The Pet Food Hierarchy

Posted on 28 August 2025
By Dr. Jill Tack
Posted in best diet for cats, best diet for dogs, best pet food, canned, dehydrated, freeze dried, grain-free, healthiest diet, home cooked, pet food hierarchy, raw, regular pet food, worst diet, worst pet food
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Discover the pet food hierarchy from best to worst: raw, freeze-dried, home-cooked, canned, grain-free, and grocery kibble. Learn what your pet really needs.

With so many pet food options out there, from canned to raw, kibble to home-cooked, it’s no wonder pet parents feel overwhelmed. Which option is actually good for your dog or cat? What’s just clever marketing?

At The Pet Beastro, we believe food is medicine, and that pets thrive on biologically appropriate, species-specific diets. To make your decision easier, we’ve created a pet food hierarchy that ranks feeding methods from best to worst, based on nutrition quality, digestibility, and real-world results.

Let’s break it down.

1. Raw Food: The Gold Standard of Pet Nutrition

Raw feeding is the closest you can get to a pet’s natural, ancestral diet.

When done right, raw food provides:

Bioavailable nutrients
Live enzymes for digestion
Unprocessed vitamins and minerals
Better stool quality, fewer allergies, shinier coats

Raw diets are free from fillers, artificial additives, and synthetic preservatives found in many commercial foods. Dogs and cats are designed to digest raw meat, bones, and organs, not corn, soy, or meat by-products.

Results you’ll notice:

Less itching and scratching
Smaller, firmer stools
More energy
Reduced inflammation

If you're ready to go raw, our team can help you build a safe, balanced plan with trusted brands.

2. Freeze-Dried or Dehydrated: Convenient, Nutrient-Rich Options

Not ready for full raw? Freeze-dried or dehydrated foods are your next-best bet.

These options:

Start with raw food
They are gently preserved to maintain nutrients
Have long shelf lives without preservatives
They are easy to store, travel with, and serve

Freeze-dried food retains the color, flavor, aroma, and nutrients of raw food, making it a great option for busy pet parents or as a topper to enhance kibble meals.

3. Home-Cooked Meals (With Proper Supplementation)

We love the intention behind home cooking, but it has to be done right. Pets need specific vitamins and minerals that aren’t naturally present in a meat-veggie-rice bowl.

If you’re home-cooking your pet’s meals, you must include a complete vitamin and mineral pack.

Without proper balancing, home-cooked meals can create nutritional deficiencies, even if the ingredients seem high-quality.

Pro tip: Use veterinary-approved supplements to ensure complete nutrition. We can help guide you.

4. High-Quality Canned Food

Canned food can be a good option, but not all cans are created equal.

What to look for:

A named meat (like turkey, beef, rabbit) as the first ingredient
No artificial colors or preservatives
No by-products or meat meals
BPA-free cans, if possible

Look for grain-free, low-carb formulas with as few fillers as possible. Canned food is often higher in moisture, which is great for cats and dogs who don’t drink enough water.

5. Grain-Free Kibble (With Caution)

Grain-free sounds like a good option, and in many cases, it’s better than traditional kibble, but it’s not automatically healthy.

Here’s what to watch out for:

Legumes and starches (like peas, lentils, or potatoes) used as fillers
Synthetic vitamins and preservatives
Unnamed meat meals or fats
Low moisture content

Dogs and cats are carnivores. Carbohydrates are not a necessary energy source for them. Look for kibble with minimal ingredients, named proteins, and no artificial additives.

6. Conventional Grocery Store Kibble: The Bottom of the Bowl

Unfortunately, most commercial pet foods, especially budget kibble, are made with:

Corn, wheat, or soy as fillers
Animal by-products
Artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors
Low-quality protein sources

These foods may appear affordable up front, but they often lead to digestive issues, allergies, poor coat health, chronic inflammation, and higher vet bills over time.

We do not recommend these foods under any circumstances unless it’s an emergency.

Choose What Helps Your Pet Thrive

Even if you can’t switch to raw today, you can still upgrade your pet’s nutrition. Start with a fresh topper. Switch to a single-ingredient treat. Replace just one meal a day. E very small step toward better nutrition matters.

At The Pet Beastro, we help pet parents:

Understand ingredients and food labels
Choose better brands based on your pet’s needs
Build custom nutrition plans for puppies, seniors, picky eaters, and more

We only carry products we trust, and we’d feed every single one to our own pets.

Visit The Pet Beastro for Trusted, Holistic Nutrition

Whether you’re feeding raw, upgrading from kibble, or just starting your journey into fresh food, we’re here to help. Visit us in Madison Heights, MI or shop online for handpicked, species-appropriate foods and supplements that support your pet’s long-term wellness.

Need help choosing? Ask our team for personalized guidance.