I used to feed my dogs kibble, even my cats back in the days. I didn’t see anything wrong with it. It was just what everyone did. It was convenient, cheap, and came in perfectly branded bags promising complete nutrition. But then I started to dig deeper, mostly out of frustration with ongoing health issues in one of my dogs. When I found out about what’s actually in kibble – and why – completely changed how I feed my dogs and think about the kibble industry.

The truth about carbs and fillers in kibble

What really shocked me was how much of kibble is made up of carbs. Not just a little bit, sometimes 30 – 60% or more. And guess what: dogs don’t actually need carbs to survive. They can use them for energy, but they’re not essential. So why are they in there? If you want the simple answer – because carbs are cheap.

Ingredients like corn, wheat, soy, rice, potato, or pea starch are used to bulk out the food and help hold the kibble together during the extrusion process (that high-heat method used to form those dry little nuggets). They’re not in there for your dog’s benefit, they’re there to make the food easier and cheaper to produce.

And fillers? That term gets thrown around a lot, but in short, it refers to ingredients that offer little to no nutritional value for dogs. Think beet pulp, powdered cellulose (yep, basically wood pulp), or cheap by-products. These things take up space in the bag but don’t do much for your dog’s body.

What made me finally switch

One of my dogs had chronic itchy paws, constant gut issues, and was never fully thriving on dry food – no matter the brand. I tried the “premium” ones, the cheap ones, the grain-free ones… and still nothing really changed. That’s when I started researching harder and stumbled into the world of raw feeding.

At first, I was overwhelmed. It sounded complicated and risky. But when I started reading actual case studies, blogs, raw feeding groups, and started following holistic vets, I saw a pattern: dogs were doing better on fresh, species-appropriate food.

So I gave it a go. First a transition with home cooked and wet food, then a gradual intro to raw. Within a few weeks, I saw small changes – more energy, better poop (yes, I’m one of those people who checks daily), shinier coats.

Why I can’t unsee it now

Now that I know what’s in kibble (I read ingredient lists literally everywhere), I cringe a little when I hear someone feed their super active dog – like a spaniel or a collie – just dry food. Especially the cheap stuff. I don’t judge because I used to do the same. I didn’t know better.

But now I do.

And it feels unfair that we’ve been so heavily marketed to with the idea that kibble is complete and balanced and scientifically perfect. When, really, it’s convenient for humans and cost-effective for manufacturers, but not necessarily what our dogs truly need to thrive.

I’m not a vet or nutritionist – Just a dog owner who cares

This isn’t a professional opinion, and I’m not here to tell anyone what to do. I’m just sharing what I’ve learned, what I’ve tried, and what’s worked for us.

If your dog is doing amazing on kibble – good for you, but I doubt it’s perfect. If they’re not… and you’ve got that gut feeling something’s off… maybe dig a little deeper. Research. Study the labels. Talk to people who’ve switched to raw or home-cooked diets. You don’t have to go all in straight away. I didn’t either, and it’s not a good idea for the dog, better do a smooth week-long change over. But that first step changed everything.

If you want some guidance on where and how to start, follow Karen Becker, Dr. Katie Woodley, Dr. Conor Brady, Dr. Andrew Jones. These are not sponsored, just my recommendation that helped me in my journey.