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Diets

by Susanne Craddock

From the earliest days of dogs’ relationship with man, food has been a bond.

Medieval rulers used to toss some of their food to their dogs before eating. If the dog didn't die then it was safe to resume the meal. Prior to the Civil War there was no such thing as “dog” food, domestic dogs got what was left over from human meals. England produced the first dog biscuit in 1860 and by the 1930s, the growth of the breakfast cereal industry in affluent America produced by-products that companies like Ralston-Purina were quick to convert into not only livestock food, but diets for the increasingly valued domestic pet as well. Today pet owners can drive to superstores and chose from a dazzling array of prepared foods for young and old, working and obese, pampered and merely maintained companion animals. An industry was born which has become an important factor in the American economy.

The American public has been taught by both producer advertising and veterinarians that commercial pet foods are scientifically balanced, nutritionally complete and the easiest and best way we can care for our dogs and cats. But as anyone who has recently walked into any store for pets can tell you the array of food choices offered is mind boggling. Not only can you choose between dry kibble, canned and semi-moist but each category ranges from inexpensive, mostly grain to high priced, guaranteed organic, special diets. All profess to be complete and balanced diets for your dog.

How can we know which one is best for our dog? Reading and understanding the labels is the best way to choose what suits you and your dog. Here are some tips. Ingredients are listed by weight before processing so the first three to five form the bulk of the food. Meat or meal should cite the animal from which it came, as generic meat meal could be anything and may come from the 4D category at slaughter houses (ie that which arrived diseased, disabled, dying or dead). Animal by-products indicate parts that are not considered fit for human consumption and digest indicates a mix of these parts which has been rendered or digested into a meal. Some grain is present in all kibble, semi-moist and many canned foods, not only because many nutritionists feel that a balanced ration for dogs should contain about 50% carbohydrates but also because if the mix is not 40 to 50% starch it will not flow through the extrusion machines that form the stars, squares, chunks etc. Corn and soy are the most commonly used and form the basis of most of the inexpensive chows. Most dogs are fine with this but both can cause allergies and in some foods the grain is present as by products. Much of the nutrition has been lost and often sweetener was added. Brewers rice from the beer industry and Corn gluten from the manufacture of corn starch and syrup are prime examples. All commercial dry or semi moist foods contain preservatives to retain freshness. BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin are efficient and widely used but many natural proponents question their safety. Ethoxiquin, an efficient anti-oxidant, is now banned in Europe. It has been studied by the FDA but no conclusions were drawn. Vitamins C and D, as "Mixed Tocopherols", are now being used in many quality foods instead.

As competition within the industry grows, foods are made more appealing to owners with new colors, shapes, textures and artificial flavors, none of which the dog cares about, and the use of which has grown so that today more than 200 different ingredients are used in pet foods. So what to look for on the label? Named Meat or meat meal as the first ingredient (after all our dogs are carnivores at heart). No by-products from either meat or grain, and no artificial flavors or colors. Mixed Tocopherols as preservative. After that there is a bewildering list of added fruits, vegetables, oils, digestive enzymes etc. etc. The Whole Dog Journal, a monthly holistic magazine, publishes a list of dog foods each year that it has approved for both nutritional balance and healthful ingredients. As an indication of industry growth, the 1998 to 2002 list had 18 approved brands of dry dog food. The February 2005 issue listed over 42 including ones from companies who have been feeding our dogs for 60 to 75 years.

However, when people began to look into the question of processed foods and additives in their own diets, a logical progression was made to “if it’s not good for me it can't be good for Fido.” And the home made, human quality, Natural movement was born.

Early proponents of “natural” diets were influenced by the research of Dr. Francis Pottenger who, in the 1930s, studied cats on a raw diet over a ten year period, as well as by the Natural Rearing Diet of Juliette de Bairacli Levy whose Afghan hounds were raised on a totally raw diet and went on to win numerous championships. Her 1955 book titled The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat is the reference for many breeders today and its proponents became pioneers in the Holistic movement.

The first American Vet to write a best selling book was Richard Pitcairn, DMV, Ph.D., whose holistic diets inspired a bounty of books and magazines. Pitcairn’s diets are based on raw or cooked meat, raw bones, raw or pasteurized dairy products and cooked grains, with small amounts of nuts, seeds, vegetables, herbs, fruits and supplements like brewer’s yeast, bone meal, powdered kelp, vegetable oil, fish oil and vitamin D capsules. His book Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats was last revised in 1995 and will guide any pet owner who wishes to go the holistic way.

In 1993, the Australian veterinarian, Ian Billinghurst published a book called Give Your Dog a Bone and the BARF diet was born. Variously translated as Bones And Raw Food, Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, Billinhurst Australian Real Food, and the tongue in cheek Born Again Raw Feeders, this diet is based on feeding raw meaty bones, animal offal, raw vegetables and supplements. To quote Billinghurst “A biologically appropriate diet for a dog is one that consists of raw whole foods similar to those eaten by the dogs' wild ancestors” One of the more entertaining sites introducing a BARF diet comes from Australian Tracy Bassett who has the reader visualize the freshly killed prey animal and then goes through the dogs' meal from it. There is also a pictorial site (www.auntjeni.com/barf.htm) as a raw feeding practitioner prepares dinner for her dogs.

There are, as well, both “Pre-mixes” and commercial frozen products which espouse the natural and/or organic preferences in food. Pre-mixes offer the convenience of a (usually) dehydrated mix of grains, vegetables and vitamins to which the dog owner adds fresh meat for a meal. Many contain at least some organic ingredients and a few can be fed without the addition of meat, although their makers encourage the customers to add meat and other ingredients if they wish. (see Whole Dog Journal, 2004) Frozen raw products are found on the web as well as in several commercial big box pet stores and conform to a number of diets including BARF. The convenience of both the frozen and dehydrated products is offset by their relatively high cost.

If you are interested in going the fresh/raw/natural way, be sure to research carefully for there is a considerable variation between diets. For example, Holistic diets include grains and fruits; and Petsynergy, a holistic site, recommends a balance of 50% grains, 25% vegetables and 25% meat all of which are cooked unless the meat is organic and fresh when it may be fed raw. The raw diet as promoted by Jane Anderson, whose site includes a chat room for raw feeders, holds that food should never be cooked, that grains are forbidden, that fruit and vegetables are unnecessary, and that supplements are a waste of money. (www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html)

Well, how about all this information on the "right" way to feed your canine friends. Are you as confused as I am? And I have been feeding dogs and cats for most of my 70+ years. Here are a few things I have learned from all this information. Switching foods periodically is a good thing. No matter how good a commercial diet is, changing to another good kibble may help prevent any build up of an ingredient a dog may be sensitive to and thus trigger an allergy. Feeding an occasional raw egg is not a no-no, the avidin in egg whites, while it does bind with biotin and prevent its adsorption is generally in such small quantities that unless your dog manages to run off with a carton of eggs at a time it should not be a concern. Feeding a meaty raw knuckle or shin bone occasionally (outside or in a crate) sure beats trying to convince my dog that he loves having his teeth brushed. And guess what, when it comes to commercial food, you get what you pay for. Not that I haven't known dogs who lived 14 years of a healthy active life on Big Red (probably 50% corn with meat by-products) and whatever they could con off their owner's plate.

It all comes down to what you as pet owner are comfortable doing. Good commercial diets are available for all dogs and if your dog eats well, has a good coat and energy and it suits your life style go for it. If it's important that your dog eats as organically as you do and preparing home cooked food or feeding raw food is a gratifying bonding experience, there are a bevy of diets for you to choose from as well as vets with a holistic practice.

We live in a society where choice is a given, be grateful, choose wisely.

Books Mentioned in the Article Available Through Dogwise