The Dog Show with Julie Forbes » 2009 » June

I recently counted all of the selections of dog food from three different stores in Seattle. I went to a large grocery store, a large pet supply store, and a smaller “natural” pet supply store, covering the range of quality from worst to best. I counted all the brand names available: Orijen, Wellness, Iams, Science Diet, Purina, etc. I also counted, within those brands, all the different formulas available: “Lamb and Rice,” “Chicken and Rice,” “Reduced Calorie,” “Senior Formula,” “Balanced Nutrition,” “Oral Care,” “Skin and Coat Formula,” and on and on and on (and on and on). My tally reached well over 300 options and I hadn’t even tapped into veterinary offices, raw food diets, and online distributors. No wonder conscientious pet owners feel overwhelmed when it comes to selecting their pet’s food!

My mission: To educate and empower pet owners to make confident and healthy choices regarding their pet’s diet.

Generally speaking, the pet food industry does not exist for the benefit of our pets. It exists as a moneymaking by-product of the human food industry. Commercial pet diets – the hard, dry pellets we scoop into our pet’s dishes – have only been on the market for about 100 years. Dogs have been living with people for thousands of years, so how could their digestive tracts have evolved past a more natural, fresh diet? Do their bodies really thrive on such highly processed, grain-based foods?

How can you tell the difference between This Bag and That Bag? They both say they are “Nutritionally Balanced,” AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) approved, and “The Healthiest Food for Your Pet!” Here is an easy first step: Buy your pet’s food from a smaller store that boasts “natural,” human quality pet diets.

If you split up the entire industry into just two categories, they would be: “human-grade” and “pet-grade.” Pet-grade foods contain ingredients that are not fit for human consumption. A few examples: meat by-products, grain fractions, growth hormones, and dangerous preservatives. Human-grade, which is not an industry-accepted label, indicates the food was made with ingredients fit for human consumption, is preserved naturally with vitamins and fat, and generally contains higher quality, more digestible grains. Most of the local, independently owned stores are committed to carrying only human-grade foods. Yes, these foods are more expensive, but for a very important reason: They are simply better quality. Don’t worry! You don’t have to feed as much of the higher quality foods because they contain less grain filler. Compare the suggested daily feeding amounts listed on the back of an inexpensive grocery store brand versus the suggested amounts on a human-grade brand. You will find that you can feed significantly less of the high quality foods than you would the low quality brands.

One more thing: Stay away from any foods that contain corn, wheat or soy as a grain source. They are the three most troublesome grains to a dog’s digestive tract. They have a very low digestibility and often cause digestive upsets and allergic reactions. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to: loose, wet, large, stinky stools, gas, regurgitation, urinary tract infections/crystals, diabetes, itchy skin, hot spots, weepy ears, chronic ear infections. The list goes on. If you’re feeding pet-grade food, start transitioning your dog to a higher quality, healthier diet today.

REMEMBER: Introduce new foods slowly. Start with a proportion of roughly 10-20% new food and 80-90% old food. Observe your pet’s digestion for a day or two, and if all goes well, increase to 25-30% new and 70-75% old. Continue to gradually increase the new food content until you’ve completely phased out the old. Also, introduce one new thing at a time so you are easily able to identify what your pet is reacting to, good or bad. It is normal for dogs’ stool to change consistency and even get a little soft during the transition. Just go slow and if one brand doesn’t work out, try another!

Bone Appetit!

I don’t know how many times I’ve said in the past several years, “Walking through the woods with my dogs off leash is one of my favorite things to do.”It is.

There is something so simple, and right, about footsteps in a forest with dogs galloping around you – the feeling of walking together as a unit, a pack, a family.

I am beginning to think it isn’t just because I love my dogs, that I love this experience. I am beginning to think it is genetic wiring.

Dogs have been living with people for potentially over 100,000 years. If the two species have been living together, day in and day out, for SO LONG, wouldn’t it make sense that we are evolving together as animals?

Dogs seem to be getting smarter and smarter and in some cases, almost human-like with the way they relate socially to the world. As we pull dogs closer to humanity, I think dogs are pulling us closer to them.

Consider this: Dogs have measurable, positive psychological and physiological effects on people when they are with them.

There are many positive physiological effects that people benefit from, when with a dog. To generalize: People are more relaxed in the presence of a dog.

I believe this is genetic wiring. When dogs first started transforming from wolves, their roles with us quickly developed into these basic jobs: alerting us to the presence of a threat: cougar in the neighborhood, hunting partner: making our hunts easier and more fruitful, and herding: helping us manage large flocks of livestock.

Dogs have made things easier for us. Imagine being in the wilderness among dangerous predators. Wouldn’t the presence of a dog that barks when he senses a threat, allow you to relax and not feel like you have to be so vigilant? Are you a woman who lives alone and finds comfort in having a dog with you to alert you/deter any potential threat when you feel vulnerable? This phenomenon has been happening for tens, and tens, of thousands of years.

Yup, we are wired to live with dogs. I think our reptilian brains think that our survival depends on it!