Overall, a well-balanced diet is vital to a dog’s health and well-being. Nutritional problems occur most often when dogs are fed imbalanced homemade diets or certain other foods. Dog foods or homemade diets derived from a single food item are inadequate to an overall balanced diet. The 6 basic nutrients needed for a canine diet include water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. View each category below for the top veterinarian-recommended companion animal food products.