Guide to Dog Food: Feeding Dogs the Natural Way

What Is Dog Food, Anyway?

Many people these days are under the impression that the only dog food is processed dog food, primarily dry kibble. This has not been true for most of the history of dogs, of course; kibble has been around less than a century. Before that, dogs lived primarily on people's leftovers. Millions of dogs the world over still live this way, sometimes as family pets, sometimes as feral animals at the dump. Not all of them eat well. Kibble is a step up from feeding at the dump, for sure. But is it the best option?

Why Kibble Is Less Than Perfect

READ LABELS. Many brands list corn as the primary ingredient. Corn is used because it's cheap, not because it's good for dogs. Many dogs are allergic to it, and develop skin and coat problems. The meat in dog food is often that declared unfit for human consumption, and may include diseased and cancerous animals. Consider the meaning of some of the common terms on dog food labels...

Meal - This is any part of the plant or animal ground up, such as beaks, feet, hooves, cartilage, etc.

By-products - All sorts of slaughterhouse waste... manure, hair, feathers, even bloody sawdust off the floor.

Meat - When the label doesn't specify but lists only "meat," it could be anything, from nearly any source.

BHA, BHT & ethoxyquin - Evidence suggests these artificial preservatives may cause cancer.

Besides poor-quality and inappropriate ingredients, manufactured dog food is, by necessity, processed and cooked. This removes vitamins, enzymes and other nutrients, some of which are replaced artificially, often lowering their digestibility. Also, kibble is dry. Those who sell it tout this as a good thing, but it may cause bloat in large dogs, kidney problems, urinary tract infections, and even incontinence, because dogs drink a great deal of water to compensate. As for the claim that dry food cleans teeth, it's nothing to what a raw bone can do.

Or Think Of It This Way...