Good food is wise medicine

Quoted  from Alison Levitt M.D., Doctor in the Kitchen.
There are as many ways to feed your pet as there are pets to feed and people who feed them.  There is no right way to feed cat or dog, but there are some things that can be done wrong.
The most common mistake that can be made is to over feed your pet.  Obesity is growing problem for people as well as their pets.  The easiest way to fix this is to use a measuring cup when feeding.  This also makes it easier to adjust how much you feed or tell if there is a problem.  I'll write about pet obesity in depth in a coming blog.
There are many different options for feeding your pet- just walk down the pet food aisle in your local grocery store.  While not all the foods are created equal, any food for sale in a store meets the minimum requirements set forward by AAFCO and the FDA.  AAFCO is the organization that sets safety and nutritional standards for pet feeds.  So that means that all the retail dog and cats foods should meet an average pets basic nutrient requirements.
There are many new trends in pet foods.  One trend is grain free.  Grain free is nice for pets that have food allergies, but is not necessary for all animals (including cats). 
Another trend is the BARF diet.  BARF stands for bones and raw foods.  This is a very controversial diet for a number of reasons.  One primary reason is because if raw foods are not handled very carefully both people and pets have the potential to get sick.  Pets can get Salmonella or E. coli just like a human can.  The potential risk for human infection is not just from handling the food during preparation, but also from the food bowls and even the pet's feces.  Another reason why this is a controversial diet is it is very easy to feed it wrong.  Many people think that raw food just means throwing a raw steak to their dog, but without many other foods this is a very incomplete diet.  If bones are being included, they need to be ground up or the nutrients aren't available to be absorbed and whole bones can cause health risks.
There are also many prescription foods on the market that are designed to treat specific diseases and if these are recommended it's usually best to feed them because like the quote at the top states the right food can make a difference in the long run.
So I guess what I'm trying to say today is think carefully when you choose how you are going to feed your pet.  And there is no right answer to the question "Is this the best food I can feed?"  But your vet can help you with the answer to "Is there a better way to feed my pet?"