Americans have been searching for health and weight loss miracles since the 1830s. They’ve tried everything from eating nothing but grapes in the 1920s to variations on high-fat, low-carb diets that are still popular today.
According to Grand View Research, the global weight management market is valued at a staggering $142.58 billion in 2022. Yet another industry giant is proving that consumers don’t just care about their own diets—they want to feed their pets only the best. Expected to grow to $103.3 billion in 2023, the pet food industry is growing year over year as pets become more popular and more premium and customized options become available.
Dog diet and nutrition in particular have become increasingly important in the American consciousness in recent years. Some dog owners have moved away from the kibble-only diets of just a few decades ago and have switched to fresher, higher quality, more specific foods for their pups.
Dog welfare trends and fad diets, such as raw meat and veganism, have also become more popular—and sometimes even overlap with human fad diets. Overlaps between human and canine diets are hardly surprising, given that Americans have tended to adopt pets rather than have children for generations.
Like human fad diets, these diets aimed at dogs are often based on inconclusive or shaky science and can be dangerous if not implemented with all the available information. To identify the most popular fad diets for dogs, Ollie examined the nutritional content of four major diets using information from the Food and Drug Administration and the American Animal Hospital Association.
Raw food
In the early 2010s, there was a surge in interest in feeding dogs a raw food diet, intended to mimic the diet that wild dogs ate thousands of years ago. This canine diet came about as more people began exploring the paleo diet, which posits that eating “like our ancestors” – meaning only foods that appear to have been hunted or gathered – is consistent with our genes. The paleo diet has long been debunked , but it remains popular: The global paleo food market is estimated to be worth $12 billion by 2023, according to Global Industry Analysts.
Proponents of the raw dog diet, which consists of ground or whole raw meats and bones, as well as raw fruits, vegetables and eggs, say it can lead to higher energy levels, healthier coats and cleaner teeth, among other benefits. However, it can also pose health risks for our four-legged friends.
Veterinarians warn that a diet of only raw meat and vegetables can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies and that raw meat and eggs often carry foodborne illnesses such as salmonthat pose a threat to both animals and humans. The American Veterinary Medical Association has warned against feeding raw foods to dogs and suggests pasteurizing or cooking these foods to reduce the risk of contamination.
Vegan
About 1% of U.S. adults will be vegan in 2023, according to a Gallup poll on dietary preferences. Veganism peaked in 2018 at 3% of U.S. adults, while vegetarianism was highest between 1999 and 2001 at 6%. Because trends in human diet culture often find their way into the foods people feed their pets, the discourse around vegan dog diets has become increasingly visible in the media and within dog-owning communities.
Plant-based, commercially produced dog foods often include ingredients like tofu, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and flaxseed oil, among other things. While vegan dog diets have been a source of controversy, with critics arguing that it is unethical to deprive dogs of meat, the nutritional science surrounding the healthiness of vegan diets for dogs is inconclusive. While cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they obtain essential nutrients from eating meat, dogs are more omnivorous and can be sustained by non-meat foods with a carefully balanced diet. If you are attempting a vegan dog diet, veterinarians advise monitoring your pet’s taurine, vitamin B12, and omega-3 levels to ensure they are getting the nutrients they need.
Grain free
Grain-free pet foods gained popularity as more Americans embraced keto and paleo diets, which largely eschew grains and carbs in favor of meat and vegetables. Grain-free dog food brands marketed the addition of grains as nutritionally worthless “fillers.” However, veterinarians and pet nutrition experts have since touted the nutritional value of grains for a balanced canine diet.
In 2018, the FDA investigated increased reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that can be fatal in dogs. Many of the reports were linked to the consumption of grain-free dog food. Part of the link between canine dilated cardiomyopathy and diet appears to be a deficiency in taurine, an essential amino acid. While there is no proven causality between grain-free dog food and heart disease, experts have warned consumers to stick with popular, well-monitored dog food brands that contain grains and meat.
Homemade
Amid concerns about contaminated pet food in the 2000s, some pet owners decided to cut out processed food altogether and instead cook for their furry companions. There’s nothing wrong with making homemade meals for dogs, and there are two sides to the argument. There’s no evidence that homemade food is better than commercial products, but feeding processed food is also akin to “eating the same highly processed food for every meal, day in and day out, for years,” Dr. Joe Bartge told the American Kennel Club. Veterinarians advise doing your research on dog nutrition ahead of time.
First, several human foods make dogs sick, including onions and garlic, grapes, and avocados, so it’s best to avoid those ingredients. Additionally, finding the right balance of nutrients is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Too much or too little of a particular vitamin or other nutrient in your dog’s food can cause serious health problems. It’s important to consult a certified veterinary nutritionist about making homemade dog food and to avoid generic internet recipes that may not have been developed by experts.
Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.
This story originally appeared on Ollie and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.