If you are reading this book, chances are you are committed to a healthy lifestyle. You watch what you eat and make informed choices for yourself and for the planet by adding organic, minimally processed foods to your diet as often as possible. You’ve given your dog a safe and loving home, but maybe you have not given as much thought to your pet’s diet as you have to your own. Good nutrition is probably the most important contribution you can make to your dog’s good health. Providing her with a wholesome diet will help keep your dog at an optimum weight, give her a strong immune system, and help her hold off diseases associated with aging, such as diabetes and cancer. Plus, avoiding chemicals and toxins will ensure your friend’s health for years to come.
With so many choices available both commercially and in homemade meals, it is easy to become confused. The ideal diet for your dog should include fresh and minimally processed foods, organic when possible, that are prepared with high-quality ingredients free of additives and artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. Your dog’s diet should be balanced to meet her nutritional needs, delicious, and easy and economical for you to prepare. The truth is, the ideal diet for your canine companion is the ideal diet for you as well. After all, if the old adages “you are what you eat” and “garbage in, garbage out” hold true for us, they must hold true for our pets as well. Whether you opt for commercially available dog foods or choose to prepare homemade meals for your dog, this section will give you the basic information you need to make an informed choice.
Most of us do not pay much attention to the food we feed our dogs. We may buy the lowest-cost food at our local supermarket or feed store, we may choose a medium-price product from a nationally recognized brand, or we may spend a little more for a premium brand that touts health benefits like more energy or a shinier coat. How many of us actually know what is in our dog’s kibble? In fact, many of the “premium” brands are no better in terms of quality of ingredients than their low-cost alternatives. We spend countless hours reading labels and comparing nutritional values for our own food, but simply toss a forty-pound bag of kibble into our shopping carts, taking just enough time to check whether we are buying beef or chicken flavor. And even if we took the time to read the labels on dog food, would we be able to make sense of the list of ingredients?
Pet-food manufacturers are not highly regulated. In the United States, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a private advisory panel that sets the minimal nutritional standards that must be met in order for a commercial dog food to state that it offers balanced nutrition, but the AAFCO has no input as to the quality of ingredients, nor does it perform any testing or have any enforcement authority. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) takes no action on pet food, except to require manufacturers to substantiate any specific health benefits they claim for any food they make.
Just as with the long list of chemicals and fillers in processed food for people, many of the ingredients in some commercial dog foods can be puzzling or misleading. Here are some to watch out for:
• Meat, meat by-products, and meat meals are very different ingredients. When the bag of kibble says “chicken,” don’t imagine it contains the same meat you would serve at your table. Meat is the flesh of slaughtered animals, and may include muscle, tongue, and heart. Meat by-products are the clean, unrendered parts of slaughtered animals—not including the meat— and may include lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bone, and digestive organs. Meat meal is a rendered product from tissues, excluding blood, hair, hoof, horn, manure, and stomach contents. (Rendering is an industrial process that converts waste animal tissues into fat and protein meal.)
• Corn and cornmeal should not appear high on the ingredients list—this is an indication that they are being used as an inexpensive protein source in the place of a high-quality protein, like meat. As in humans, sugar can aggravate diabetes in dogs.
• Crude protein, which cannot be utilized by your pet, can include beaks, hair, hooves, feathers, and tendons.
• Fragments of one particular food (such as corn) are an indication that much of the nutrition in a particular feed is being derived from the by-products of processing that original food source. (Whole foods are more nutritious than processed foods.)
• Artificial colors, artificial flavors, flavor enhancers, and texture enhancers (such as sodium carboxymethyl-cellulose, an edible plastic that has been outlawed by the FDA for human consumption) should not be found in feed made from high-quality whole foods.
• Cellulose gum and guar gum are used to bind ingredients together into kibble or chunks and have no nutritional value.
• Propyl gallate is a preservative linked to liver damage.
• BHA and BHT are suspected carcinogens that are allowed in human food. However, our exposure is limited, since we eat a wider variety of foods; these preservatives have a greater effect on dogs, who may eat the same food for their entire lives.
• Potassium sorbate is a preservative.
• Ethoxyquin is a preservative that was created as a rubber stabilizer. It is a very effective synthetic antioxidant used in animal feed to keep fats from going rancid. It is used in farm feeds for livestock intended for human consumption, as well as in our pets’ food. It has been linked with infertility; neonatal illness; skin, hair, and coat problems; immune dysfunction; and diseases of the liver, pancreas, and thyroid.
• Dog foods may contain Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, and Blue 2, all of which are inorganic and toxic. They are added to make the food more appealing to the people buying the food, not to our dogs.
• Livestock grown for the commercial meat industry can contain residues of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and heavy metals like arsenic and mercury. The long-term effects of these chemicals can be devastating to our health and to our pets’ health. Try to determine the source of animal protein used in any commercial product, and choose one produced humanely with no added anti biotics or hormones.
There are many great commercial dog foods on the market with wholesome ingredients that will provide high-quality nutrition for your dog. These commercial foods offer convenience for busy lifestyles and are cost effective, even if a bit more expensive than national or supermarket brands. Armed with the information above, and a little common sense, you will be able to make an informed choice. While there is no “best” food to feed our pets, the list of things to look for is as simple and straightforward as the list we would choose for ourselves. Look for a product with high-quality animal proteins (or vegetable proteins, like beans, if you choose a vegetarian diet for your pet; see page 41) at the top of the list. Canned foods should list whole meat, fish, or poultry as their first ingredient. Whole grains like rice, barley, and oatmeal are excellent sources of roughage and should be minimally processed. Whole vegetables like potatoes, peas, and carrots, also processed as minimally as possible, are wonderful ingredients that may be identifiable in the food in good canned feeds.
If in doubt about the quality of your pet’s food, do not hesitate to contact the manufacturer with any questions or concerns regarding the source of the ingredients. Narrow your choices based on quality of ingredients, price, convenience, and accessibility (some choices may not be readily available locally), and try a few to see how your dog likes each choice and which seems to offer the best benefit to your dog’s health. A new diet may upset your dog’s stomach; to avoid this, transition from one brand to another slowly.
Once you have narrowed your choices down to a few brands, the next question you might ask yourself is “wet or dry?” While dry kibble and wet canned food generally contain the same vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, each type is made quite differently, with ingredients from different sources.
Canned wet foods usually contain more whole foods and high-quality proteins, and fewer chemicals, preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors. Canned foods are generally lower in calories, as well, since most of those calories are derived from protein sources. And a little wet food can come in handy if you need to give your dog a supplement or medicine: crush a pill or add liquid medicine to a few spoonfuls of wet food, and it will go down easily and stress-free.
Kibble is made by creating dry dough that is extruded to form nuggets, which are then blended with a meat-by-product meal (often a low-quality protein source) and other additives, extruded, cut, dried, and sprayed with fats and flavorings. Because the extruders will work only with dry ingredients, kibble contains a high percentage of starches and grains. Most of the calories in this food are derived from these carbohydrate sources. Kibble is more convenient to use and is usually less expensive. It does not require refrigeration after opening and travels well.
From an ecological standpoint, canned food may be the best choice. Not only is it generally of a higher quality, but cans can be recycled, whereas dry-kibble bags often end up in the landfill.
If you choose a dry product over a canned product, try to store the food in its original bag in a bin with a lid. The bags have been designed for optimum storage by keeping moisture out. Or, if you prefer, you can store the food in an FDA-approved food-grade plastic bin with an airtight lid. Wash and dry these containers before adding a new bag of food, as leftover bits and crumbs can become rancid. If your dog hesitates or refuses to eat her kibble and is not showing signs of illness, this may be a sign the food is rancid and should be discarded.
Many people are opting to prepare homemade meals for their dogs, or to augment commercial foods with whole foods from the kitchen. Before the easy availability of commercial dog foods, most pet dogs were fed scraps left over from the dinner table. When you make your dog’s meals from scratch, you know exactly what is in her food. You can choose a variety of high-quality meats that are free of antibiotics and hormones, and organic vegetables, fruits, and grains grown without pesticides or herbicides.
You may think that preparing your pet’s meals is overly complicated or time consuming. But if you already have a healthy diet and begin with the food you would prepare for yourself, or the leftovers you might otherwise throw away, it is easy to make a meal that will meet your dog’s nutritional needs. For convenience, you can make “stews” using a variety of meats, vegetables, and grains and freeze serving-size amounts for use later. Also, consider making one-pot meals that are nutritious and delicious for both you and your pet.
Dogs do have specific nutritional requirements that should be met for good health. Use the following guidelines and basic ingredients to make meals to suit your dog’s needs. If you need to rely on commercial products as your dog’s primary source of food, use these lists as a guide to supplementing and adding variety to mealtime. Remember to cut the amount of dry or canned food you normally use to take into account the extra calories from the whole-food sources.
PROTEIN:
30% to 60%
• Chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, fish, eggs, beans, tofu
CARBOHYDRATES:
30% to 60%
•Grains, potatoes, corn
FRESH VEGETABLES AND FRUITS:
10% to 30%
• Anything except onion, grapes, and raisins, which can be harmful to dogs
CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT:
• Cooked eggshells, yogurt, cottage cheese
As with any change in diet, start slowly when switching your dog to homemade meals. As your dog adapts, replace a little commercial food at a time with whole food until your pet is on a diet of 100 percent homemade fresh foods. Watch him for changes in health—both good and bad—and take note of his likes and dislikes, making adjustments where necessary. If you are committed to a homemade diet for your pet, you may want to consult with a veterinary nutritionist for advice.
Some vegetarian dog owners may prefer that their pet be on a vegetarian diet, as well. Some people choose a vegetarian diet because they are opposed to killing animals for food, while others are embracing vegetarianism for economic and environmental reasons. In A Diet for a New America, John Roberts notes, “A reduction in meat consumption is the most potent single act you can take to halt the destruction of our environment and preserve our precious natural resources.” Raising animals for food requires massive amounts of water and other resources and consumes more than 70 percent of the grains we grow. Reducing the amount of meat we eat can make a positive impact on the global environment. Unlike cats, which are true carnivores and require very specific nutritional supplementation if on a vegetarian diet, dogs are omnivores and can do quite well on a vegetarian diet as long as their basic nutritional needs are met. It should be noted that dogs don’t adapt as well to vegan diets, so eggs should be considered a good source of protein.
When switching your dog to a vegetarian diet, you can either choose a good-quality commercial vegetarian dog food or prepare your own. A diet based on beans, whole grains, and soy products should meet your dog’s nutritional needs as long as you maintain the proper balance of 30 to 60 percent protein and 30 to 60 percent carbohydrates, plus dietary fats. Calcium supplements are vital in any homemade diet, and a good multivitamin containing vitamin B12 may be necessary for vegetarian dogs. Variety is important in any diet, but it is especially important in a vegetarian diet, to prevent nutritional deficiencies or excesses.
Eggshells are an excellent and convenient form of calcium carbonate that often end up in the garbage. Bake the shells for 10 minutes in a 350°F oven, or for 1 to 2 minutes in a microwave to kill any bacteria, such as salmonella. Store the shells in the refrigerator and grind them with a mortar and pestle before adding them to your dog’s food. One large eggshell provides approximately 2,000 milligrams of calcium; one eggshell per forty to sixty pounds of body weight should be adequate. (If you are feeding your dog commercial dog food and adding whole foods, however, you do not need to supplement, since these products often contain excessive amounts of calcium.) Gertrude and Jordan also loved a few tablespoons of organic cottage cheese or yogurt (great sources of calcium and protein) in their breakfast bowl.