It’s Never Too Late to Improve Your Pet’s Diet

It’s Never Too Late to Improve Your Pet’s Diet
Just how does a dog’s digestive system work? Unlike ours, a dog’s stomach is extremely acidic and designed for meat eating. Because of this, food is broken up and processed swiftly and effectively so that waste is ejected after each meal. Body systems were designed for dogs in the wild, eating mainly a diet of wild meat and a few vegetables and fruits. Because of the quick breakdown, absorption and elimination, disease is usually prevented because fungi and bacteria don’t have the time nor the hot, wet and juicy alkaline environment in which they thrive. They cannot survive in such a highly acidic system.
So where did the idea of dry dog food come from? In the late 1800’s an entrepreneur saw local dogs feasting on the leftover, thrown away hardtack biscuits from a ship’s crew. He immediately created his new delicacy/treat for discerning dog owners - dog cookies. No one was thinking about the effect such food would have on the dogs. It was a novel idea that took off! And so the competitive dog biscuit business was born, later to be followed by dry kibble sold for the “convenience” of the pet owner. Again, no one was thinking of the long term effects of such food. After all, they are just dogs!

                                                 

JUST DOGS!!!! For some of us, our dogs are like our children and are esteemed members of our family. We have always trusted dog food brand advertising to be as healthy as they say and show in their ads. BUT... it may be time to do our own research and discover what is in our current dog food and what other options are available in our price range. The ingredients and their impact on your pet’s health and happiness are there to discover. Obviously, you want food that does not give allergies or inflammation and does not lead to eye, hip or tumour issues.
According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA) statistics, pet owners collectively spend upwards of $63 billion per year pampering their furry loved ones with special toys, bedding, “outfits” and food, because we like to take care of our pets just like they’re our children. It is a big and profitable industry. If we are going to spend that kind of money on our doggie children, surely the food would have the highest priority because it is directly relevant to quality of life, health and life span.

                                                                 

WHY RAW DOG FOOD?

Since a dog’s body is designed to eat fresh meat, it is common sense that they will digest it better and have fewer health problems overall. A dog’s ideal diet contains 96% meat to 4% vegetable/fruit. Does that mean that all raw meat and vegetables and fruits are suitable for your dog? No it doesn’t. Did you notice that grains are not on the list? That is because they do not digest well and can cause problems. Of their own accord, dogs in their natural habitat do not seek out grains to eat. As with humans, organic is always best because it has no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or antibiotics.

Of course, not everyone can afford organic for themselves, let alone their dog. Or can you? Later I will show you a comparison of prices. How you spend your money is your decision, but if you have to choose between toys, clothes and food, always choose high quality food; that is what your dog will appreciate most! Along with the raw food, it is helpful to add a little omega oil or coconut oil every so often for their skin and coat.

Just like humans, dogs need enzymes to help them break down what they eat in order for them be able to absorb the nutrients from their food.Unless you’re feeding them a strictly raw food diet, the chances of them getting the enzymes they need is slim to none. The primary function of enzymes is to convert larger foods into smaller nutrients that your pet’s body can use. Consuming food without enzymes is a lot like putting fuel in a car that doesn’t have an engine and expecting it to run: it’s just not going to happen!

Cooked or processed food doesn’t generate the strength and vitality a pet needs to live a long healthy life. Let’s look at kibble. What is kibble and how is it made?

Kibble may have some of the same ingredients listed on the label as other more nutrient-dense forms of food, but their ingredients look at lot different. Rather than using fresh raw ingredients such as meats, fish, fruits and vegetables from local farmers, most kibble producers use foods from unknown sources, including China, sold through brokers in a dehydrated, powdered form. The powders are produced by cooking twice at high heat, thus destroying enzymes and phytonutrients. Because of the dryness, 10-15 cups of water has to be added per small bag of finished product. When meat is listed, it doesn’t say that they usually are using animal carcases (not the whole animal) and it doesn’t list which animals it is using which may include squirrel, horse, rat and dead animals. Also, since flavour and nutrients have been decimated, kibble is sprayed with animal fat for flavouring and synthetic supplements are added. Kibble used to be made from cereal grains such as corn, barley and rice, but with the rise in cancers, grains are being removed and replaced with lentils, pea powder, chick peas, garbanzo beans, potatoes, tapioca and potato starch which is leading to pet obesity. Yes, kibble is convenient for us, but is it good for our pets? Here is a video of Dr. Becker, a popular wholistic veterinarian with her list of best to worst pet foods which is well worth watching. She begins with some background information on pets and how they eat and process their foods.

Dr.Karen Becker


To summarize, she says to feed yourself and your pet as much unprocessed fresh food as you can afford. Some healthy food is better than no healthy food. Maybe you can begin with some fresh food twice a week or healthy snacks if the food is too expensive. Here is the list of her best to worst pet foods which she explains in the video:

1.         Nutritionally balanced raw home-made diet

2.         Nutritionally balanced cooked (slowly over low heat) home-made diet

3.         Commercially available balanced raw food diet

4.         Dehydrated or freeze-dried raw diet

5.         Commercially available cooked or refrigerated food

6.         Human grade canned food

7.         Super Premium canned food

8.         Human grade dry food

9.         Super Premium dry food

10.      Grocery store brand canned food

11.      Grocery store brand dry food

12.      Semi-moist pouch food

13.      Unbalanced home-made raw or cooked diet

Don’t despair if you are currently feeding your pet from the lower half of the list. Make an effort to improve the food quality as you are able to afford it. You can find other excellent videos from Dr. Becker on YouTube.