Nutrition
Well, maybe not for us humans, but these are three common ingredients in the foods that most people feed their
dogs. Don’t believe me? You don’t have to take my word for it. Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com and pull up a
review on your current dog food. You might be surprised!
Dogs are primarily carnivores. Surprisingly, the most common ingredients in dog food are corn, rice, wheat, soy,
oatmeal, beet pulp and sawdust (cleverly disguised as “powdered cellulose”). These ingredients are either indigestible or
nearly indigestible to dogs. They are used as inexpensive fillers and to help bind the kibble together.
Unfortunately, these ingredients are often sources of allergy problems in dogs. Ear infections, skin problems, chewing or
licking feet and problems with anal glands can be symptoms of food allergies. These symptoms are often treated with
steroids which reduce inflammation and make your dog feel better, but can have serious side effects. Diabetes and
Cushing’s disease are two common side effects to long-term steroid use. So before you take your dog into the vet for an
“allergy shot”, consider changing his food to a grain-free diet. You can find a listing of grain-free foods on the website
mentioned above or try one of the recommended foods listed below.
Along with indigestible grains, there are other ingredients that you should be aware of. Many lower-grade foods will use
“by-products”. By-products are the beaks and feet mentioned above. By-products also include necks, intestine and other
parts of the animal that are not fit for human consumption.
Since we are on the topic of meat, you should also be aware of how meat is listed in the ingredients. Ingredients on a
food bag are listed according to weight. In order to make the food appears more nutritious, dog food companies want to
list the meat content as one of the first ingredients. Unfortunately, there are a couple different ways to list meat. If meat
is listed as “beef, lamb, chicken, etc”, it means that it still contains water. Since ingredients are listed by weight, and water
makes up 80% of the weight of meat, listing the meat while it still has its water content will place it higher on the ingredient
list. If you were to remove the water content from the meat listed, it would drop the meat several places in the list and may
fall behind grains and fillers. Look for meat listed as a meal as in “beef meal, chicken meal, lamb meal, etc”. A meat meal
is meat without water content. Food with meat meal as a first or second ingredient will be of much higher quality than food
with just meat listed first or second. It is best to find a food with at least 3-5 meat meals listed as the first ingredient. For
more information on how to read food labels, visit the FDA website here.
Lower-quality foods can also contain chemical preservatives (BHT, BHA, and Ethoxyquin) and dyes that have been
banned from human food consumption because they are believed to be carcinogenic. So not only can your dog’s food
cause allergies, it may cause cancer! Some studies have shown that food coloring and additives can lead to hyperactivity
and decreased brain function. For more information, on food coloring in foods, go to http://www.webmd.com/add-
adhd/news/20040524/food-additives-may-affect-kids-hyperactivity and http://www.feingold.org/pg-taylor.html
What about texture? Should you feed canned? Raw? Dry? Semi-moist? If you ask two people what is best, you will get
three answers. Let’s start with this tip: If the food you are buying looks like it could be confused with PlayDoh, you may
want to re-think feeding it to your pup. Semi-moist foods (PlayDoh food) are usually found in small serving packets.
These foods contain more moisture than dry foods and are individually wrapped to reduce the risk of drying out and
loosing their shape and texture or becoming contaminated with mold or bacteria due to the moisture content. These
foods have added chemicals to help retain moisture and combat mold and bacterial growth. These chemicals are
carcinogenic and many have been removed from human consumption for this reason. For more information on the
differences in food types, click here.
How do you know what foods to choose? You can save a lot of time by consulting www.dogfoodanalysis.com or you can
look at the labels carefully. Always remember that ingredients are listed by weight. So if grains or other fillers are listed
as the first few ingredients, you will want to keep looking. Look for meat content that is listed as meat meal and is at the
top of the list. If the kibble is in the form of cute colored shapes, think again. Dogs don’t care that the kibble is bone-
shaped or multi-colored! Also, save your time trying to find a decent food at the grocery store or Wal-Mart. These stores
do not carry top-grade foods. Instead, try Nashville Pet Products. Petco is beginning to carry some of the higher-end
foods as well. For those of you outside of the Nashville area, you can choose a food and go to their web site to find a
retailer near you.
What about cost? With dog food, that old saying about “you get what you pay for” is absolutely true. Yes, you will be
spending more money on dog food. But, you will also be spending less money on vet bills. Your dog will be healthier and
live longer. Also, since premium dog food has a higher nutritional content, you can usually feed your dog about 30% less
food than if you fed a lower-grade food! One other great side effect to feeding a great food: less poop! You will be
feeding less food and food without so many fillers. If the dog can’t digest the food, it has to go somewhere! Feed a better
quality food and your dogs will have smaller stools and won’t have to poo as often!
Other Recommendations:
* Select food that is certified by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). According to the FDA (Food
and Drug Administration), ‘dog and cat foods labeled as "complete and balanced" must meet standards established by the
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) either by meeting a nutrient profile or by passing a feeding trial’.
* If you change your dog’s diet, change the food gradually over several days. Start by feeding 75% of the old food
and 25% new for three days, then feed 50/50 for three days, then feed 25% old and 75% new for three days. This will
reduce the chance of gastrointestinal upset.
* Feed your dog a measured portion twice a day. Free-feeding (leaving food out all the time) can lead to obesity and
behavior problems. Feeding once a day can also lead to health and behavior problems. Dogs that are fed once a day
tend to have more problems with resource guarding, food stealing, and bloat because they are far hungrier between
meals. Feeding a measured portion twice a day can also alert you to health problems. Many pets will have a decrease in
appetite when they are ill. If food is left out all the time, it may take you longer to realize that your dog is not eating well.
dogs. Don’t believe me? You don’t have to take my word for it. Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com and pull up a
review on your current dog food. You might be surprised!
Dogs are primarily carnivores. Surprisingly, the most common ingredients in dog food are corn, rice, wheat, soy,
oatmeal, beet pulp and sawdust (cleverly disguised as “powdered cellulose”). These ingredients are either indigestible or
nearly indigestible to dogs. They are used as inexpensive fillers and to help bind the kibble together.
Unfortunately, these ingredients are often sources of allergy problems in dogs. Ear infections, skin problems, chewing or
licking feet and problems with anal glands can be symptoms of food allergies. These symptoms are often treated with
steroids which reduce inflammation and make your dog feel better, but can have serious side effects. Diabetes and
Cushing’s disease are two common side effects to long-term steroid use. So before you take your dog into the vet for an
“allergy shot”, consider changing his food to a grain-free diet. You can find a listing of grain-free foods on the website
mentioned above or try one of the recommended foods listed below.
Along with indigestible grains, there are other ingredients that you should be aware of. Many lower-grade foods will use
“by-products”. By-products are the beaks and feet mentioned above. By-products also include necks, intestine and other
parts of the animal that are not fit for human consumption.
Since we are on the topic of meat, you should also be aware of how meat is listed in the ingredients. Ingredients on a
food bag are listed according to weight. In order to make the food appears more nutritious, dog food companies want to
list the meat content as one of the first ingredients. Unfortunately, there are a couple different ways to list meat. If meat
is listed as “beef, lamb, chicken, etc”, it means that it still contains water. Since ingredients are listed by weight, and water
makes up 80% of the weight of meat, listing the meat while it still has its water content will place it higher on the ingredient
list. If you were to remove the water content from the meat listed, it would drop the meat several places in the list and may
fall behind grains and fillers. Look for meat listed as a meal as in “beef meal, chicken meal, lamb meal, etc”. A meat meal
is meat without water content. Food with meat meal as a first or second ingredient will be of much higher quality than food
with just meat listed first or second. It is best to find a food with at least 3-5 meat meals listed as the first ingredient. For
more information on how to read food labels, visit the FDA website here.
Lower-quality foods can also contain chemical preservatives (BHT, BHA, and Ethoxyquin) and dyes that have been
banned from human food consumption because they are believed to be carcinogenic. So not only can your dog’s food
cause allergies, it may cause cancer! Some studies have shown that food coloring and additives can lead to hyperactivity
and decreased brain function. For more information, on food coloring in foods, go to http://www.webmd.com/add-
adhd/news/20040524/food-additives-may-affect-kids-hyperactivity and http://www.feingold.org/pg-taylor.html
What about texture? Should you feed canned? Raw? Dry? Semi-moist? If you ask two people what is best, you will get
three answers. Let’s start with this tip: If the food you are buying looks like it could be confused with PlayDoh, you may
want to re-think feeding it to your pup. Semi-moist foods (PlayDoh food) are usually found in small serving packets.
These foods contain more moisture than dry foods and are individually wrapped to reduce the risk of drying out and
loosing their shape and texture or becoming contaminated with mold or bacteria due to the moisture content. These
foods have added chemicals to help retain moisture and combat mold and bacterial growth. These chemicals are
carcinogenic and many have been removed from human consumption for this reason. For more information on the
differences in food types, click here.
How do you know what foods to choose? You can save a lot of time by consulting www.dogfoodanalysis.com or you can
look at the labels carefully. Always remember that ingredients are listed by weight. So if grains or other fillers are listed
as the first few ingredients, you will want to keep looking. Look for meat content that is listed as meat meal and is at the
top of the list. If the kibble is in the form of cute colored shapes, think again. Dogs don’t care that the kibble is bone-
shaped or multi-colored! Also, save your time trying to find a decent food at the grocery store or Wal-Mart. These stores
do not carry top-grade foods. Instead, try Nashville Pet Products. Petco is beginning to carry some of the higher-end
foods as well. For those of you outside of the Nashville area, you can choose a food and go to their web site to find a
retailer near you.
What about cost? With dog food, that old saying about “you get what you pay for” is absolutely true. Yes, you will be
spending more money on dog food. But, you will also be spending less money on vet bills. Your dog will be healthier and
live longer. Also, since premium dog food has a higher nutritional content, you can usually feed your dog about 30% less
food than if you fed a lower-grade food! One other great side effect to feeding a great food: less poop! You will be
feeding less food and food without so many fillers. If the dog can’t digest the food, it has to go somewhere! Feed a better
quality food and your dogs will have smaller stools and won’t have to poo as often!
Other Recommendations:
* Select food that is certified by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). According to the FDA (Food
and Drug Administration), ‘dog and cat foods labeled as "complete and balanced" must meet standards established by the
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) either by meeting a nutrient profile or by passing a feeding trial’.
* If you change your dog’s diet, change the food gradually over several days. Start by feeding 75% of the old food
and 25% new for three days, then feed 50/50 for three days, then feed 25% old and 75% new for three days. This will
reduce the chance of gastrointestinal upset.
* Feed your dog a measured portion twice a day. Free-feeding (leaving food out all the time) can lead to obesity and
behavior problems. Feeding once a day can also lead to health and behavior problems. Dogs that are fed once a day
tend to have more problems with resource guarding, food stealing, and bloat because they are far hungrier between
meals. Feeding a measured portion twice a day can also alert you to health problems. Many pets will have a decrease in
appetite when they are ill. If food is left out all the time, it may take you longer to realize that your dog is not eating well.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Tonight Our Special is: Sawdust, Beaks and Feet. |
| Recommended Foods |
 | Orijen | |
| Solid Gold | |
| Innova EVO | |
| Wellness Core | |
| Canidae | |
| Innova | |
| Merrick | |
| Wellness | |
| Taste of the wild | |
| Blue Wilderness | |
| The dog foods listed below can be found locally at Nashville Pet Products. Click here for a store location near you. |
Fed up with kibble and want to feed a diet that is more natural for your dog? Read
about Bravo Raw Diet or Nature's Variety raw diet. These nutritionally balanced diets
allow you to provide your dog with a more natural meal without the hassle of preparing
raw meat and veggies yourself. Both Bravo and Nature's Variety can be purchased at
Nashville Pet Products. Please email Rebecca with questions about raw diet.
about Bravo Raw Diet or Nature's Variety raw diet. These nutritionally balanced diets
allow you to provide your dog with a more natural meal without the hassle of preparing
raw meat and veggies yourself. Both Bravo and Nature's Variety can be purchased at
Nashville Pet Products. Please email Rebecca with questions about raw diet.
