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The Dog Food Story

Dog food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by dogs or other canines. Special dog foods given as a reward, and not as a staple, are known as dog treats. Some people make their own dog food or feed their dogs meals made from ingredients purchased in grocery or health-food stores; many others rely on commercially manufactured dog food. There are many different recommendations on what diet is best for dogs. Some people argue that dogs have thrived off of leftovers and scraps from their human owners for thousands of years and that commercial dog foods (which have only been available for the past century) contain poor-quality meats, additives, and other ingredients dogs should not ingest, or that commercial dog food is not nutritionally sufficient for their dogs.

Dry Dog Food

The average dry food is the least expensive, per pound, when compared to its canned (wet) or semi-moist counterparts. It is usually 6-10% moisture by volume, as compared to up to 78% in canned food. It can be beneficial in the prevention of tartar buildup, as well as being less likely to spoil quickly than an open can. However, if cans are opened only at the time of feeding, they will tend to keep longer than dry food, as dry food cannot be opened on an as-needed basis, and is by necessity exposed to air for the duration of its use. Pellets of dry dog food, called kibble, are primarily produced by one of two methods: extrusion and baking. During the extrusion process, cut dough or a mixture of raw materials is fed into an expander, while pressurized steam or hot water is added. When removed from the high pressure that results, the pellets puff like popcorn. The resultant kibble is allowed to dry, then sprayed with vitamins, fats and oils, or any other ingredients that are not heat-tolerant.

If extruded kibble is exposed to air for too long or not properly stored, the fats and oils added after cooking can become rancid, and vitamins and minerals in the food may be destroyed by heat during storage or shipping. Baked kibble is often sought after by pet owners seeking a more natural or more digestible food, although the effect of baking on either of these factors is the subject of much discussion (see below). Because the heating process is slower, kibble being prepared this way is subjected to a lower pressure for a much longer period of time. Because fat can be cooked in rather than sprayed on, baked kibble will tend to have a slightly longer shelf life compared to extruded kibble, especially when exposed to air, or after its package has been opened by the consumer. Because of the longer shelf life and less efficient cooking methods, baked kibble will tend to have a notably higher price tag, and is generally only available in pet and specialty stores, rather than supermarkets. There is persistent debate within the pet care industry as to which method is better for the dog nutritionally. Some proponents of baked food assert that baking aids in the digestibility of raw proteins, and that extrusion requires the use of harmful preservatives, such as BHT or Ethoxyquin. However, it has been pointed out that the canine digestive system is tailored to eating raw meat in the natural environment, and that many extruded foods use natural preservatives, such as tocopherols. As with any cooking procedure, the simple act of preparing kibble destroys many nutrients in raw ingredients. It has been suggested that either baking or extrusion is less harmful to the nutrient content of a food, but no conclusive evidence has been presented in either direction, and the argument continues.

Canned or Wet Dog Food

Wet, or canned, dog food is significantly higher in moisture than dry or semi-moist food.[1] Because the food is sterilized after being canned (sometimes it is also cooked in the can), it is often easier to ensure the sterility of wet food. A given wet food will often be higher in protein or fat when compared to a similar kibble on a dry matter basis (a measure which ignores moisture). However, because water accounts for so much of the food, the canned food will generally be lower in protein and fat in terms of actual content.

Fresh Dog Food

Fresh dog food is a new category of dog food founded in Australia a decade ago. It has recently made its way into the American market. Fresh dog food uses pasteurization instead of the traditional extrusion method used to process pet food. This processing technique makes fresh dog food more vulnerable to bacteria compare to dry and wet dog food. To prevent spoilage, refrigerators are used as storage instead of shelves. Fresh dog foods are highly palatable, contains zero preservative (BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin), and use only fresh wholesome ingredients.

Alderwood Labradors

What's Really in Pet Food (click here)

Decoding Fact & Fiction (click here)
reprinted by permission - www.IHeartPaws.com

Practical Dog Feeding Program

Many people may find that they have the time to prepare natural, nutritional meals for their Lab on a daily basis. With nine hungry Labs to feed and lots of other things to do, I am not one of those people. So, I am concerned about what the big, multinational corporate giants are using in the dog food I am buying from them. One thing I do know, they are buying from the lowest bidder on a given ingredient and in all probability, they have instructed their nutritionalists to create a given formula at the lowest cost.

OK..... now what? Let me share what we have done at Alderwood. We are using a good quality (not premium) kibble that does not contain any real bad stuff that I know of. Then using that as a basis we supplement it with veggies, fruits and table scraps.

I know you have read all your life that you are not supposed to feed table scraps.... why? When I was kid we could not afford commercial dog food so that's all our dogs got. They ate what we ate. They always were lively and none died of nasty disease, they romped and played and went hunting and generally enjoyed life.

Those of you that can grow a garden, peas, green beans, potatoes, squash, carrots and tomatoes. They love fruits like pears, apples, blackberries and strawberries. Raw pumpkin is great for adding fiber and helping loose stools. We stay away from onions and garlic and it is said to cause anemia in dogs.

The dogs get a varied diet of kibble, veggies and scraps. If we find a great deal on chicken livers or such we will add that in. If someone in the family is fortunate enough to get a deer, we bone out the venison for us and the bones go to the dogs. Sharon makes homemade "doggie cookies" (recipe on right menu, this page) and they get one at lunch time. Holidays call for a treat of popcorn, thrown in the grass so everybody has to hunt for the kernels, keeps them busy for 30 minutes. Our dogs are happy, full of life, healthy and have beautiful coats. We are averaging 11 pups per litter.

Maybe it would be better to feed an all natural (BARF) diet, but this works for us. Best thing is we are not tied to making food for the dogs, if someone has to fill in for us when we go away, it's pretty easy to feed just kibble, and the dogs don't seem to mind.