What is the best dry dog food

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Find out what pet brands put in dry dog food

When it comes to feeding our dogs, most of us just want one thing: to know we're doing the best we can. The truth is, the majority of dog owners in the UK aren't sure what's really in their dog's food or how it's made.

According to UK Pet Food, 72% of dog owners say they feel unsure how their dog food is produced or what ingredients it really contains. You only have to look at a pet food ingredients list to understand why they feel this way.

Roughly 95% of dry dog food in the UK is made using the extrusion method (source: All About Dog Food). This involves taking the raw ingredients and pre-cooking through under steam and pressure to create a dough-like mixture.

Then, that dough is forced through an extruder (a large industrial machine that uses extreme heat - often above 120-180°C) and pressure to shape it into uniform pellets.

Finally, the pieces are baked or dried again to remove moisture and later covered in flavourings to make them more palatable (source: Fediaf - europeanpetfood.org). Each step exposes the food to heat, friction and oxidation - which can destroy delicate vitamins, damage healthy fats and reduce digestibility.

Even if you check the label, it's often hard to tell what you're actually buying. 61% of UK pet owners say they find ingredient lists difficult to interpret (source: Intel, Pet Food - UK).

That's partly because brands use vague terms like "meat and animal derivatives" or "cereals", which can refer to a wide range of ingredients of varying quality (source: UK Pet Food).

Without transparency about both ingredients and production methods, it's almost impossible to know whether your dog's food is genuinely nutritious or simply highly processed.

More and more owners are becoming aware of the lack of transparency. 47% of UK dog owners say they are concerned about overly processed pet foods, and 43% are actively seeking more natural alternatives (sources: Mintel, PFMA Pet Food Data Report).

That demand for honesty, simplicity and better dog nutrition is what inspired WILD Pet Food - a brand built on transparency and gentle processing from day one.

WILD Pet Food takes a different approach to other dry food brands. Instead of multiple rounds of high-heat cooking, WILD is cold-pressed at low temperatures - typically around 45°C - to protect natural nutrients and preserve flavour. Cold-pressing gently compressed dehydrated ingredients together without extrusion.

This means vitamins, minerals and healthy fats remain intact, and the food retains more of its natural aroma and digestibility.

For dog owners who love the benefits of raw feeding but want the ease of dry food, cold-pressed nutrition offers the best of both worlds.

WILD doesn't hide behind vague claims or technical jargon. Every ingredient is listed clearly and all are weighed after dehydration, ensuring what you see on the label reflects what's truly in your dog's bowl.

There are no fillers, no artificial additives and no misleading ingredient terms - just honest, natural food. It's why over 64% of WILD customers say they chose WILD for its natural ingredients (source: WILD post-purchase survey).

As more dog owners start asking tough questions about what goes into their pet's food - and how it's made - the industry will need to catch up. Transparency and gentle processing aren't just trends; they're the foundation of better pet health. WILD Pet Food is leading that change showing that truly nutritious dog food doesn't need to be complicated, just honest.

If you want to try it for yourself today, please use our promo code PETPOINTS15 to get 15% discount on Wild Pet Food (saving on first order).

This blog was written with help from our friends at Wild Pet Food.