Weird Symptoms: Pet Food Allergies
September 1st, 2010
After the dog food I had been feeding my two dogs scored an F on K9Cuisine.com’s Dog Food Rating Tool, I found another / new line of food from the same maker that scored an A+. As I mentioned in the post Dog Food Rating Tool – Explained, everything seemed terrific … until it wasn’t.
Dog Days of Summer: A Whole New Meaning
July was a rough month at my house with veterinary bills totaling more than all our other monthly bills combined. Ginko’s third knee surgery in 10 years cost us FOUR times the initial estimate.
He is mostly recovered now, after two major rounds of antibiotics to deal with the massive infection they found tunneling its way through his right knee.
Ginko was none to happy to wear the collar that kept him from licking his surgery leg, after last month's knee surgery.
But, in the process of healing, Ginko suddenly developed an unquenchable thirst, which of course led to lots of peeing and very little sleep for anyone at our house.
He would literally stand at the empty water bowl and CRY, after having just slurped down the entire thing.
Weird Symptoms: Pet Food Allergies
During one of his post-op appointments, where they drew blood samples and did some urinalysis (and found nothing of concern), our veterinarian concluded that the change in dog food was to blame.
How’d she know?
Oddly enough, she had recently switched her dogs to the exact same food, and they too had become “water mongers.”
Other Possible Causes
Now, with Ginko having just come through a tough 2+-hour surgery, and with the massive antibiotics he was taking, it was easy to think that perhaps those things had something to do with his sudden water issues.
Dog Food Switch: Take 2
But, just to be sure, we switched him from the salmon and sweet potato formula to the turkey and sweet potato formula.
My worried, skeptical husband really wanted to switch Ginko back to the old food … F grade or not, but I convinced him to that we’d just try another protein source in the A+ line instead.
He begrudgingly agreed, saying, “Let’s hope it isn’t the sweet potato that’s the problem.”
Problem Solved
After just one week, Ginko’s thirst issues vanished. He is completely normal again.
I’m not saying that Ginko is “allergic” to the salmon, but I believe there is some dog food intolerance or dog food sensitivity there. I cannot imagine that all that thirst and drinking and peeing doesn’t wear a dog down, so I’m glad we switched, and I’m glad he is doing better.
While we could have just returned what was left of the salmon food, I’ve continued to feed it to Lilly (my border collie, the canine heroine of our blog Champion of My Heart) … because she is doing great on the new food. I’ll just switch her over to the turkey when we run out of salmon.
This experience makes me VERY leery of moving them to a dog food rotation schedule … because, frankly, my budget can’t take many more expensive veterinary scares right now.
Trading Ills
Alas, the salmon-based food virtually made Ginko’s “gas” problem disappear, so now that he is back on the turkey (grain-free, gluten-free) formula … the gas has returned.
I’m also a bit stumped that we haven’t seen a great reduction in stool quantity from either dog.
Because Ginko was on strict house rest during his recovery, I supervised every trip to the dog pen for him to potty for several weeks, and I’ve got to say … what’s coming out the other end is NOT less than it was on the old food.
So, either the old food wasn’t all that bad, in terms of fillers, or there is a goodly amount of sweet potatoes, peas and such in the new food.
It’s been a long, long time since I fed so-called “grocery store” brands. Perhaps I just don’t remember stool quantities from the old days.
What Weird Symptoms?
So, beyond the typical symptoms veterinarians see in dogs with food allergies, what crazy things have you seen when a food didn’t agree with your pet?
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Tags: allergy symptoms, animal protein, dog, dog allergies, dog food, dog food allergies, Dog Food Dish, food sensitivity, hydrolysate, K9Cuisine.com, novel protein
Posted in Dog Allergies, K9 Nutrition | No Comments »
5 Questions about Raw Pet Food Logistics
August 25th, 2010
We’ve spent the month of August 2010 talking about various aspects of the raw pet food debate. Today, I’d like to address some of the questions and logistics that most often crop up.
A few weeks ago, I even put the question out on Twitter and asked for followers outside the intense dog world what questions they have about feeding pets a raw diet.
Question #1: How do you maintain food safety?
Other than the BIG question — Why feed raw? — I suspect this is the second-most asked question. And, that’s no surprise since it is a major concern for those who aren’t keen on feeding pets raw food.
So, I called a dog agility friend of mine here in Colorado who is an independent distributor of a frozen raw food, and I asked her how to keep things safe.
Essentially, she told me … you just have to treat raw pet food with the same kitchen safety practices as you would raw food you take out of the fridge or freezer for yourself and your human family. In many cases, the raw food is indeed “human grade.”
“Raw food is raw food,” she told me, “It’s all the same.”
So, what do raw food safety practices look like?
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and immediately after handling raw food.
- Immediately and thoroughly wash all plates, bowls, utensils used.
- Use an entirely separate set of kitchenware for your food and your pet’s food.
For tips on how long raw foods last in the fridge and other food safety matters, check out this food safety page from the USDA.
Question #2: Is it hard to switch a pet who has been fed raw food back to kibble or canned food, if that becomes necessarily for some reason?
The answer is that it really depends on the pet. Some make the shift no problem. Others become fussy about texture or develop some tummy troubles during the change-over.
Question #3: What about bones? Can pets really eat actual bones?
My pal explained that this is really a matter of personal preference. Her dogs (several Labs and an Australian Shepherd) do eat some non-weight-bearing bones — like necks, kneecaps, etc. But, she does not feed them things like thigh bones and other weight-bearing bones due to concerns over chipped teeth and intestinal blockages. (Her big male lab ended up with a blockage not long ago and needed emergency surgery.)
Other people, however, do feed their pets these bigger bones. (I’d love for some of our raw feeding readers to comment on this.)
Question #4: Can you feed both raw food and some sort of kibble?
Yes. And, many people do. The challenge is that dry pet foods and raw pet foods digest at different rates, so if you’re going to feed both, the recommendation is that you do NOT feed both at the same meal.
It’s common for people to feed kibble in the morning and raw in the evening.
Question $5: What else do pets on raw diets eat?
It is common for pets on raw diets to get a regular rotation of raw meats. We’re talking everything from chicken and beef to quail and rabbit. You can even find bison, llama, and ostrich meat, if you so choose.
In addition to the raw food, pets often get fruits and vegetables for variety. Just be sure to avoid things like avocado, grapes, and raisins … which are toxic to pets.
***
Feel free to add any questions or answers. We’d love your participation in this discussion.
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Tags: food safety, pet nutrition, raw cat food, raw dog food, raw food safety, raw pet food, refridgeration
Posted in Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition | 2 Comments »
August 18th, 2010
In the last couple of weeks, Dog Food Dish posted The Case for Feeding Raw and The Case Against Feeding Raw. I tried to give a fair overview of both sides of this debate. So, you might be wondering exactly where I stand on the issue.
I’m smack dab in the middle. I see valid elements on both sides of the debate. And, honestly, I just don’t think feeding RAW is nearly as controversial or “fringe” as it used to seem.
I’ve been writing about pet topics and veterinary medicine since 1995, when I was on staff at the American Animal Hospital Association. And, I when I first wrote about feeding raw diets for one of their veterinary trade magazines, it seemed pretty “out there.”
My Pet Parent Friends
Today, I have many, many friends — terrific, committed, well-educated people — who feed their pets raw. I’ve seen dogs come off the agility course and get raw chicken necks or whole feeder rabbits as their reward.
It makes me a tiny bit squeamish, but not bad.
I also have friends who feed frozen/thawed raw foods that are formulated and ground up with other ingredients. I know a few who feed the freeze dried variety.
So maybe because feeding raw is common and widely accepted in my peer group, it seems less controversial to me. Is that peer pressure? I don’t think so.
My Veterinary Friends
At the same time, I spend a good chunk of my professional life talking to veterinarians and other animal professionals on a variety of topics. I admire these people. I like them. I count on their insights and expertise to do my job.
So, I understand that some of them are concerned about pets potentially ingesting contaminants or parasites … or bones. I know raw-fed dogs who have had emergency surgery to remove bone shards from their systems.
And, since I’m a bit of a microbe Sally, I can see their point.
Even though I’m essentially a professional cynic (aka journalist), I truly do NOT believe that veterinarians have sold their souls to pet food companies or whatever conspiracy message you want to insert.
Dishing on Evolution
My own sense of dogs and evolution diverges with those from raw-feeding circles. Personally, and this is the ONE area where I’m doggone passionate and opinionated, I do NOT believe that dogs are essentially wolves (especially when it comes to their behavior).
So, if you use any language in that same vein, you’re going to lose me. I’m going to think you are completely full of beans. Tell me about meat and bones. Talk to me about carbs. Mention moisture content. And, I’m hanging right there with you. Say wolf? And, you’ve lost me.
Dogs have evolved into the companions we know today. For me, that means they are different than wild ancestors or even wild canines today.
In my world, in my mind, in my heart (and as I see it … in behavior science), dogs are NOT wolves. So, for me … it’s hard to believe they might be wolves in a food context. A lot can change in the evolutionary cycle.
(Many thanks to Karen Workman, from the Oakland Press Dog Blog, who essentially posted this same counter-argument in our earlier discussion of Dog Food Rotation Schedules.)
My Backyard Observations
I’ve seen my dogs, who eat more like omnivores or scavengers, “hunt” in our pastures. I’ve watched coyotes actually hunt on the land behind us. The vastly different skills and outcomes are remarkable.
My dogs are like keystone cops of hunting. Pounce. Miss. Pounce. Miss. Scrabble about some more. Run to me smiling in failure.
The coyotes? Pounce. Catch. Pounce. Catch. Gulp, gulp, gulp.
I’m not saying that mine don’t occasionally get lucky. I’m not saying they don’t sometimes eat mice or voles whole, but the rampant tummy upset that follows … well, let’s just say … it ain’t pretty.
The Chemistry of It
To satisfy my curiosity, I asked my contacts at the Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital for details on the pH levels inside our pets’ stomachs … since that’s one way raw advocates explain why raw is OK. The argument goes that the pH in a dog’s stomach drops to 1, especially after eating meat, and that this pH level kills any bacteria and helps dogs process bones, etc.
Here is what my CSU expert told me:
“The pH of the stomach varies from 1 to 7,” says David Twedt, DVM, ACVIM. “With a meal, the pH will drop as low as 1. That is not specific to dogs, and in fact, we see that in dogs, cats and humans, so I’m not sure that dogs are adapted to be any better than any other species.”
Why I Personally Don’t Feed Raw
We’ve talked a bit lately about how my “old” dog food got an F from the K9Cuisine.com Dog Food Rating Tool.
So, indeed, I’m a kibble girl. (Our new food, by the same company, gets an A+.) I feed kibble for three reasons:
- Convenience
- Fears that I’d never get nutritional balance without it
- Cost (I’d be curious to see some raw pet food budgets, if anyone is so inclined.)
As a treat, once in a while, my dogs do get big bones with raw meat on them. It’s usually organic bison raised locally. I buy it at a high-end dog store from the freezer case. They run about $15 per bone. (The dog in the photo from the post called The Case for Feeding Raw is my big boy, Ginko.)
But, as soon as the bones begin to show any wear, I take them away because I fear intestinal blockages and dental damage.
So, that’s my story. I’m neither a Raw-or-Bust kind of person nor an anti-raw crusader. I think all of us are just doing the best we can for our pets, and if raw or kibble works for you, then I say … keep it up.
Passions
And, yet, I understand how even that stance that says “To Each His Own” frustrates both sides. I feel the same way when people use outdated, inaccurate, debunked dog training methods and defend it with “It works for me.”
I think, “Well, it might … but it’s still built upon a foundation of (insert derogatory term here).”
I suppose that’s how raw advocates feel about people like me who feed kibble, and I’m fine with that.
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Posted in Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition | 8 Comments »
August 11th, 2010
The argument AGAINST feeding dogs and cats RAW pet foods boils down to a single message about safety, in two parts:
1. Concerns over nutritional completeness and balance
2. Concerns over parasites and contamination
Gains Have Been Made
Our pets live longer than they once did thanks to both consistent, convenient nutrition and advances in veterinary medicine. There are other things, of course, like protection from dangers of cars and predators.
Still … dogs and cats in the developed world enjoy tremendous lives, free from the stress and strain of finding food, water, and shelter on their own.
Raw Pet Food Concerns
After Keith Niessenbaum (a veterinarian with Crawford Dog & Cat Hospital in Garden City Park, NY) commented on an earlier post about Dog Food Rotation Schedules, I asked him for some insights into why he does NOT recommend feeding raw food diets, or BARF diets, or even bones, to his patients.
Before we get into his concerns, Niessenbaum says, “I would like to say that it is possible to formulate raw diets that are safe and nutritious. There is nothing inherent in a raw diet that would render it automatically nutritionally inferior. I am just concerned that the processing of these foods makes the risks of feeding greater than the benefit. If my clients wish to feed a more ‘basic’ diet, I work with them and a nutritionist to help them formulate a home-cooked diet that is balanced and safe.”
That said, here are his main concerns over feeding RAW pet food:
Lacking nutritional completeness and balance since these raw foods are “often made by small companies that have not done enough research to determine if the diets are nutritionally adequate” based on AAFCO standards, he says.
Food contamination introduced into our family kitchens.
“Human beings have proven time and time again that we are unable to produce food on a consistent basis without the danger of contamination. Our own food is contaminated with dangerous bacteria, and prudent handling is needed to prevent food born illness,” Niessenbaum says.
“The same is true for our pets,” he adds. “It simply is not true that dogs and cats have some sort of immunity to food born salmonella and E. Coli infections. I have seen them and treated them.”
“In addition,” Niessenbaum says, “pet food preparation is often done in the same area as human food preparation in the home. This can potentially contaminate the kitchen with bacteria that are harmful to owners.”
Seriously icky parasites. Cooking and processing kills parasites found in pet food ingredients. No cooking? Meats from organic sources that may not use deworming medications? Creepy things may come along for the ride. Some of them are “zoonotic,” meaning they can pass from pets to people. (Children and the elderly are particularly at risk.)
Lack of proof that these diets are nutritionally superior. Niessenbaum says, “I am not aware of good scientific study that shows that raw diets are nutritionally superior to premium processed diets.”
The Evolutionary Argument?
In response to the idea that today’s domestic dogs and cats are hardwired from an evolutionary perspective to eat raw, Niessenbaum says, “My shih tzu isn’t killing anything and is no closer to that theoretical wild beast than I am to early hominids.”
He adds that many “natural” things aren’t exactly good for us (or our pets) … like:
- Infectious disease
- Parasites
- Predators
Processed Foods & Nutrient Assimilation
I think it’s important to note that Niessenbaum is himself VERY health conscious. “Look” he says, “I cook for myself, minimize the amount of highly processed foods that I eat, and exercise regularly. OK, more than regularly. My credentials include a full Ironman Traithlon and a couple of 1/2 Ironman length races every year.”
“I understand the value of a quality diet and readily assimilated nutrients,” he continues. “However, I don’t think that the only way to get these nutrients is by a raw, unprocessed diet. In fact, a certain level of processing makes these nutrients more available to me. The same is true for my dog.”
No Food is Perfect
Both processed foods and raw foods have experienced recalls. Niessenbaum treated several pets for melamine toxicity stemming from a processed pet foods.
“However,” he says, “there was just a recall last week of a raw diet that was found to be contaminated with enteric bacteria. I feel that this is a risk that pet owners do not address. The risk is to them and their pets.”
***
What about you? If you do not feed raw, why not?
P.S. If you’re just joining the discussion, we’ve now covered both sides of this debate. Last week, we posted The Case For Feeding Raw. Check it out.
Stay tuned … the discussion continues in the next couple of weeks.
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Tags: feeding raw, pet allergies, pet food allergies, raw cat food, raw dog food, raw meaty bones, raw pet food
Posted in Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition | 15 Comments »
August 4th, 2010
The argument FOR feeding dogs and cats RAW pet foods boils down to this: Some people think it’s healthier. When pressed for specifics, their reasons fall into two main categories:
1. Distrust of the more manufactured / processed pet foods on the market.
2. Belief that raw provides a more natural / evolutionary diet for our canine and feline friends.
Hark, What Goes in There?
We’ve talked before about various dog food basics, including:
- Proteins
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Allergy implications of pet food ingredients
- Other nutrients
And, if you haven’t read it, I also suggest learning about dog food history because it reveals A LOT about how the mainstream dog foods we have today came into being.
Or, I can boil it all down … the industrial revolution and other changes in our society led to mostly inexpensive ingredients getting mixed together and cooked like crazy to produce affordable and convenient pet foods.
Pet Health
Pet food became easy and cheap, in other words. Healthy? Well, perhaps. Our pets do live longer than they once did thanks to both consistent, convenient nutrition and advances in veterinary medicine, but raw-feeding advocates question what they see as increases:
- Cancer
- Thyroid issues
- Kidney failure
- Dental problems
I asked Laura Duclos, PhD, director of research and development for Nature’s Variety (a brand available through this blog’s sponsor, K9Cuisine.com), to name the key benefits of feeding raw. Her list includes:
- Healthy teeth and fresh breath
- Skin and coat health
- Natural nutrients from whole foods (not synthetic ones added to make up for lacking ingredients)
- Urinary health thanks to a higher moisture content
- Less processing
- Grain-free and gluten-free
Raw Food Motivation
Among the Top 5 Reasons People Change Pet Food, you will find many of the same reasons people switch to feeding pets RAW food. Either their pet is sick, or they want to keep their pets healthy.
Essentially they worry about disease-causing “junk” in pet foods, including byproducts and preservatives.
Those who feed their pets RAW also malign grains and carbohydrates as not natural to a pet’s diet and hard for dogs and cats to digest. (Flatulence issues, anyone?)
Carnivores?
Technically speaking, dogs are carnivores with omnivore leanings, meaning they can and will eat all kinds of things. Cats, on the other hand, are obligate carnivores. They need meat. I mean REALLY need meat.
Simpler, More Pure … Raw
So, RAW advocates like raw pet food because it’s processed MUCH less than other kinds of pet food. For them, less processing = good. It’s more self-contained when it comes to essential nutrients, they say. It has everything wrapped up in a neat package, without too much monkeying around.
Many also believe that feeding RAW simply makes more sense from an evolutionary perspective. Our now-domesticated predator friends, they say, ate whole prey raw all the time … bones and all.
They talk about the pH levels in dog and cats stomachs as akin to super-strong acids, capable of killing any bacteria, etc. that they consume.
For them, feeding RAW is the healthiest choice.
The Poop Factor
Duclos added one last argument in her case for feeding raw: “Smaller, low-odor stools.”
***
What about you? Why do you feed RAW? Or, if you don’t, what questions do you have about raw pet foods?
P.S. Next week, we’ll post The Case Against Feeding Raw. If you want to get a head start, check out this post from Jim McBean from DoggyBytes, where he counters the various arguments against feeding raw.
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Posted in Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition, Uncategorized | 19 Comments »
Dog Food Rating Tool – Explained
July 28th, 2010
First of all, I’m happy to report that after getting a big, fat F from the K9Cuisine.com Dog Food Rating Tool for the food I’ve been feeding my dogs for years … I found a new food, made by the same company, that earns an A+. I even had Anthony Holloway (CEO of K9Cuisine.com) double-check my Dog Food Rating Tool test and results, just to be sure.
I ended up going with a grain-free salmon & sweet potato formula that includes vegetables, probiotics, and all kinds of other nifty things. My big dog Ginko (a lab + greyhound mix) LOVES sweet potatoes, as noted in this recent video taste test of a frozen dessert for dogs.
Choosing a Dog Food
The process of picking a new dog food raised some questions for me and for local dog food advisers I asked. For example, the lovely man who runs the feed store in the nearest town to my rural community gave me a big lecture about bias in the pet food marketplace.
He talked about meeting the people behind certain foods, including the PhD nutritionist types. He balked profusely when I told him one reason I wanted to switch was because of the corn gluten in the food I’d been feeding. To him, that’s not a big deal. He pointed out that he has something like 600 families who feed their dogs what I’d been feeding, and that all the dogs do great. (Still … he was really happy to hear the new food he helped me pick scored an A+.)
It is really hard to know up from down sometimes, when everyone has such different opinions on the matter of what to feed our canine pals.
So, if I have questions about how the Dog Food Rating Tool works, I figured you probably do too.
I asked Anthony to answer a few questions about how the Dog Food Rating Tool was developed and what rules underlie the programming that generates our dog food grades. Here are his answers.
Dog Food Rating Tool Q&A
Q: Within the rating tool algorithm, how are key ingredients ranked or weighted? Do proteins matter more than carbs, for example?
A: In general the algorithm is more about subtraction than addition. What I mean by that is we are more concerned with what we do not want in the food than we are about formulating the perfect food. There is heavy bias against ingredients we feel should not be in dog food. We are also looking for foods that have high meat content. While some grains are OK we do not want to see the ingredients too heavy on the grain side.
We start with a 100 point score and start subtracting points for bad ingredients, by-products, non-named proteins, non-specified meals, grain splitting, low meat content, non-desirable grains, and glutens. There are also some bonus items that add to the score. The bonus items are relatively minor.
Q: Upon what did you base the tool’s grades? For example, did you look at “best practices” in the pet food options and use that as the measuring stick for good, better, best?
A: As we researched optimum characteristics of “premium dog food,” we found that while there is a ton of great information out there much of it is conflicting- drawing varying conclusions.
The biggest problem I found was that while there is a lot of information out there, there was nothing offering specific direction for taking action. Our goal was to bring all the components together in one place and present it in way that was easy to understand. We strive to provide tangible information to be used in making buying decisions.
In our research, we also found that many ingredients in pet food were included simply as a filler, to lower the manufacturing cost. We categorized and prioritized these negative components and assigned them points. Foods containing these ingredients are penalized as we subtract for these negative ingredients.
Q: Which “good” ingredients bump grades/scores up?
Ingredients that improve the food’s rating score include fruits, vegetables, brown rice, millet, oats, barley, rye, glucosamine, chemical free, hormone free, and probiotics. The single biggest boost for food scores is derived from higher quantity and quality of meat ingredients.
Q: Which “bad” ingredients sink grades/scores down?
A: The bad ingredients have a more substantial effect on the score. They include corn, wheat, soy, glutens, by-products, non-specified proteins, non-specified meals, non-specified fats, artificial colors, sweaters, salt, chemical preservatives.
Q: Which ingredients give a food “extra credit”?
A: This is pretty much the same as the ingredients that bump the score up. The ingredients I would consider a bonus are chemical free, hormone free, fruits, vegetables, glucosamine, fish oils, & probiotics.
Q: Is this set up as a pass/fail system? Or are B and C grades possible with the tool?
(I only ask because my old food got an F and the new food got an A+, so I’m just wondering if anything in-between is possible.)
A: The algorithm is not pass/fail. It is possible to get any grade. I think what you are seeing in your own foods is the heavy bias against certain negative ingredients. For example it is difficult for a food to get a decent grade if it contains glutens. It is possible for a food to have a major negative and still get a passing grade but it would have to be almost perfect in every other category. That is generally not the case. In fact foods that fail generally have multiple undesirable aspects.
Q: What grade do you considering passing?
A: At K9 Cuisine we only offer foods that get a B or better. A food that gets a C is considered an average. If budget is a consideration a C rated food would be acceptable. However, there are many foods that are very affordable and get a B grade or better.
Q: If someone cannot afford an organic or super-premium food, are there 1-2 ingredients you’d recommend they avoid in other less expensive brands?
A: I would always avoid by-products and glutens. Next I would avoid corn, wheat and soy.
It is possible to feed a very good food and not break the budget. It takes a bit of work but it is possible. Many times foods that fail are also very expensive so there is not always a correlation between cost and quality.
Q: Some people are a bit confused over the concept of meal-based ingredients? Can you explain that? Are all meals “bad”?
A: I believe certain meals are an excellent source of concentrated meat protein. However they must be named meals. For example poultry meal is bad and chicken meal is good. There is a recurring theme here. We are trying to avoid by-products in dog food. When an ingredient uses a non-specified generic ingredient like “poultry” meal that meal contains by-products. When a food uses a specified ingredient like chicken meal the meal is made from the meat of the chicken. There is a slight exception. Fish meals are generic and they do not specify the type of fish.
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Tags: dog food, Dog Food Dish Blog, dog food ingredients, dog food rating tool, K9Cuisine.com, online tool, premium dog food, premium ingredients
Posted in Dog Food Basics, K9 Nutrition | 1 Comment »
Be the Change for Pets: Summer Pet Food Drive
July 19th, 2010
Please join us and our friends from BlogPaws in a Summer Pet Food Drive. (You might recall our own Dog Food Action Day in the spring.)
This new campaign is bigger and better. Between July 19-31, simply donate pet food or supplies to your local animal shelter or local food bank. Details and an inspirational video below.
How to Take Part!
- Find a shelter or pet food bank near you (make sure they take food donations). People in the US and Canada can search for a local shelter and pet food bank.
- Print out the BTC4Pets flier then go buy some pet food. (The fliers say neat things like “I am the change!”)
- Drop off the bag of food and have someone take a picture of you with the bag and flier.
- Write about it! A blog post, tweet (with #BTC4Pets) and share on Facebook your pawsome achievement to inspire your friends to do the same.
- Upload the picture of yourself donating the food and a link to your blog/twitter account/Facebook post to the Be The Change for Pets Facebook page along with the pounds of food donated. We’ll add this amount to the total food/supplies donated so we can all see our impact!
- Want to take the campaign to the next level? Find out how to start a pet food bank on a shoestring budget.
Need a Little Inspiration?
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the needs in our various communities and to think that helping one pet or donating one bag of pet food doesn’t make a difference.
BUT, as this new Be the Change for Pets video (by the amazing Dr. V from PawCurious) shows, nothing could be further from the truth. Every little thing we can do to improve the lives of pets matters. Seriously.
http://www.vimeo.com/13234400Related Posts
Tags: Be the Change, Be the Change for Pets, BlogPaws, Summer Pet Food Drive
Posted in Dog Food News, K9 Nutrition | No Comments »
July 14th, 2010
Discussions over dog food center around BOTH what’s in the food and how often you can/should change your pet’s diet.
The Dog Food Rating Tool we talked about in last week’s post can help you grade your dog’s food quality. Now, I want to know what kind of rotation schedule you use … if any.
Dog Food Loyalty
I admit it. I’m a pretty loyal consumer. When I find a product or company I like, I tend to stick with it. I’m confident that companies dig that about me.
So, yes, my two canine sweeties have pretty much eaten the same food their whole lives. Oh, I share my people food with them all the time. And, they get raw, meaty bones as treats once in a while, but when it comes to mealtime, I’ve been dishing up the same old, same old for years.
Isn’t that the underlying message from traditional dog food marketing efforts? Pick us! Feed this! And, feed it for LIFE.
Since we now know that my dogs’ food gets a failing grade (despite my best efforts), we’re on the hunt for a better option … or options (plural).
Dog Food Rotation Schedule
So, if you mix it up, tell me:
- What do you feed?
- What’s your food criteria? (different protein sources?)
- How often do you switch things up?
For example, do you mix a few foods together all the time?
Or do you buy different brands every month, every few months? If so, how many different dog foods do you keep in the rotation?
Maybe you feed both a variety of kibble along with raw (frozen, freeze dried, or otherwise).
And, where do bones and/or treats come into it? Do you actively switch those around too?
Being such a loyal, routine-driven girl, I’m uber curious at your timing and methodology. I’m sure others are too. So, share your insights? Won’t you?
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Tags: dog food, dog food rating tool, dog food rotation, dog food variety
Posted in Dog Food Basics, Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition | 20 Comments »
July 7th, 2010
K9Cuisine.com, the sponsor of this and other blogs, developed an online Dog Food Rating Tool. Have you taken the test yet? It’s VERY enlightening.
Be sure to have your dog food label right in front of you before you start because the tool asks some detailed questions that can only be found on the dog food label.
K9Cuisine Dog Food Rating Tool
You’ll find a total of 31 questions. Below each one is a little info box that explains why that particular question is important, when it comes to evaluating the ingredients of your dog’s food.
Please go take the test when you have time and report back your results.
My Own Failing Grade
I’m mortified to tell you that the dog food I feed my two canine pals scored an F.
Yep, an F.
Truth be told, it kind of hurt my feelings because I like to think I’m a pretty savvy consumer and a well-informed guide in this maze that is the world of dog food. The first ingredient is chicken, real chicken, and the grains (which my dogs have no issues with) are rice and oatmeal. Good, yes?
BUT, what did the food in, it seems, are the inclusion of these icky things such as:
- Corn gluten meal
- Chicken & fish meal
- Flaxseed, as just seed, not flax oil or ground flax
- Salt
What this Dog Food Rating Tool taught me is that just a handful of less-than-ideal ingredients can sink a food’s quality.
I still think an F is pretty harsh since only 5 of the 40 or so ingredients come from the “bad” category. That’s an 87.5%, which in my life has always been a solid B, not an F.
So, the other lesson I learned from this Dog Food Rating Tool is that what’s missing from the ingredient list is just as important as what’s there. Perhaps that’s what really killed my grade.
So, there you have it. I’m no savant when it comes to dog food. I’m just a girl, trying to do her best, like the rest of you.
Related Posts
Tags: dog food, Dog Food Dish Blog, dog food rating tool, K9Cuisine.com, online tool, premium dog food, premium ingredients
Posted in Dog Food Basics, K9 Nutrition | 21 Comments »
Are Gourmet Dog Food and Treats Hampering Dog Allergies?
June 30th, 2010
Last week, we talked about the usefulness of “novel” proteins in the diagnosis and management of dog food allergies. Today, I’m going to ask a potentially loaded question: Are gourmet dog food and treats hampering our dog allergy efforts?
I ask because once upon a time LAMB was considered a novel protein that veterinarians could use to test dogs with dog food sensitivities. If Fido ate a beef- or chicken-based dog food at home, then lamb (which he’d never eaten before) would be a good option.
Then, lamb ended up in more mainstream dog foods and dog treats, and it could no longer be used in that way.
I’m no ogre. I’m no naysayer. Personally, I LOVE buying my dogs fancy dog treats made from pumpkin, cranberry, blueberry, and other ooh-la-la ingredients. I like giving them some variety in their diet.
Whole oats here. Sweet potatoes there. A little rabbit nibble today. A dried duck treat tomorrow.
You know the drill because you do the same thing. Right?
So, I ask this question in part because I wonder if in all our attempts to improve our dogs’ lives we might be sensitizing them to more and more things.
And, dogs with allergies must first be SENSITIZED before an allergy develops. That’s how the process goes:
- Exposure
- Sensitize
- Immune Reaction
But, I also ask in the wake of a New York Times article (The Truth About Dog and Cat Food) published earlier this month that essentially panned premium foods as expensive gimmicks. (Personally, I think otherwise, but …)
Think about it. As we broaden our dog’s food horizons, we greatly shorten the list of truly novel proteins that can be used to diagnose and treat dog food allergies.
And, if whatever has caused allergies, in general, to increase significantly in the last 60 years (in both people and pets) continues, then might we someday face a situation where dogs with allergies have fewer and fewer viable food options.
What next? Turtle meat, rattlesnake meat, emu?
I’m not going to change my shopping or feeding habits, but I thought I should pause and ask a bigger question.
Flawed logic? Slippery slope paranoia? Think so? Let me know.
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Tags: dog food, dog food allergies, Dog Food Dish, dog treats, gourmet dog food, gourmet pet treats, K9Cuisine, lamb, novel proteins
Posted in Dog Allergies, Dog Food Debates, Dog Food News, K9 Nutrition | 8 Comments »
A professional writer based in Colorado, Roxanne Hawn doesn't just love dogs. She deep-down requires them in life. Something inside her genes, perhaps? That's why it's such a joy to write about all things canine. Roxanne began writing about pets in 1995, when she worked for the American Animal Hospital Association and later for the American Humane Association. During this period in her career, Roxanne served on the board of directors for the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (a coalition of animal welfare groups). Roxanne also volunteered for many years at an animal shelter, where she witnessed firsthand what happens when the human-animal bond breaks or never forms.
