Health

How Dog Food Saved My Dog's Life

by Lois-Valbuena-Hannigan
LI Golden Retriever Rescue

As a lifelong dog lover and owner it never ceases to amaze me that I continue to learn new things each and every day. As a dog trainer with over a decade of experience I am convinced that good nutrition plays a large roll in a dog's appearance, behavior and overall health. I am not an animal nutritionist but someone who chose an alternative form of food to feed my dogs.

I have been home cooking for my dogs since I fostered a senior with cancer almost a decade ago. When I was told Casey had terminal cancer my veterinarian, who practices both eastern combined with western veterinary medicine and I worked closely to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Casey was a senior golden retriever that was dropped off at a kill shelter. The Long Island Golden Retriever Rescue was contacted. LIGRR choose to rescue him to enable him to enjoy a few more months of life. My husband and I fostered him. He had a mast cell tumor in his mouth the size of a tennis ball. Casey's vet removed it while other vets said they would not. They said he only had 1 month, 2 at best and felt removal was not indicated or recommended. Well, between eastern medicine in conjunction with western medicine and a controlled diet of lean meat, fresh vegetables and berries (mostly blueberries) Casey lived a good quality of life for 12 more months. While most golden retrievers barely live to see the teen years, mine live well into their teens, i.e. 14, 16, 17. I must be doing something right. A friend of mine had two relatively young golden retrievers pass from cancer in the last two years. She finally made the transition to home cooking. This is not to say that genetics is not a large factor in longevity. It has been my experience that home cooking has proven to be the food that helped Casey live longer. It is my dog food of choice. I ensure that they receive a daily vitamin, fish oil and Omega 3 and Calcium.

Below is the history of just how commercial dog food came to be. Ironically, a form of home cooking (table scraps) was the first dog food.

Much to the surprise of many dog owners, commercial dog food has only been in existence a relatively short time, by comparison to the length of time that dogs have been considered companion animals. Before commercial dog food existed, many dog owners fed their dogs table scraps, most commonly know to us a "leftovers". Some dogs were fed meat scraps from the butcher because it was considered unusable for human consumption. Farm dogs were treated to raw meat, raw milk, and eggs. Dogs of the wealthy were reportedly prepared higher quality meals, including seasonings. In 1860 James Spratt, of Cincinnati, Ohio noticed that stray dogs were eating hardtack, a biscuit produced from combining flour, water and salt, discarded by sailors while in port. He was then inspired to create the first processed dog food by mixing wheat, beet root, vegetables and beef blood. He named this new product Spratts Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes. Naturally, others jumped on the band wagon. Some companies claimed that their product was a cure for worms and some diseases. Other companies were offered paid endorsements from veterinarians. Even in its inception, controversy surrounded dog nutrition. Prompted by the Great Depression in the 1930s dog owners sought less expensive ways to feed their companions. Less raw meat was fed and cereals and grains filled their bowls instead. In the 1940s, canned dog food was introduced, as well as a dehydrated product that included the instructions, "just add water". As debates surrounded product superiority, numerous marketers of the new dog food stated that their products were better quality because they made use of grain hulls and non human grade meats. It was also stated by using a processed dog food, instead of fresh meat, that the dogs were less likely to be finicky. Even though fresh meat and vegetables were considered superior, the processed food was much more economical. Post World War II saw sales boons in dry, processed dog food. Grain dealers and mill operators found a good source for by-products. At this point in time there were no regulations on dog food. Consequently, slaughterhouses supplied non human grade meats, diseased meats and unusable parts to dog food manufacturers. The use of these products created a market. This waste was mixed with grains and heated for several hours or days to kill bacteria and disease. The mix was formed into pellets, packaged and sold in bags. The 1950s brought a considerable change. The Purina Company is responsible for developing an innovative concept for dry dog food. Formerly, there were just two types of dry dog food, pellets and kibble. Purina developed a new technique called extrusion. This is a process by which all the ingredients are combined and cooked to create liquid form. The liquid is mechanically pushed through the extruder, which expands the food and then bakes it. The extruder expands the liquid into larger pieces than the original pellets, therefore creating a "more for your money" marketing ploy. In 1969 Dr. Kronfeld from the University of Pennsylvania stated in the American Veterinary Medical Association that an all meat dog foods are incomplete. He reported that dogs need a fortified diet that includes carbohydrates. He maintained that too much protein was unhealthy for dogs. Convenience was the most significant motivation for dog owners to purchase prepared and packaged dog food. Promoting the bags as complete nutrition was also a contributing factor as to the widespread popularity of prepared dog food. The fact that all one needed to do to ensure complete nutrition for their companion was to pour dry dog food into a bowl was a very attractive inducement, as well. A campaign was created in 1964, through the Pet Food Institute, to inform the public of the dangers of feeding dogs table scraps. This information was achieved through press releases to one thousand newspapers and sixteen magazine articles and almost one hundred radio stations. Celebrities in television spots began endorsing dog food. Ads started to appear in the media. Signs were also created to illustrate the idea of a delicious, healthy meal for Fido. As the marketing tactics were beginning to pay off, dog food moved from feed stores to the grocery shelves. It was then the dog food companies embarked on fierce competition with one another. Dr. Mark Morris DVM, founder of Hill's Science Diet products, is responsible for manufacturing the first specialty dog food diet. It was formulated for kidney and heart disease. These products were available by prescription only and were offered exclusively at the veterinarian's office. Purina was the next pet food company to develop specialty food that addressed certain conditions that affected man's best friend. Until 1974 the National Research Council (NCR) regulated the protocol nutritional values required for pet food. That year a new organization was formed: American Association of Feed Control officials (AAFCO). This organization was formed by the pet food industry and changed the standards of the NCR testing procedures. AAFCO extended feeding trials of the dog food over a period of time to the testing of chemical analysis. Although this offered results for the percentages and breakdowns, it did not address the issue of the type of food used, i.e. freshness, digestibility of the ingredients. This left the dog food industry to regulate itself without government intervention forcing the NCR to update their guidelines in 1985.

The next movement in commercial pet food was towards premium dog foods. These foods were developed to address better nutrition and to target all stages of life, including, but not limited to, puppies, weight management, performance and senior dogs. With good reason this new category confused the public. Although these foods were advertised to be "premium" the 1974 NCR standards were still in use.

This brings us to home cooking, raw diet and a variety of prepared, refrigerated foods and dehydrated food for your dog.

If you are interested in feeding your dog a raw diet there are guidelines that must be adhered to. You cannot go into the supermarket and pick up a pound of chopped meat and feed it to your dog. Although dogs love meat they are not exclusively carnivores. Dogs are animals of opportunity. Dogs enjoy eating a variety of foods. Many drool over fresh vegetables and fruits. The theory behind raw food is to simulate the diet a dog would eat in the wild. We all know that is not wholly possible but it can come close. This diet must include bone, marrow, organ meat, fresh meat. Including fresh vegetables and fruits, especially berries, will add variety, as well as anti-oxidants. This diet can be purchased at specialty stores on Long Island and on line.

Home cooking can be a little tricky (for instance you must always add the correct dosage of Calcium) This is my personal choice. I have been home cooking for my golden retrievers for eight years. I began cooking when Casey, one of my foster dogs, was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor. My veterinarian recommended that I home cook for him without including grains. He said dogs have not evolved the necessary enzymes to digest or utilize grain in their diet. He informed me that processed carbohydrates accelerate the growth of certain cancer cells. He said our best defense against mast cell is diet. Casey's cancer was advanced when he came to us. We had the tumor removed but he was given only a month or two to live, even with chemotherapy. I followed a recipe that I was given. It includes meats, vegetables, fruits and sweet potato. Surprisingly, Casey lived for another year, enjoying a good quality of life. I attribute it to the diet he was given in conjunction with medicine. I continue to cook for my pack. I do give them a daily vitamin and supplements. If you are going to enter this door you need to ensure that you dog is getting all the essential nutrients required.

Dehydrated dog food is self explanatory. All you need to do is add water. The food then returns to its original state. Dehydrated dog food can be purchased in specialty stores and on line, as well. I have recently seen an influx of refrigerators in pet stores and supermarkets. These refrigerators contain fresh food that you can purchase and serve your dog.

Certainly everyone should memorize the foods that are toxic to dogs and to not offer food to your dog that contains spices, salt and sugar. See ASPCA site for toxic foods for dogs http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/people-foods.aspx

As you can see there are many choices available to you. As dog owners you are responsible for a precious life. Whether you choose, dry food, wet food, home cooking or raw, please educate yourselves. Read labels. If there are ingredients that are not familiar to you, then familiarize yourself with them. Please consult you veterinarian prior to changing you dog's diet. This article was meant to inform and educate and not in any way to recommend or endorse any particular category of dog food.

• When purchasing dog food always look for the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) approval, found on the packaging near the crude analysis. If AAFCO, does not appear on the package this food does not contain all the necessary nutrients set forth for a complete diet.
• If you decide to home cook for your dog, with your veterinarian's approval, there are many cookbooks available to you. The recipes in these cookbooks are veterinarian approved
• Subscribe to The Whole Dog Journal (www.wholedogjournal.com), which is an excellent monthly publication that not only covers canine behavior and equipment, but also includes lots of discussion on nutrition from raw to home cooked and commercial products. Their explain the results of their extensive research on all currently available dog foods. They rank them by categories of nutritional value, process and source of ingredients and offer a list of best/worst commercial dog foods every year, and include why they did or did not make the list. You will be surprised who did and did NOT make their list and why!

We are always happy to hear from our readers. If you have a story about how the quality of your dog's health was improved or if you believe you dog's life was saved by quality nutrition we would love to hear from you.