Dedicated To Dogs: Pet Nutrition

Pet Nutrition

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PET NUTRITION IS MY SOAP BOX. IT'S A CLOSE SECOND TO DOG SOCIALIZATION. I PUBLISHED PART I & PART II ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC OF PET NUTRITION IN THE NOVEMER 2008 & DECEMBER 2008 PET GAZETTE TITLED "PET NUTRITION: IT CAN'T BE FOUND IN THE SUPERMARKET" ... LOOK FOR FUTURE ARTICLES !
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Cat & Dog food is an $11billion dollar+ industry in the United States and there are hundreds and hundreds of brands so it’s safe to say choosing ONE is overwhelming. What to feed your dog is a very personal choice. It’s often made via advice from a trusted veterinarian, fellow dog-lover, breeder or other animal professional. However, you need to do your homework! There are so many articles and Internet sites that discuss the controversial topic of what’s best to feed your dog. Read every single one of them!! I have included some links at the end to great sites that discuss pet nutrition and what’s really in commercial dog foods. You’d be horrified to know what’s in your favorite kibble at your local supermarket.

COMMERCIAL PET FOOD INDUSTRY:
The commercial pet food industry is a sub-industry of the human food/agricultural industry. Anything unfit for human consumption at slaughterhouses such as waste & grain remnants that end up on the floor ends up in our pet food. Think of a slaughterhouse; choice, high quality meats are cut away for human consumption as governed by the FDA. The left overs (bones, blood, pus, intestines, ligaments an all other bodyparts not fit for consumption by humans) is used to make pet food. These would be referred to as “by-products” on the ingredients list on your pet food. (Another source for protein that won’t be listed on your bag of dog food is actual dogs & cats! Commercial pet food manufactures deny these claims but the American Veterinary Medical Association confirmed the San Francisco Chronicles’ 1990 report that euthanized companion animals were being used in pet food)

Most commercial pet foods are made by multi-national food companies:
-Proctor & Gamble who make Joy dishwashing liquid, Crest toothpaste, Zest soap, Fabreze also make Iams and Eukanuba pet foods!
-Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies and Mighty Dog are produced by Nestle
-9-Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles & Bits, Recipe, Vets are all from Heinz
-Colgate makes Hills Science Diet
-Mars makes Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba

Sadly, no commercial pet food maker is dedicated solely to pet food or pet nutrition. Their pet food line is secondary to a line of human food and speculated as quite possibly a source for disposing of waste unfit for human consumption while making money at it too. Just read the ingredients on a bag of Alpo or Purina Puppy Chow…what is all that garbage?

PREMIUM PET FOOD INDUSTRY: (sometimes referred to as holistic)
On the flip side, the premium pet food industry is dedicated to pet nutrition and pet health. Many of the premium foods were formulated by veterinarians and breeders out of necessity because they believed what was available did not offer the proper nutrition. Only high quality ingredients are used in premium pet foods that match with what is fit and balanced for canines & felines without over processing or the use of chemicals and preservatives or unnecessary plant based ingredients. The ingredients used in premium pet foods would be fit for human consumption. Price is often a good indicator of the quality of food inside the bag…Because there aren’t fillers, chemicals, preservatives and only high quality ingredients are used, premium dog foods are more expensive. But in the long run, you will need less of it. Since it meets or exceeds the nutritional needs of your pet, it will not only end up costing you less to feed your dog but your dog will be healthier with less trips to the vet and will live longer. For a medium to large size breed dog you might need 2-3 cups of commercial brands twice a day to make a meal for your dog where as a premium food will only require 1 ½ - 2 cups once a day. See the incredible value here. (An easy tell-tale to know if your food has chemicals and preservatives is in it’s texture or shape and smell…the more hardened or shaped the kibble/food is and the more pleasant smelling, means the more additives, chemicals and preservatives have been used to retain such an unnatural form.) PLEASE NOTE: Just because a pet food is touted at PREMIUM, you must still analyze the ingredients. There are many premium brands out there that, although very popular among the "premium" brand circuit, I still would not be comfortable feeding to my pets. But then again, they would be still better than anything you could buy at your grocery store.

FDA:
The pet food industry is regulated by the FDA CVM (Food & Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine) and work in partnership with AAFCO (Association of American Feeds Control Officials) to determine safe pet food ingredients and testing protocols. Pet food labels are required to carry certain information on them such as ingredients listed in descending order of prevalence, life stage claims and manufacturers contact information. It is up to the consumer to decipher all the information on the label and deem it fit or unfit for their pet.

WHAT IS A DOG?
Although they are scavengers and will eat ANYTHING, the true nature of dogs is that of a carnivore (meat-eaters). Their primary source of nutrition is PROTEIN, not corn, barley, wheat, soy, etc. Be sure that the first and greatest-by-volume ingredient on your dogs’ food is an actual MEAT PROTEIN. Ingredients on pet food packaging are listed in order of largest volume. If your first ingredient listed is CORN then you can stop right there because that ingredient will make up the majority of the food from which the nutrients are found. (No ingredient list should begin with a GRAIN!) OR if the first ingredient is beef but the second, third and fourth ingredients are various forms of grain (wheat, corn, barley, etc) then the volume of grain over takes the beef as the majority ingredient. This will not satisfy the nutritional needs of your pet and their health, longevity, skin & coat will suffer. You need to compare the number of meat ingredients vs. grain ingredients. (Dogs do not require grains and provide no nutritional value to canines) The first ingredient should be MEAT; chicken, beef, lamb, even fish, etc. Not to mention, grains can harbor toxic molds. The FDA found widespread failure at Diamond Pet Food to test their CORN a few years ago when nearly 80 dogs were seriously effected or died from mold contaminated pet food resulting in a nationwide warning and recall on their feed. And most recently, Menu Foods just had a major recall of 50 popular brands of cat & dog food blaming WHEAT GLUTEN as the cause for illness and death in several pets.

SPECIAL DIETS:
If you have a pet that requires special diets due to allergies, auto-immune disease or digestive problems, tread lightly and carefully to determine what combination of ingredients is best going to satisfy the nutritional balance while meeting the needs of a special diet. (Keeping in mind the allergies can be caused by the very diet you are feeding) For example my 16 yr. old Yorkshire Terrier has developed IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) in his later years and meat upsets his system terribly. Even chicken or lamb & rice results in constant vomiting several times a day. So I was reluctantly forced to use a commercial brand (Science Diet Sensitive stomach) that uses egg as its protein source instead of meat. It’s the only thing that stays down. I still use a little of the premium Abady brand mixed in to bolster the nutritional value of the SD. Perhaps if I had used a premium diet with him from puppyhood (I only discovered premiums when he was about 10 yrs. old), he might have never developed IBS.

STOOL SAMPLE:
Beet pulp and soybeans are very common fiber fillers in dog food. Beet pulp should be avoided at all costs. Don't let sly marketing ploys fool you into thinking the words "sugar removed" is safer for your pet...Beet pulp is the fiberous pulp remaining from sugar beets which have had the sugar extracted from them in the process of manufacturing sugar so ALL beet pulp has the sugar removed. (Just another way the commercial pet food companies use the left overs from human agriculture to save/make money on inferior dog food) Beet pulp causes a vicious cycle of devastating effects on a dogs intestinal system. Your veterinarian usually requires an annual stool sample check for your dog. The main reason is to look for microscopic parasites and worms. But they should also check the consistency or hardness of the stool to determine nutritional sufficiency; a hard stool means a healthy dog, right? Wrong! Here’s the catch; beet pulp has enormous fluid absorbing capacity and expansive properties. Meaning it holds up to 7 times it’s weight in water and can increase in volume by as much as 250%…this swollen mass in the intestines will draw IN more and more fluid from the surrounding tissue to re-hydrate the beet pulp and continue to expand until it becomes so large that it’s digestion through the colon comes to a screeching crawl. Now the colon’s job is to draw OUT the moisture and create a stool. This job becomes slowed and labored and forms a very hard dry stool that is uncomfortable to pass and damages the intestinal lining. Because of this “artificially created hard stool” many digestive problems are masked because all seems right, right? WRONG…the intestinal tracts’ natural response to irritants is to try to eliminate them via diarrhea. Diarrhea is the body’s natural way to expel irritants by the intestinal tract drawing in water through osmosis (through the tissue) in an attempt to flush the system as rapidly as possible. So what’s really happening here? If your pet has eaten something it shouldn’t or has an infection, or just the mere fact of intestinal damage from these huge stools trying to pass every day, the body’s natural reaction is to create diarrhea to get rid of it and it’s that diarrhea that warns us something is wrong. BUT if beet pulp is present in the diet, a hard stool will always be produced …no matter how hard the body tries to produce diarrhea to flush out irritants, the stool just becomes harder and harder as long as beet pulp is in the diet. (although at some point, the body’s natural defense mechanism should win out and perhaps intermittent diarrhea will appear but because it goes away, you will think everything is fine) So next you switch your dog food to try to correct the problem. Perhaps you pick one that does not have beet pulp and all is right, right? WRONG…if intestinal problems were present, they were only masked before and now will present as diarrhea, bloody stools, etc. These symptoms are often blamed on the new diet when that is not the case at all. Your dogs stool should never be rock hard or be difficult to pass. Nor should they be runny or puddle. They should contain moisture and some soft shape; somewhere between rock hard and runny.

BLOAT:
There are MANY theories on what causes bloat (a fatal gastrointestinal disorder where gas/bubbles form and are trapped in the stomach causing expansion and twisting cutting off circulation to it and other organs). It has been speculated that it’s genetic or breed specific. It’s been speculated that it’s from too much exercise right after eating or drinking. It’s also been speculated that it’s from gulping too much air when eating or drinking. There is however, a more scientific theory out there. Beet pulp and soybeans contain Saponins (glycosides that have the ability to act as emulsifying agents). Saponins are like soap; when mixed with water and shaken make dense, foam-like bubbles with high surface tension, which makes them hard to rupture or dissipate. So put the Saponin theory together with the heavy exercise after eating or drinking theory and you have a recipe for disaster. Do not allow your dog to run, jump or play for several hours after eating regardless of what diet they are on. Feed them smaller meals spaced out rather than one large meal.

INGREDIENTS TO AVOID: Corn, Wheat, Wheat Gluten, Brown Rice, Beet Pulp, Tomato Pomace, sorghum, soybeans, potatoes, alfalfa, tomato pomace, peas, beans, oats, garlic, and yucca. (Although I must note it is virtually impossible to find a pet food that does not contain some amount of rice so this is one ingredient you may need to compromise on and/or make sure it's whole rice and not rice flour or rice gluten or rice bran)

Plant based ingredients have been equated to POISON in the carnivor causing a wide variety of allergies, sterility and death. All of life's creatures are created with defense mechanisms. Plants are no different; many plants contain poisonous chemicals to ward off predators. When you take these plants and process them into food ingested year after year it CAN AND WILL produce side effects in your dog! Does your adult dog all of the sudden have allergies? All of the sudden seem twice his age with no energy? Or have you had a dog suddenly die? A poor diet with nutritionally devoid ingredients can be to blame!

Avoiding these ingredients will make shopping for your pet food a challenge to say the least. It will take much research to find one you are comfortable with. If you had to sacrafice any one for the other I would recommend finding a food that contains neither BEET PULP, WHEAT, CORN AND GLUTEN.

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MY RECOMMENDATION:
Personally, I HIGHLY recommend ONLY Abady dog food. It was created by Dr. Robert Abady, a veterinarian. It comes in 10 formulas for different breed sizes, stages of life and textures (the granular formulas have the consistency of dirt but they also have two kibble formulas and canned). Abady’s formulas are scientifically developed to be species specific and are made up of fish & real meat proteins and essential fatty acids. The Robert Abady Dog Food Company focuses it’s research on the fact that dogs are carnivores (meat-eaters) and believe many commercial dog food manufacturers are misleading the public into thinking that dogs are omnivores (meat and plant eaters) in order to justify the use of inexpensive plant based ingredients in the foods to save on manufacturing costs. The formulation of the Abady food is scientifically designed taking into account that dogs don’t require plant or carbohydrate based food, that their digestive system is designed to process meat/protein and they lack certain enzymes needed to breakdown plant matter. To further support the carnivore nature of dogs, their dental set up is also designed for meat/protein; to rip flesh, cut tendon and crush bone. Canines don’t possess a single tooth suited for grinding grain. Abady’s research has also made a connection between these plant-based foods consumed over time and digestive tract corrosion and bloat. In fact Abady’s research found reports of an alarming rise in Gastric Dilation (bloat) in the 70’s through the 90’s and could be directly correlated to the introduction of new ingredients in dog foods such as beet pulp and other highly expandable fiber ingredients that reek havoc on a dogs digestive system. I’ve been feeding Abady to my 9 year old Doberman since she was a puppy and in 9 years I’ve only had to take her to the vet ONCE or TWICE outside of regular vaccination visits. She’s never sick, her coat gleams and she is strong, lean & healthy and still acts like a puppy! I feed her 1 ½ to 2 cups a day.

There are several other amazing premium brands out there (you need to find the one you believe in).

Here is a brief analysis of some of the most popular premium brands:

-ABADY: It’s no coincidence that Abady is always at the top of the list alphabetically. It was created by veterinarian Dr. Robert Abady and I’ve been using it for 9+ years and it’s phenomenal. I consider it a stand alone premium dog food. There are many formulas for various stages of life and consistency and include predominantly beef protein (meat, muscle meat, organ meat) but some formulas also contain fish, chicken and lamb and various sources of omega fatty acids. Their granular formula (loose dirt-like consistency) is far superior as the process enables the processing of each ingredient individually to perfection making the nutrients more available than any other food. They also have a raw frozen formula…Raw meat provides a diet that is as close to how carnivores eat in the wild as is possible. Abady has created a superior raw meat complete diet that consists of a variety of muscle and organ meats with no fillers, artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors. They also have a small kibble formula that comes in chicken or lamb & rice. I exclusively use New York Natural & New Frontier Kibble formulas and the Classic Maintenance & Stress granular formula.

B.A.R.F. Diet: The "Biologicaly Appropriate Raw Food" diet is a good diet for your dog. It mimics what canines would eat in the wild. It combines raw chicken or raw beef with ground bone, essential vitamins and supplements along with fruits and vegetables all ground up into patties. While not a proponent of fruits and vegetables, the amount of raw protein in this diet is far superior to processed dog foods. NOTE: Please see "Important Info" page for crucial information on feeding your dog raw bones.

-CALIFORNIA NATURAL: They have a simple ingredients philosophy that you don’t need a masters in chemistry to understand. They stick to chicken, lamb and fish proteins combining with rice and omega fatty acids sources with minimal processing so that ingredients retain as much nutrients as possible. There are no fillers, fibers, wheat, corn or vegetables. A good choice!

-CANIDAE: They have a no grain, soy, corn, wheat and artificial preservatives philosophy. They stick to the basics; chicken, lamb, herring & turkey with rice. Their original chicken lamb & fish canned recipe or Platinum dry formula are both good choices.

-CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE DOG LOVERS SOUL: They’ve got everything in there except the kitchen sink; turkey, chicken, duck, salmon, fruits, vegetables and although they don’t use CORN OR WHEAT they do contain a number of other grains such as oats, whole grain rice & millet. It would seem to be a good balance between protein & carbs. The canned formulas seemed to have a better “order of appearance” of ingredients with protein far outweighing the vegetables than in the dry formula.

EAGLE PACK: This brand is a perfect example of the WRONG ingredients. They use corn meal and beet pulp. Stay away from this brand!

-INNOVA: They focus on simple, natural ingredients. The EVO line is far superior to their others formulas containing little or no grains focusing primarily on a raw meat/protein nutritional theory.

-MERRICK: A holistic brand that uses human grade ingredients like beef, chicken, turkey and trout using rice as the only grain ingredient in their canned formulas. This brand also contains high ingredients of fruits & vegetables which are of questionable necessity in dog food especially if together they outweigh the protein source, but in terms of avoiding corn, wheat, brans, hulls etc. in their canned formula, this brand fits the bill. The dry formula contains too many grains for my liking. I find their restaurant style selection and packaging/marketing (“grammy’s pot pie,” “smothered comfort” and “rocky mountain rainbows”) a bit of a gimmicky ploy to attract our internal human “comfort food” factor rather than the real focus of pet nutrition.

-NATURAL BALANCE: While they do use organic ingredients Natural Balance has a high content of grains and vegetables that seem to outweigh the protein. I would only recommend the Meat Rolls and Ultra Premium formula.

-NEWMAN'S OWN: The late Paul Newman and his wife were/are very philanthropic and have a reputable line of fine food items including pet food. All of the proceeds and royalties go to one charity or another. Their chicken is from hormone-free, vegetarian-fed chickens from the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. ‘Makes you feel all warm inside but their dry formulas contain high amounts of grains which seem to outweigh the protein. The canned formulas seem to have a better balance with much less grains.

-PINNACLE: Only available in a few formulas using Trout, Chicken & Duck ingredients with potato, oats and omegas avoiding all together corn, wheat, rice, barley and soy. Not a bad choice!! (The “Canine Dry” formula however, has tomato pomace and should be avoided!)

-SOLID GOLD: Their formulas vary widely and they use innovative ingredients like Bison and Salmon but their dry formulas have high grain content! Stick to canned formulas of Turkey & Chicken for this brand.

-THREE DOG BAKERY: (Found in supermarkets) They describe themselves as Ultra-Premium. This dog food is made from 100% Human quality ingredients in a USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) inspected plant. YOU could even eat this food. Although they do use vegetables in their recipes, which we have discussed the questionable necessity of, their dedication to high quality ingredients and the absence of grains such as corn and wheat as well as the absence of beet pulp and soy beans, I would consider this the only pet food fit for dogs at the supermarket. They keep their ingredients simple with a balance between protein & vegetables.

-WELLNESS: They have many different formulas and their ingredients vary widely. Some formulas first ingredient is a grain! Other formulas contain high amounts of multiple grains and some formulas have tomato pomace! Avoid the dry formula and stick to canned formulas that have a higher protein ratio over grain & vegetables if you’re a fan of this brand.

-WYSONG: They have many various formulas and use a lot of vegetables that can outweigh the protein. Most formulas use grains such as wheat & corn! Not my first pick.

IN ADDITION TO CORN, WHEAT & GLUTENS, AVOID ANY BRANDS THAT INCLUDE BEET PULP, SOYBEANS, HULLS, BRANS AND POMACE. These are considered indigestible fibers. After juices and sugars are extracted from fruits & vegetables for human consumption, pulps and pomaces are the processed remains used in pet foods offering little or no nutritional value but causing adverse effects on the digestive system. Sometimes picking a food is like picking the lesser of two evils between fruits & vegetables vs grains as some or all can be found in many brands.

SO-CALLED "PREMIUM: BRANDS TO AVOID: BilJak, Eagle, Evolve, Fromm, Nutro and Royal Canin as they all contain one or more of the ingredients to avoid.

Please also see the IMPORTANT INFO page for details about wheat glutens pertaining to the Menu Foods recall.

IF NOTHING ELSE, PLEASE DON’T BUY ALPO, OLD ROY, PURINA PUPPY CHOW OR DOG CHOW OR JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER BRAND YOU CAN GET AT YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET. MAKE SURE YOU READ THE INGREDIENTS!! THEY ALL CONTAIN ONE OR MORE OF THE INGREDIENTS I HAVE URGED YOU TO AVOID!

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IAMS, EUKANUBA AND SCIENCE DIET ARE NOT ON THE LIST FOR PREMIUM DOG FOODS...While these COMMERCIAL brands will tell you they are premium, I DO NOT consider them as such. They all use BEET PULP and preservatives in their ingredients therefor are not in the same class as ANY premium dog food!

There are hundreds and hundreds of pet food brands out there. Not all the manufacturers use poor quality ingredients but as a responsible pet owner, it’s up to you to educate yourself on what’s out there and what’s best for your pet.

WHERE TO BUY:
As of July 2008 I now purchase my Abady locally from J.M. K-9 in Brockton at 760 West Chestnut Street. They also carry other premium brands. www.jmk9.com 508-584-7801

The Robert Abady dog food company no longer distributes to Waggintails in Spencer, Mass. since the owners changed hands. They had become unreliable with their shipping and availability on several of my last orders so I stopped using them long before Abady discontinued their relationship. (hmmm great minds think alike) www.waggintails.com OR 800-946-8245.

Skipton Kennels at 70 Southhampton Street, Boston also carries almost every premium brand. You can place phone orders also (800) 738-6368 but their shipping time is not always reliable so order well in advance of running out of food.

Once you pick a brand, you can find it anywhere on the Internet.

MYTHS:
1) Dogs need vegetables and grains in their diet…not true! They are carnivores and need protein. Their entire makeup is designed to tear-into and digest meat and bone. Raw vegetables make a great alternative to processed treats but are not a requirement in the canine diet.

2) Dogs can’t eat raw meat…not true! Dogs can fully digest raw meat, fish and eggs and are unaffected by the bacteria that might otherwise debilitate a human due to certain enzymes in their digestive system. They have a harder time digesting cooked meat than raw. However, raw diets should be introduced early and avoid being introduced to seniors.

3) Beet pulp, soybeans and other fibers are beneficial to a dogs’ digestive health…not true! Abady’s research goes into a long litany of how the opposite is true. Soybeans and Beet pulp have adverse effects on a dogs’ digestive system.

4) The FDA oversees dog food manufactures procedures…true yes, but even the FDA’s website states “Neither the FDA nor state feed control officials have the number of employees required to monitor every supplement and food manufacturer and prevent those using unapproved ingredients from selling their products…It's a matter of profit incentive versus likelihood of getting caught. The same forces apply for why police cannot write speeding tickets to everyone driving over the speed limit. That doesn't make speeding legal."

BOTTOM LINE
Their entire lives, our pets rely solely upon us to provide for them. It is our responsibility to make sure what we are feeding them is safe, healthy, nutritionally balanced and appropriate for their species.

CREDITS:
EXCERPS & INFORMATION FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES WERE USED TO GATHER THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE JUST READ. VISIT THESE SITES FOR EVEN MORE INFORMATION ON WHATS REALLY IN DOG FOOD AND YOU’LL NEVER LOOK AT THE DOG FOOD ISLE IN YOUR SUPERMARKET THE SAME AGAIN!!!

www.api4animals.org
www.ababadyfeeds.com
www.therobertabadydogfoodcoltd.com
www.fda.gov/fdac
www.fuzzyfaces.com
www.petcaretips.net/premiumfood
www.petcaretips.net/petfood_ingredients
www.shalako.com
www.frrhealthypet.com
www.threedog.com
www.waggintails.com
www.barfworld.com

I hope you have found this information insightful. My hope is that I have changed your mind from ever purchasing commercial brand dog food again.

You are wiser now and should feel the need to do better for your dogs nutrition.