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Choosing puppy food: Is grain-free or organic best for my dog?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | unneutered | 5 months and 26 days old | 10.2 lbs

Is Whole Grain Corn, sorghum, Wheat, & Pork good for a dog. I've heard that Grain free is healthier than Grain food. And can I have a listen of puppy food I should buy that's organic.

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3 Answers

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Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on August 31st, 2017

Hi, while there are many opinions on which dog food is best, the general consensus is that any food that lists meat as the first ingredient is a decent food. Corn is just filler and is not harmful to a dog unless he has allergies or a sensitive stomach. Your food should not be a large percentage of corn. Grain free food is very popular as some dogs can be sensitive to grain. There is no easy answer as to what is the best dog food out there, it is what works for your particular dog. The most expensive food is not necessarily needed. The organic and holistic foods are aimed at people thinking that dogs have the same nutritional needs, in my opinion. I would chose a high quality food with meat listed as the first ingredient, a low percentage of filler like corn, and no extra additives like colors or dyes. If you choose a high quality food like those purchased at a pet store and your dog seems to be tolerating it well, stick with that food. If he has diarrhea or skin problems, he may need a different type of meat or grain free. Science diet has been around for a long time and is a very reputable brand for vets and pet owners. But ultimately, it is your choice. You are Prince's caregiver and have to decide what is best for him, which is a mostly meat, low additive food regardless of the brand. Puppy food should be fed until he is 1 year old then feed adult food of the same brand. If you are looking for organic food, Newman's own makes an organic food, as well as Trader Joe's, Spot's choice, Wellness, etc. I would google a list of organic foods and compare their ingredients. Dogs do not need organic food, this is more of a preference of their owners, like if you eat only organic food and want your dog to do the same. Most dogs are very tolerant of most types of foods and as long as introduced to a new brand slowly, should do just fine. Good luck with your puppy and I hope this helps you decide on a dog food for him!

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on November 30th, 2017

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You have probably noticed the very large variety of diets available in the market. I personally prefer the Purina Pro Plan and Hill's diets as they are palatable and also good in terms of ingredients. Both of these companies have their own puppy diets. There is currently no strong scientific evidence that grains are harmful and should be avoided so I do not really pay attention to that. Good luck!

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    Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 9th, 2017

    I would recommend Purina Pro Plan, Hills Science Diet, or Eukanuba diets. The reason is that they all do good testing of products and have veterinarians on staff making sure the food is nutritionally balanced. There are many "boutique" food available these days that look great, but aren't ideally formulated or researched. If Sullivan is an usually active dog (hunts, does competitive agility/fly ball etc, or is a police dog), there are variations of these food for more active dogs. I do not recommend a grain free diet. This is really just a fad born out of increased awareness of gluten-free diets and celiac in people. 99.999% of the time, when dogs have food allergies it is related to an animal protein. The grain free diets are actually more likely to give dogs intestinal issues because they tend to be higher in fat. I hope you find a diet that Sullivan likes and that fits your budget!

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