"Honey, I'm going to the store to buy dog food"
The first thing that enters your mind is a bag of kibble, correct? This is true for most pet owners, but why is that? When you think of going to the store to buy food for yourself or your children, you picture whole foods, fresh ingredients and things that need to be prepared. Even something different for every meal. Two preparations of lasagna in a single week or eggs and toast for two meals in a row? Blasphemy. Yet you don't have a second thought at your dog eating the same dehydrated crunch for every meal of his life. But its tradition. Its called "dog food" after all, right?
Did you know that kibble only became tradition within the last 75 years? Before kibble became commonplace, people fed their dogs scraps. That's right, real foods on a regular basis. People commonly canned their food for their dogs - not the overly processed type you buy at a pet store, but the type you would buy in the grocery section of supermarkets.
"If it was such a healthy option, why did we stop?", you may ask. Convenience is why. During World War 2, there was a metal shortage. Canning food became too expensive, and people began to look for other options. A process known as "kibbling" became popular. Kibbling is when ingredients are thrown together, streamed at a high temperature, and molded into shape, leaving a little well-preserved nugget of kibble. This was affordable and had a long shelf life. Popularity increased and most dog owners began to feed kibble.
Though convenient, there are quite a few downfalls to the process though. Steaming at high temperatures depletes most of the nutrients, requiring artificial vitamins to be added. The liver may not recognise them all, so even though the kibble is "nutritionally complete", it does not guarantee the dog can utilize the nutrition. By cooking the ingredients, the mass is greatly depleted. By using nothing but the best ingredients for dogs (meat products), it would mean a lot of money poured into a tiny bag of food, which isn't practical. It is easier to load the bag with nutritionally empty fillers, such as corn or rice.
While dogs are obviously surviving on it, are they thriving? Dehydrated food on a regular basis leads to kidney distress and urinary issues. Starch and sugar filled kibbles leave plaque on the teeth that a natural diet would not. That leads to diseased teeth, which leads to infections, which are known to spread to the heart. Tiny crunchy kibble is easy to quickly eat, resulting in bloat and reduced mental stimulation from taking time to savor and gnaw on their food. Consistently eating cooked food reduces the stomach acid's pH level, which leads to sensitivities and pickiness, along with the inability to handle new additions to the diet.
The first thing that enters your mind is a bag of kibble, correct? This is true for most pet owners, but why is that? When you think of going to the store to buy food for yourself or your children, you picture whole foods, fresh ingredients and things that need to be prepared. Even something different for every meal. Two preparations of lasagna in a single week or eggs and toast for two meals in a row? Blasphemy. Yet you don't have a second thought at your dog eating the same dehydrated crunch for every meal of his life. But its tradition. Its called "dog food" after all, right?
Did you know that kibble only became tradition within the last 75 years? Before kibble became commonplace, people fed their dogs scraps. That's right, real foods on a regular basis. People commonly canned their food for their dogs - not the overly processed type you buy at a pet store, but the type you would buy in the grocery section of supermarkets.
"If it was such a healthy option, why did we stop?", you may ask. Convenience is why. During World War 2, there was a metal shortage. Canning food became too expensive, and people began to look for other options. A process known as "kibbling" became popular. Kibbling is when ingredients are thrown together, streamed at a high temperature, and molded into shape, leaving a little well-preserved nugget of kibble. This was affordable and had a long shelf life. Popularity increased and most dog owners began to feed kibble.
Though convenient, there are quite a few downfalls to the process though. Steaming at high temperatures depletes most of the nutrients, requiring artificial vitamins to be added. The liver may not recognise them all, so even though the kibble is "nutritionally complete", it does not guarantee the dog can utilize the nutrition. By cooking the ingredients, the mass is greatly depleted. By using nothing but the best ingredients for dogs (meat products), it would mean a lot of money poured into a tiny bag of food, which isn't practical. It is easier to load the bag with nutritionally empty fillers, such as corn or rice.
While dogs are obviously surviving on it, are they thriving? Dehydrated food on a regular basis leads to kidney distress and urinary issues. Starch and sugar filled kibbles leave plaque on the teeth that a natural diet would not. That leads to diseased teeth, which leads to infections, which are known to spread to the heart. Tiny crunchy kibble is easy to quickly eat, resulting in bloat and reduced mental stimulation from taking time to savor and gnaw on their food. Consistently eating cooked food reduces the stomach acid's pH level, which leads to sensitivities and pickiness, along with the inability to handle new additions to the diet.
What Are My Other Options?
High-Quality Kibble: Let's face it, with the way life is today, kibble may be your only practical option. You are perfectly capable of owning a happy, well-loved dog and meet all of its needs, but you are unable to go all out on their food. There is no shame in that. That is, as long as you pay attention to what you are feeding. Recalls are more common than they should be and companies have been caught lying about their ingredients. Check your ingredients and keep up to date on the news in the brand you chose, and kibble isn't a bad option. Click here for my guide on how to choose the best kibble.
Home-Cooked: An increasingly popular option, a home-cooked diet involves giving real food to your dog. Normally it involves cooked meat and vegetables with cooked fillers such as rice. The proper vitamins are an exceptionally important since the meat is cooked, it loses a lot of its nutritional content. While real foods are indisputably better for your dog, it is highly recommended that you consult a canine nutritionist to determine your dogs individual needs.
PMR (Prey Model Raw): The diet that caters to your dog's digestive system being identical to wolves. That's right, raw meat, bones, and organs. Hold your gasp, there are a lot of misconceptions that need to be cleared up before you turn your nose up. This is the option that my dogs thrive on. To learn more, click here for my guide on raw feeding.
BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods): Like PMR, this diet involves raw meat, bones and organ. The difference is BARF feeders add fruit and veggies to their meals. While the dog gets little to no use from vegetation, many dogs do enjoy the taste and variety of it.
Freeze-Dried/Dehydrated Raw: This is a popular option for people who see the benefits of raw feeding, but are nervous about giving their dogs all the nutrients they need or don't have the time to prepare it themselves. Freeze-dried or dehydrated options are already prepared with the proper ratios, they just need to be hydrated and served.
Home-Cooked: An increasingly popular option, a home-cooked diet involves giving real food to your dog. Normally it involves cooked meat and vegetables with cooked fillers such as rice. The proper vitamins are an exceptionally important since the meat is cooked, it loses a lot of its nutritional content. While real foods are indisputably better for your dog, it is highly recommended that you consult a canine nutritionist to determine your dogs individual needs.
PMR (Prey Model Raw): The diet that caters to your dog's digestive system being identical to wolves. That's right, raw meat, bones, and organs. Hold your gasp, there are a lot of misconceptions that need to be cleared up before you turn your nose up. This is the option that my dogs thrive on. To learn more, click here for my guide on raw feeding.
BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods): Like PMR, this diet involves raw meat, bones and organ. The difference is BARF feeders add fruit and veggies to their meals. While the dog gets little to no use from vegetation, many dogs do enjoy the taste and variety of it.
Freeze-Dried/Dehydrated Raw: This is a popular option for people who see the benefits of raw feeding, but are nervous about giving their dogs all the nutrients they need or don't have the time to prepare it themselves. Freeze-dried or dehydrated options are already prepared with the proper ratios, they just need to be hydrated and served.
