Can sombody provide me some ROCK SOLID info on why Purina Dog Chow is "junk" ??

[scottj]

I read the article The Eat What We Are, it did very little to back up anybody's claims. It was an interesting read though, and I quote this part of it:

Civilized means different things to different people, and it does not necessarily have anything to do with a pet's nutritional requirements. Dogs can get along just fine on a daily ration of corn and soybeans. ''That's about the cheapest diet you could put together,'' Fahey said, and it provides all the vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and carbohydrates a dog needs. But it wouldn't sell to broad segments of the modern market.

It goes on to say that the benefit of premium dog food is the stool. It's easy to clean up, hard, and small, due to 88% of the premium food being digested and used.

Now, I think that sounds fantastic, and for sure will be feeding my dogs some good stuff (of course mixed with the odd table scrap :) ).
But, I think unless you have some science backing you up, talk is cheap and the people getting harped on for feeding purina or pedigree won't be buying any.

Anyway, my policy is I eat good, so every member of my family will too. Maybe some people deserve getting a bit of slack from pet food nazi's.

[AngelBunny]

The scientist quoted in They Eat What We Are works for the industry that puts soybeans, corn, and other material not suitable for our canine companions into the food they manufacture for these pets. Of course, he's going to say a carnivore "will get along just fine on a daily ration of corn and soybeans."

scottj, it's your choice what you feed your dog. But the fact is carnivores do best on a diet of meat. There are lots of people who believe the world is flat or that man didn't land on the moon, too.

[RottsNScotts]

One must remember too that most food studies - those few that are done - are done and/or financed by dog food companies! It is not exactly in their own interest to end up with findings that "diss" their own product or, if that is the result, to publicize or publish the study!

AKC and the breed clubs generally finance health research.

[scottj]

Originally Posted by AngelBunny

The scientist quoted in They Eat What We Are works for the industry that puts soybeans, corn, and other material not suitable for our canine companions into the food they manufacture for these pets. Of course, he's going to say a carnivore "will get along just fine on a daily ration of corn and soybeans."

scottj, it's your choice what you feed your dog. But the fact is carnivores do best on a diet of meat. There are lots of people who believe the world is flat or that man didn't land on the moon, too.

I stated, repeatedly, that I feed my dog a premium dog food. It's called Acana. I just got my little pup, and I think I'll switch out his food because he doesn't seem to love it very much. Either way you slice it, it is a premium brand. I feed him that because I want him to be fed as good as possible, imagined benefit or not.

I find it a little strange that from one post to the next you reccomend me reading that article, then imply that it would be foolish to take it to heart...

I was just wondering if anyone had anything other than conjecture to offer.

[Shane]

I don't know about documented proof, but I've seen first-hand the difference in appearance and energy levels for a lot of dogs after switching diets from corn-based to meat-based. That doesn't qualify for a scientific journal or anything, but I believe my own eyes before I believe what I read.

I've seen some nasty health conditions go away with an improvement of diet. The one that surprised me was an owner whose dog stopped having seizures after switching from grocery brand food. He suspects that it was the preservatives.

I also see just how well corn digests in my own system. :)

I think it's a very interesting question you've asked.

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by scottj

...I find it a little strange that from one post to the next you reccomend me reading that article, then imply that it would be foolish to take it to heart....

I posted the article becuase it discusses the roots of the manufactured dog food industry. It's a creation of the industrialization of food production. The dog food industry in this country wasn't created to benefit cats and dogs. It was created as an outlet for material that couldn't be sold for human consumption.

Originally Posted by scottj

...I was just wondering if anyone had anything other than conjecture to offer.

I do.

Several times I've posted about the transformation that occured in our foster, Sailor, once he was taken off kibble and put on to a raw diet.

[ibkittykat]

Yes, Canadae, that is the ticket. I love it and have been feeding it now for a long while. You will see a great difference. I like the price and how long it lasts. Good thing you found this site as I did, welcome, and let us know. Racheal

[scottj]

Hahahahahaha, Great point about corn digesting in our own bodies! :)

Thank you for your answers. I think I'm going to try to find some canidae if I can.

[RottieGirl86]

hmm, interesting

wiki has some nice tid bits of info too:

Diet

Nutrition

There are a great quantity of commercial foods and treats marketed for dogs, and not all are recommended as part of a balanced, healthy diet.There is some debate as to whether domestic dogs should be classified as omnivores or carnivores, by diet. The classification in the Order Carnivora does not necessarily mean that a dog's diet must be restricted to meat; unlike an obligate carnivore, such as the cat family with its shorter small intestine, a dog is neither dependent on meat-specific protein nor a very high level of protein in order to fulfill its basic dietary requirements. Dogs are able to healthily digest a variety of foods including vegetables and grains, and in fact dogs can consume a large proportion of these in their diet. Wild canines not only eat available plants to obtain essential amino acids, but also obtain nutrients from vegetable matter from the stomach and intestinal contents of their herbivorous prey, which they usually consume. Domestic dogs can survive healthily on a reasonable and carefully designed vegetarian diet, particularly if eggs and milk products are included. Some sources suggest that a dog fed on a strict vegetarian diet without L-carnitine may develop dilated cardiomyopathy,[58] however, L-carnitine is found in many nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. In the wild, dogs can survive on a vegetarian diet when animal prey is not available. Observation of extremely stressful conditions such as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and scientific studies of similar conditions has shown that high-protein (approximately 40%) diets including meat help prevent damage to muscle tissue in dogs and some other mammals. This level of protein corresponds to the percentage of protein found in the wild dog's diet when prey is abundant; higher levels of protein seem to confer no added benefit.

Dogs frequently eat grass, which is a harmless activity. Explanations abound, but rationales such as that it neutralizes acid, or that dogs eat grass to induce vomiting to remove unwanted substances from their stomachs,[59] are at best educated guesses. Dogs do vomit more readily than humans, as part of their typical feeding behavior of gulping down food then regurgitating indigestible material such as bones and fur. This behavior is typical of pack feeding in the wild, where the most important thing is to get as much of the kill as possible before others consume it all. Individual domestic dogs, however, may be very "picky" eaters, in the absence of this social pressure. Dogs may also appear to eat grass when they are just running the blades through their mouth to gather information. Their sense of smell and taste may act together to detect if other animals have walked through their area or urinated on the grass.[59]


Dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This has been discussed here before. The dog eats the preys stomache and gets nutrients there. Been a few years, but I recall that part because It was 1) gross and 2) interesting

My dogs get kibble, but they also get cheese, peanut butter, chicken sardines, yogart, eggs - all human grade.

After having a dog with severe allergies years ago, I think variety is important to prevent future intolerance to certain foods.

Purina's fine for what they do. Sasha's breeder fed her Purina One and Dandy Jim (wire hair fox terrier) lived to be 13+ on their dog chow. What suits your dog and you is fine. The kibble argument always smacks to me of keeping up with the Jones. Figure out what works for you.

[Nishasmom]

Originally Posted by scottj

i'm not looking for an argument, and i feed my pets what you guys would all consider quality food (because, like i said, it is my opinion corn isn't a great dog food), but since i read the OP's post, i was curious, do any of you have any facts? i know i don't, only my opinion.

don't need any ingredient lists, i've read them and formed my OPINION already. just wondering if there are any facts out there people have read.

The proof IS the ingredients list . Have you ever seen "Supersize me"?? Its the same sort of theory...crappy food and ingredients make you feel and look crappy .

I am a groomer and have seen tons of "miracles" preformed by simply switching foods. The changes are mostly in the skin and coat condition; redness, itchyness, shedding, dander, hotspots, ect. all went away by feeding a premium food.