Despite the fact that dogs are commonly regarded as man's best friend, those who keep them as pets give nary a second thought to how they are fed. The common practice is to rely solely on mass-produced dry pellets or canned food, yet many brands are made without any consideration for the nutritional well-being of dogs. But if you truly care for your fuzzy companion, then you should take his health seriously and feed him natural dog food.

Yet with all due fairness, canned food and dry pellets are very convenient. Dry dog food can be left out for days in the feeding dish, which means there is no need to watch over the dog to ensure he finishes his meal. He or she can merely come and go at his stomach's urging. Canned food on the other hand, keeps fresh unopened and ensures a moist and tasty meal no matter how long they're been in the pantry.

With these points in mind, many would suggest that natural dog food is merely a trendy fad exercised by the same people who believe in organic produce and fair trade to alleviate their own hippie urges. However, many commercial dog foods contain components not suitable for consumption. These can include disgusting animal by-products and unhealthy corn gluten.

Worsening matters is the fact that many companies conceal this fact through false advertising and roundabout labelling techniques. Because the term "natural" is interpreted very liberally by food labelling regulations, it is actually possible to sell cow brains and processed intestines and still proclaim it as "natural dog food." As such, you should pay attention to which companies actually deal in authentic natural products.

One company that attempts to find a realistic place between health and convenience in making and selling natural dog food is Honest Kitchen. Their natural dog food products come in dehydrated form and are made from fresh natural ingredients such as organic grains, vegetables and real meat. Serving them merely requires adding warm water to rehydrate them into a full meal packed with nutrition.

Another company that specializes in natural dog food, albeit of another variety, is Merrick Dog Food. They deal in canned meals made of human-grade food free of antibiotics, animal by-products, hormones and preservatives. Some of their varieties include a juicy mixed meat combination of turkey, duck and chicken called Turducken and a high fiber chicken, potato and apple combo called Grammy's Pot Pie.