Dog food is used by millions of people all over the world, who spend billions of dollars annually on the huge dog food industry. In the United States alone, more than $8.5 billion is spent on dog food each year, which gives you an idea just how big this industry is. While there are a large variety of dog food products available to buy, most of them fit into two basic categories.

These two categories are dry dog food and wet dog food, with most dog owners using a combination of the two. Wet dog food is generally sold in cans and has a high volume of moisture, while dry dog food is sold in soft packets and has a much lower volume of moisture.

Dry dog food is the principal food for millions of dogs around the world, many of whom exist solely on dry food products. Dry dog food normally consists or a mixture of grains, offal, injected meat products, and added nutrients, with different mixtures available for different breeds and ages of dogs. The actual ingredients used in dry dog food products can vary greatly, as can the price of different brands and mixtures. Most dry dog food consists of roughly six to ten per cent moisture by volume, although some semi-moist dog food products are also available.

Most commercial dog food products, whether they are wet or dry in nature, consist of a variety of different materials that are deemed to be desirable by dog owners. While meat, offal, and grains are standard ingredients in all commercial dry dog food, some of the less expensive brands also use grain fillers and animal by products. More expensive brands may use organic products, free range meats, and a higher percentage or meat per volume. Dry dog food is essential to the diet of most domestic breeds, although most experts recommend that it is used alongside wet dog food and other alternate dog food products.