How to Choose the Best Food for Your Cat or Dog

• Posted on 7 August 2025
• By Dr. Jill Tack, Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor
• Posted in cat food, cat nutrition, dog food, dog nutrition, pet food, pet nutrition
• 0

Not all pet foods are created equal. Learn how to choose the healthiest food for your cat or dog with expert guidance from The Pet Beastro.

Walk down any pet food aisle, and you’ll see it, row after row of colorful bags and cans all claiming to be “natural,” “premium,” or “balanced.” But here’s the truth:

Not all pet foods are created equal. Not even close.

That’s exactly why The Pet Beastro exists: to help you cut through the marketing noise and choose food that truly supports your pet’s health.

Whether you’re feeding a playful puppy, a senior cat, or a picky eater with allergies, we’re here to guide you toward food that works, and away from the stuff that doesn’t.

Why Raw Food Is Our Top Recommendation

We always start with this: If you can feed raw, do it.

Raw food is what nature intended. It mimics the ancestral diet that dogs and cats evolved to eat, consisting of raw meat, bones, and organs, rich in moisture and bioavailable nutrients.

Benefits of feeding raw:

• Supports optimal digestion

• Helps reduce chronic inflammation and allergies

• Improves skin, coat, and energy

• Smaller, firmer stools (a fan favorite)

• No fillers, by-products, or synthetic additives

When pets get what their bodies are designed for, they thrive. We’ve seen it firsthand: shiny coats, better behavior, fewer vet visits. It’s the gold standard for a reason.

Not Ready for Raw? Freeze-Dried and Dehydrated Are Great Next Steps

If a fully raw diet isn’t doable for your household, freeze-dried or dehydrated food is the next best thing. These options offer many of the same benefits of raw, in a shelf-stable, scoop-and-serve format.

Why we love them:

• Made from real meat and whole foods

• Retain nutrients without high heat or heavy processing

• Easy to store and feed

• Great for travel, picky eaters, or as a raw starter

You can feed freeze-dried meals on their own, use them as a topper, or add warm water to rehydrate into a meal that looks, smells, and tastes like food should.

So... Are All Pet Foods the Same?

Definitely not.

While some foods are designed with your pet’s long-term health in mind, many commercial diets are made to be cheap and convenient, for manufacturers, not your pet.

Here’s what we avoid:

• Corn, wheat, or soy (common allergens and fillers)

• Animal by-products or unnamed meat meals

• Artificial colors, preservatives, or synthetic vitamins

• Misleading terms like “natural” with no objective standards

These ingredients can lead to chronic health issues over time, including poor digestion, skin problems, weight gain, and low energy.

At The Pet Beastro, we handpick every brand we carry. If we wouldn’t feed it to our own pets, it doesn’t make it on the shelf.

Want a Simple Breakdown? Use Our Pet Food Hierarchy

Choosing the best food doesn’t have to be complicated. We created a Pet Food Hierarchy to show you the order of food types from best to worst:

1. Raw

2. Freeze-dried or dehydrated

3. Balanced home-cooked (with supplementation)

4. High-quality canned

5. Grain-free kibble (check the ingredients)

6. Conventional kibble (avoid when possible)

The bottom line: Every minor upgrade makes a big difference. Even adding 10% fresh food to your pet’s current meals can improve their health.

Need Personalized Help?

Feeding better doesn’t have to be confusing. If you’re unsure where to start, let us help you find a diet that fits your pet’s needs, and your lifestyle.

We offer nutrition consults, both in-store and virtually, so you can ask questions, get clarity, and build a plan you feel confident in.

Visit us in Madison Heights, MI or shop online for curated raw, fresh, and natural pet food. Your pet deserves it, and you deserve peace of mind.