Fruits & veggies in dog food

[sugarlipz]

Okay, I am trying my best to figure out the analysis of the different dry dog foods at dogfoodanalysis.com, however I have a question:

How important are the inclusion of fruits & veggies in dry dog food? I was interested in the Canidae All Life Stages food, however there are no fruits & veggies.

Can anyone help me understand whether a dog's diet should or should not include fruits & veggies?

Thanks!

 

[gmacleod]

I don't think they're absolutely essential in dog food. But I do think they're a lot more desirable than grains - so when it's a choice between two foods that are otherwise equal (important point) but one has 2 grains and a vegetable, and the other has 3 grains - I'd take the former.

Canidae is a pretty good food and I wouldn't let the absence of fruits/vegetables put you off. It is, after all, perfectly possible to give your dog small amounts of fruit as treats (most quite enjoy them, and they're a healthy alternative to many commercial treats). The only caveat to that is that there are a few things toxic to dogs that shouldn't be given (grapes, raisins, avocado, the pits of most fruits - and in vegetables, onions. You could check the aspca.org site for a full listing of common foods to avoid).