Nutrition Basics Feeding Your Dog in the Wake of the Pet Food Recall

Nutrition Basics - Feeding Your Dog in the Wake of the Pet Food Recall
By Laurie Coger, DVM

More than ever before, owners are paying more attention to what goes in their dogs food bowls. The question of how and what a dog should be fed is often heatedly debated premium kibble versus look-alike brands from wholesale clubs versus grocery store brands, raw, home-cooked, and fresh frozen. Should supplements be used, or is the food complete and balanced, as the labels state? Should grains be fed? Should bones be whole or ground? What about herbal supplements, joint supplements, vitamins, and probiotics? What about the special needs of the dog with health problems, older dog, or growing puppy?

Whatever feeding plan is used, it must fit in the daily routine of the owner. The food chosen must be readily available. The food must meet the nutritional needs of the individual dog, and be fed in a way to not provide excessive or deficient amounts of key nutrients. All foods should be clean and fresh, especially kibble that is naturally preserved with tocopherols and or citric acid. Naturally preserved food that is stored too long may become rancid or moldy, as well as losing its nutritional value. Always check expiration dates.

The vast majority of dogs in this country, whether family companions or competitive/working dogs, are fed some type of commercial food. For the purposes of this article, commercial food will be divided into three categories: standard or grocery store foods, premium or pet store foods, and super-premium foods. The best way to understand the differences in these foods is to review the ingredients of a representative of each food category. (Food examples were chosen based on nationwide advertising and availability.)

Standard Food: Kibbles 'N Bits. Corn, Soybean meal, Ground wheat, Beef & bone meal, Animal fat*

Premium Food: Nutro Max Adult. Chicken Meal, Wheat Flour, Ground Whole Wheat, Rice Bran, Poultry Fat**

Super-Premium Food: Timberwolf Organics Lamb, & Barley, & Apples. Lamb, Salmon Meal, Lamb Meal, Salmon, Whole Ground Oats

*BHA and citric acid used as preservatives **Preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E

Figure 1. Top 5 ingredients of common dog foods.

As you can see from these examples, the proportion of meat in the top 5 ingredients (listed in order of amount, i.e. the first ingredient is present in the largest amount) is small in the standard grocery store food. The meat source, beef and bone meal, is defined as a rendered product made from beef parts which are not suitable for human consumption. Rendering is the process by which waste products are broken down to be used in, among other things, dog food. Rendering companies typically collect waste from slaughterhouses, dead livestock, restaurant and grocery store wastes, and in some areas, euthanized animals (livestock and in some areas, pets). The collected animals and waste are then sprayed or injected with carbolic acid or similar chemicals to break down the proteins. This is followed by grinding and cooking. Fat is separated out, and the remaining material is dried to produce meal.

The premium quality food lists chicken meal as the first ingredient. While it is a more specific type of meal, and likely of higher quality, it is still a rendered product. Also, two varieties of wheat are listed, a technique known as splitting in labeling jargon. It cannot be determined from the label whether the food contains more chicken meal or wheat. A big advantage the premium food offers is the use of tocopherols for preservation, rather than the suspected carcinogen BHA.

In contrast, the super-premium food protein source is whole, unrendered meat, meaning muscle with or without organ meat and associated structures. The first four ingredients are proteins, with the fifth being a more digestible grain than is used in cheaper foods. According to the manufacturer, this food contains ten pounds of lamb and fish meal for every twenty pounds of dog food.

After learning what is really in commercial dog foods, you may be wondering what you have been putting in your best friends bowl! You thought you were getting the best food possible when you paid for an expensive brand, only to find out it is mostly grains. You are probably wondering if you have used a food that contains rendered euthanized animals, including dogs and cats. Two studies performed by the US Food & Drug Administration demonstrated the presence of the euthanasia drug sodium pentobarbital in many commercial dog foods, including premium brands. You may be considering the possibility that some of your dogs health issues could be food related. Most of all, you are probably wondering what commercial foods can meet your dogs nutritional needs in a wholesome way.

Fortunately, as more people learn about commercial foods, the demand for super-premium quality dog foods has increased, and more options are available today than ever before. It is now possible to find non-meal protein sources, grain free foods, and foods that use all human grade ingredients. With some research and careful label reading, you can find foods you can be comfortable feeding. With some companies offering delivery to your home, getting the highest quality food available has become easier, regardless of your location.

In response to learning what may be contained in dog food, many owners have turned to home-prepared diets. Feeding so-called natural diets is becoming commonplace. Advocates of natural diets are often very enthusiastic about the merits of feeding real food to their dogs. Commonly cited benefits of a natural diet include reduction of allergies, better coats, stronger immune systems, and fewer gastrointestinal problems.

There are many feeding plans that fall under the general description of a natural diet. Perhaps the best known is the Bones And Raw Food diet designed by Dr. Ian Billinghurst. The core of this plan is the raw meaty bone, most commonly poultry necks, backs, and wings. Other pioneers of natural feeding such as Wendy Volhard and Dr. Kerry Brown advocate use of raw meats and vegetables, as well as a grain/cereal meal. Their feeding plan is one of the few that has been shown to meet or exceed the minimum daily requirement of all known nutrients, and was tested on dogs in all life stages for 12 years before being published. Many other feeding plans exist, and incorporate concepts from the Volhard and Billinghurst diets. Several companies are producing premixes and meats designed for inclusion in these plans, eliminating some of the work involved in feeding a natural diet. Finding recipes for feeding plans has never been easier, as there are many books, seminars, and internet resources available.

Although it is becoming easier to feed a natural diet, it can still be time consuming and require extra work. It requires an investment of time to become educated about your dogs nutritional needs. You must find a source for clean and fresh meats and other ingredients, and have the freezer space to store them. Depending on the diet plan you choose, you may need to grind or blanch vegetables or prepare cereal meals. You will also need to monitor your dogs health with regular veterinary check-ups and blood testing. It is imperative that you use appropriate supplements, as a poorply designed natural diet can result in nutrient deficiencies or excesses.

Many veterinarians and owners object to a natural diet. They are concerned that the raw meat may be contaminated with bacteria and cause infection, and that raw bones may perforate the digestive tract. They are worried that the diet is not completely balanced, as a kibble meal would be. Since the advent of commercial dog foods, we have been lectured about the evils of giving our dogs human food, as that would unbalance the diet. How can we possibly consider feeding a dog a completely human food diet?

Raw meats inevitably contain a large bacterial load. These bacteria can be dangerous to humans, so practicing good food hygiene is important, whether preparing your dinner or your dogs. However, a dogs digestive system is designed to handle bacteria that would be life threatening to a person. Bacteria are everywhere. If he couldnt handle large bacterial loads, your dog would surely die from chewing on sticks, licking his feet after walking in dirty areas, or scavenging discarded foods from the trashcan.

The risk that raw bones may perforate the digestive tract is small, but theoretically possible. Cooked bones are far more likely to splinter, and do pose a real risk. Appropriately sized raw bones, especially non-weight bearing bones, can be thoroughly chewed by most dogs and tend to be crushed by chewing. Of course all dogs should be supervised while chewing meaty bones.

The dog food industry has fostered the belief that each meal we feed our dogs must be completely balanced. Meeting your dogs nutritional needs for the basic nutrients protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals is the very definition of a complete diet. However, the body possesses the ability to store nutrients, a buffer, making it unnecessary to eat a 24-hour supply of these nutrients every day. In fact, the Volhard diet is fed in 7 days cycles, taking advantage of the bodys ability to store some nutrients and allowing the digestive system to rest one day of the cycle.

Deciding what to feed your dog is a not a simple decision. The more you learn about commercial foods, the more selective you will become. Fortunately, more high quality kibble foods, which approach the quality of natural diets, are readily available. Premixes that make feeding and traveling with a natural diet easier are also available. Feeding a natural diet is becoming more common and accepted, as owners strive to do the best for their dogs. Whether you choose to feed your dog fresh or kibbled food, you have several excellent feeding plans to choose from.

Resources: Additional information and links can be found at http://www.TheWholisticVet.com

Dr. Laurie S. Coger is an honors graduate of Cornell University, majoring in Animal Science, with a special interest in nutrition. She received her DVM degree from Cornells College of Veterinary Medicine.

She has successfully competed in conformation, obedience, and herding events, achieving many titles with her dogs. She provides on-site veterinary care at dog competitions, with the combined perspective of a competitor and a veterinarian. She is a frequent speaker at animal interest events, & is a section editor for an award winning magazine, the Australian Shepherd Journal.

Dr. Coger is certified by the International Association of Veterinary Chiropractitioners, the largest animal adjusting organization in the world. This alternative technique has helped a number of animals whose conditions were thought to be beyond help, as well as canine athletes in competition. By combining adjustments with nutritional therapy, other complementary medical means, and conventional medicine, Dr. Cogers unique approach to health care has contributed to the health & well being of many pets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=LaurieCoger,DVM
http://EzineArticles.com/?Nutrition-Basics---Feeding-Your-Dog-in-the-Wake-of-the-Pet-Food-Recall&id=647151