In this Pooches at Play segment, host Lara Shannon chats with Narelle Cooke – Founder of CanineCeuticals and qualified animal naturopath – about how the processing of commercial dog food can impact your pet’s nutrition and long-term health. Many pet parents assume that packaged or home-cooked meals automatically meet all their dog’s nutritional needs, but high-heat processing, extrusion and canning can significantly reduce the availability of heat-sensitive vitamins, essential amino acids and other key nutrients.
Narelle explains that while synthetic vitamins are often added back into processed foods, they aren’t absorbed or utilised in the same way as nutrients from whole food sources. Over time, this can lead to nutrient imbalances, deficiencies or toxicities, particularly in growing puppies, pregnant dogs or pets with higher nutritional requirements. Protein structure is also altered by cooking, and compounds formed during high-heat processing, such as advanced glycation end products and acrylamide, can contribute to inflammation and long-term health risks.
For pet parents who prepare meals at home, Narelle emphasises that simple mixes of chicken, rice and vegetables, while well-intentioned, are often nutritionally incomplete and lack essential nutrients like calcium, iodine, zinc, vitamin D and vitamin E, which are critical for overall wellbeing. Lightly cooked diets can be a better alternative, especially when formulated to be nutritionally complete, but some nutrient loss still occurs.
Raw feeding, which avoids high-heat processing, preserves natural vitamins, minerals and amino acids, providing greater bioavailability, reduced need for synthetic supplementation, and enhanced support for gut health, immune function and long-term vitality. Narelle highlights the importance of feeding dogs fresh, minimally processed whole foods that are properly balanced, ensuring their diet supports the body as it was designed to thrive.
To learn more about choosing the right commercial dog food and understanding how processing affects nutrition, read our short guide here:
https://canineceuticals.com.au/blogs/news/guide-to-commercial-dog-food-choices
