Because raw feeding can sometimes be expensive, many people, including us, choose to feed dry kibble. It is convenient, cheap, and mainstream. In our case it is budget that excludes us from going 100% raw because of the amount of food that is needed to feed one great dane, much less two (100-240 lbs of food a month!) If I had my way we would be feeding all raw, here are some of the reasons why.
-Freshness: Like humans, dogs do better with fresh foods. The best source of vitamins and minerals is fresh food that has been unprocessed. If you choose to feed dry kibble, make sure to keep it in a airtight container. See our post on storing the food.
-Processing: Most dog foods are put through a proccess of extrusion. Unfortunately, as with human food, a lot of the vital nutrients are lost in the form of proccessing. Just imagine trying to live on pre-packaged foods.
-Additives: To keep the food stable for a long time, the manufacturers have to add food stabilizers and other additives. If it is possible to avoid this, then why not?
-Complete & Balanced? Most dog foods say on their bag that their food is complete and balanced nutrition for the dog. Why do you think dogs are anymore likely to get complete nutrition through one type of food than you? This is one of the reasons why I try to give our dogs variety.
If you are still set on feeding kibble because of the cost and the ease of use here are some important factors to consider when choosing a quality brand:
1.) Go Grain Free! Grain free is usually superior because it lacks many of the filler ingredients other foods may contain. It may be more expensive per pound, but the dog will eat less of it. Some people have even said that it costs less to feed their dog grain free food because they go through so much less. We go through 6-8 cups of dry kibble per dog in a day versus 10-14 of the regular kind. Many dogs do not tolerate wheat well (like some humans), so it is better to avoid it. Look for gluten free brands. *Gluten is the protein in wheat that many people and dogs cannot tolerate well.
2.) Avoid white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are far superior in their nutritional value (just look how colorful they are)! However, they are more expensive, so many times the bigger companies use white potatoes instead. Try to find a food with sweet potatoes. Unfortunately, most of the companies have switched over to primarily white potatoes instead of sweet for the cost savings. Our food, Orijen, lists white potatoes before sweet which means that it has more white than sweet.
3.) Choose a high protein percentage. Dogs are carnivores and the more meat in the food the better. The first several ingredients ideally should be meat--and no byproducts! The higher the percentage of protein, the tastier the food will likely be. Try to choose a food that at least has 30% protein. Here is a breakdown of some of the top brands and how they compare with each other in terms of protein.
4.) Avoid corn. This is a big filler for pet food companies and dogs usually don't tolerate them well. The pet food companies like corn because it is super cheap, and adds bulk and easy carbohydrates. Remember, that dogs are natural carnivorous scavengers. If it goes through you, it probably goes through your dog.
6.) Pay attention to the news. Listen for big buyouts of your food company. Usually the new buyers will change the formula of the food--often to its detriment, so it may be time to switch.
7.) Buy the smaller bags. The longer the bag is open, the greater the chance of rancidity. Would you want to eat food that has been opened for three weeks? If you still want to buy the big bag, also purchase an airtight food-grade container. I store a weeks worth of food in a smaller container that I keep in the kitchen. I store the rest in an airtight container in our basement. That way the food is only being mixed with new oxygen once a week instead of everyday.
8.) Buy from a pet food store, or at least a pet store. The more knowledgeable the staff, the better. Petco and Petsmart are now starting to carry some better brands, but not the best, and the knowledge of their staff in the food department leaves you wanting. At all costs avoid the grocery store. Note* Whole Foods, I believe does carry Wellness brand which is one of the better mainstream companies. But, don't start there. Go to someone who knows dog food and the pet food industry, only pick it up at WF in a pinch, if you are already set on a certain brand of kibble. Our local dog food store has been invaluable.
With those pointers in mind here are some good dry kibble brands in my experience:
Fromms- from Wisconsin they have several different varieties all very popular
Orijen- grain free, the highest protein percentage I can find for dry kibble. Now a bigger brand that has been lowering its protein percentages and raising their prices, but still the leader. I also like how many flavors they have, so we can rotate the protein source.
Acana- grain free, a more budget friendly version of Orijen. It has slightly lower percentages of protein than Orijen, and is still very good.
Horizon Legacy- grain free, we used to use it but it became harder to find. However it has a good protein percentage and is reasonably priced.
Born Free- recently was recommended to us by the wonderful ladies at our local pet food store. A good value for grain-free.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Our Raw Dog
Raw meat??? Yes, I give my dog raw meat, bones, and vegetables each day--and he loves it! If you asked me a year ago if I would ever feed my dog raw meat I would have told asked you if you were delusional--I never would have invited that much bacteria into my home. But I have been convinced, my reasons for it are tri-fold: the health of my dog, the quality of ingredients, and street cred. No not really--just the first two.
After a year of constant trips to the vet due to diarrhea, we decided to change vets (that's another post,) and have a nutritional consultation. Denali had previously been diagnosed with food allergies to beef, milk, soybean, flaxseed, carrots, peas, and barley. So we were married to only feeding him only kibble. Treats upset his stomach, so we ceased giving him anything but vension treats (100% meat and very expensive.) I was tired of constantly fighting off bouts of diarrhea with him and refilling the antibiotic prescriptions constantly.
Our new vet recommended raw. She explained to us that dog's have a lower pH in their stomach that allows them to kill any bacteria that might find its way into its food. As he was a relatively healthy puppy in her words, he should have no problem transitioning to the raw food diet, and that his problems with diet were most likely due to his processed kibble. Giving a dog food that is in its natural state (raw) is the most beneficial because the nutritional content has not been compromised by processing or cooking. Most kibble is put through an extrusion process where many of the nutrients are eradicated. Furthermore, it is then packaged into a large bag where it will sit until it is distributed, and then sit until it is sold, and then most likely sit in your kitchen/ basement for 3-4 weeks.
Denali's turnaround was nothing short of remarkable. In the six months that we have been on raw, we have not once gone to the vet. He can eat anything we give him, with only the occasional gas. Although it is expensive, the benefits of it outweigh the extra expenses. And we are saving on veterinary costs!
To come to this decision was a big one, and I was desperate for any respite from the diarrhea, but since the switch I couldn't be happier. I have since become more interested in canine nutrition and have read a number of good books on the subject that were recommended to me by our awesome friends at our local dog food store. Thanks Julie and Hattie at Sirius Cooks!
Luckily there are a ton of great raw dog food companies out there. Here are some of our favorites because they use meat from animals not treated with antibiotics or growth hormones.
Stella & Chewys* what we ideally use
Darwin's Foods Naturals- make sure to get the Naturals not Zoologic (b/c Zoologic might contain antibiotics and hormones)
Primal
Bravo
If you are at all interested in learning more about canine nutrition, including the rationale behind a raw food diet take a look at some of these resources:
www.dogaware.com (written by one of the contributors to Whole Dog Journal, focuses on diet)
www.whole-dog-journal.com (great resource, has annual reviews of commercial food)
Your holistic vet--our previous vet recommended Royal Canin which did not fit my criteria
And last but not least, the knowledgeable staff at your local dog food store. We are so lucky to have Sirius Cooks close by, they have been an invaluable resource and are behind this whole thing! Other great resources in the Chicagoland areas are Noah's Ark in Winnetka, Kriser's Foods (multiple locations), and Barker & Meowskys: A Paw Firm in Lincoln Park.
After a year of constant trips to the vet due to diarrhea, we decided to change vets (that's another post,) and have a nutritional consultation. Denali had previously been diagnosed with food allergies to beef, milk, soybean, flaxseed, carrots, peas, and barley. So we were married to only feeding him only kibble. Treats upset his stomach, so we ceased giving him anything but vension treats (100% meat and very expensive.) I was tired of constantly fighting off bouts of diarrhea with him and refilling the antibiotic prescriptions constantly.
Our new vet recommended raw. She explained to us that dog's have a lower pH in their stomach that allows them to kill any bacteria that might find its way into its food. As he was a relatively healthy puppy in her words, he should have no problem transitioning to the raw food diet, and that his problems with diet were most likely due to his processed kibble. Giving a dog food that is in its natural state (raw) is the most beneficial because the nutritional content has not been compromised by processing or cooking. Most kibble is put through an extrusion process where many of the nutrients are eradicated. Furthermore, it is then packaged into a large bag where it will sit until it is distributed, and then sit until it is sold, and then most likely sit in your kitchen/ basement for 3-4 weeks.
Denali's turnaround was nothing short of remarkable. In the six months that we have been on raw, we have not once gone to the vet. He can eat anything we give him, with only the occasional gas. Although it is expensive, the benefits of it outweigh the extra expenses. And we are saving on veterinary costs!
To come to this decision was a big one, and I was desperate for any respite from the diarrhea, but since the switch I couldn't be happier. I have since become more interested in canine nutrition and have read a number of good books on the subject that were recommended to me by our awesome friends at our local dog food store. Thanks Julie and Hattie at Sirius Cooks!
Luckily there are a ton of great raw dog food companies out there. Here are some of our favorites because they use meat from animals not treated with antibiotics or growth hormones.
Stella & Chewys* what we ideally use
Darwin's Foods Naturals- make sure to get the Naturals not Zoologic (b/c Zoologic might contain antibiotics and hormones)
Primal
Bravo
If you are at all interested in learning more about canine nutrition, including the rationale behind a raw food diet take a look at some of these resources:
www.dogaware.com (written by one of the contributors to Whole Dog Journal, focuses on diet)
www.whole-dog-journal.com (great resource, has annual reviews of commercial food)
Your holistic vet--our previous vet recommended Royal Canin which did not fit my criteria
And last but not least, the knowledgeable staff at your local dog food store. We are so lucky to have Sirius Cooks close by, they have been an invaluable resource and are behind this whole thing! Other great resources in the Chicagoland areas are Noah's Ark in Winnetka, Kriser's Foods (multiple locations), and Barker & Meowskys: A Paw Firm in Lincoln Park.
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