog food instead of my $80 bag of ‘custom made’ dog food is bad for me.” Dogs have survived all this time on dry food, and it’s now just bad for them? I don’t think so.
1 person likes this
• St. Clair, Michigan
16h
I know what you mean @FourWalls They’ve been trying to push the “grain-free” dry dog food which of course is mega-expensive. You know what, I’m not even sure I could afford a dog right now. The prices of everything, especially meat. Can barely afford it for myself these days. Melvin will probably come to me at a more affordable time. Thanks
1 person likes this
• United States
13h
I grew up feeding dogs dry (and sometimes wet) dog food. Never knew what was in it.
@TheHorse (232718)
• Walnut Creek, California
15h
I do not agree.