Dog Food Comparisons: Organic vs All Natural

Which is better: organic dog food or all natural? Dog food comparisons can show what is different between the two types of dog food, but only your dog can determine which is best for them.

However, comparing organic and all natural dog foods is technically like comparing apples to oranges. When people think ‘all natural’, they automatically think ‘organic’ as well. But the terms are not interchangeable as far as dog food is concerned.

All natural dog food is the way in which the ingredients are processed. Natural means no artificial or chemical preservatives, like BHA, BHT, or Ethoxyquin. Natural preservatives, such as Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and Vitamin E (tocopherols) are commonly used in natural dog food. All natural dog food also contains no artificial flavorings or colorings. Chemical additives are a common source of food intolerance and allergies in dogs.

Organic tells the way in which the food is grown or raised. For plants, that means no chemical pesticides or fertilizers. For animals, it means no antibiotics or growth hormones as well as being raised free-range (not stuck in ‘housing’, but the ability to roam the land.) Now, most organic dog foods will also be all natural (after all, if you’re going to that much trouble to be organic, then why add chemicals during the processing), but being categorized ‘organic’ tells nothing about how the food is processed, only grown.

So making dog food comparisons between organic or all natural dog foods doesn’t really do anyone any good. Is it better to have pesticides in the food or chemical preservatives? What’s more harmful to your dog, growth hormones or artificial colorings? Although the best dog food will not contain any of these – thereby being both organic AND all natural – it will also be more expensive, as the growing and processing of the ingredients is more expensive.

Only you can determine which is needed for your pet. If money is not a problem, then I would just switch to an organic and all natural dog food. If the cost of dog food is an issue and your dog has allergies or health problems, I’d probably start with all natural dog food for a couple of months and see if conditions improve. Then I’d work my way up to organic if needed.