Organic Dry Food for Dogs

More pet owners are searching for organic dry food to provide their dogs with quality nutrients without chemicals. Several pet food companies have met the demand by providing high quality ingredients for dogs.

Finding Organic Food

Finding organic food isn't as simple as finding commercial pet food, because not every pet store carries high quality kibble. Organic food can't contain any synthetic chemicals, which many commercial foods utilize to preserve their food.

For a dog food to be labeled "organic," it must contain 95 percent organic ingredients. If it says, "Made with organic ingredients," it must contain 70 percent organic ingredients. If every product contained in the food is completely organic, the label will say, "100 percent organic ingredients."

Many foods also claim to be made with "human-grade" ingredients. However, there is no standard for what this means, so any company can use this claim. Be careful when using this label as your guideline. The only food legally allowed to use this designation is Honest Kitchen, which went to court to prove that all of its ingredients are in fact human-grade.

Organic standards are enforced by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), but they are not as strictly regulated as human organic labels are, so companies can break the rules without getting caught. Read consumer reports to determine which organic products contain the best ingredients.

Commercial Organic Dry Food

Several commercial brands provide organic options. These organic brands are more expensive, but they provide high quality nutrients so your dog won't need to eat as much as he would when eating a low quality food brand. This is not an all-inclusive list, just some highly rated brands that provide organic options.

• Natura, which produces Innova, also provides Karma organic dog food. It's made from free-range organic chicken, organic grains such as rice, oats, barley and rye, and organic fruits and vegetables such as carrots, beets, broccoli and cranberries. The bags are also eco-friendly, made with compostable and biodegradable material.
• Newman's Own provides all organic pet foods, providing several varieties of organic wet food, dry food and treats for both dogs and cats. These contain natural chicken, kelp, barley, soy meal, brown rice, peas, oats, carrots and parsley, and contain no fertilizers, steroids or artificial flavoring.
• Natural Balance provides an organic option, which consists of natural chicken, oats, millet, barley, potatoes, peas, carrots, spinach, cranberry, tomato and parsley, all from organic sources.
• Castor and Pollux provides an organic dog food made from organic chicken, brown rice, barley, peas, carrots and apples. Castor and Pollux are also responsible for Organix pet food, which consists of organic turkey, chicken liver, potatoes, carrots and garlic. They also have a puppy formula, which is rare.

Though more expensive, there are benefits to feeding organic dry food. Dogs aren't designed to remove the toxins used in producing many commercial dog foods. This can lead to liver and kidney damage, as well as increased risk of certain types of cancer. Feeding a high quality diet can reduce these risks by providing high level ingredients.