Ask Us Your Pet Food Questions
December 29th, 2010
As 2010 comes to a close, we’d like to thank all the loyal K9Cuisine.com customers and the Dog Food Dish readers for their support, encouragement, and participation. We’re already hard at work on some blog post topics for 2011, but we thought we’d take this opportunity to ask what topics you like like to learn more about or what questions you have about pet food or pet nutrition.
We’re already exploring more insights into home-made diets and more help for those whose pets have allergies, but we’re happy to tackle any topics of interest to YOU!!!
If you have time this week (amid the holiday crush) or really anytime, please post a comment and let us know what you’d like to know, and we’ll do our best to research the answers and seek expert input in our replies via future blog posts.
Thanks again. And, Happy New Year!!!
Tags: cat food, dog food, dog food industry, dog food ingredients, dog food questions, pet food, pet nutrition
Posted in Dog Allergies, Dog Food Basics, Dog Food Debates, Dog Food News, Dog Health, K9 Nutrition | 5 Comments »
Environment’s Role in Feeding Pets
October 13th, 2010
As I mentioned in the recent post How Your Pet Food Choice Helps Others, I had the chance to participate in some online seminars about the new American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Nutritional Assessment Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Here are a few things I learned about “environment” and feeding.
“Nutrition isn’t just about nutrients,” Tony Buffington, DVM, PhD, a veterinarian and professor at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center and board certified veterinary nutritionist, told the group during one of these webinars in September 2010.
The Circle of Nutrition
He went on to explain that nutritionist look at many factors when they assess what’s going on with a dog or cat when it comes to nutrition, diet, feeding and such:
- Animal factors
- Diet factors
- Feeding factors
- Environmental factors
- And, the interactions between all those things
Pet parents, like us, know from experience that a change in a dog or cat’s health status is one of the top reasons 5 reasons people change pet foods. I’ll admit that I too am quick to “blame” food as the source of some difficulties my dogs experience. Ginko’s excessive thirst and Lilly’s new itchiness are two recent examples.
But from the veterinary nutritionist’s perspective, it’s a whole lot more complicated than that. A change in any of these factors can change the rest of them.
What “Environment” Really Means
I also write for the pet section of WebMD, and the team of writers and editors recently took part in a lively discussion about the use of “environment” in articles because in many minds it means something VERY different from the word’s use in any kind of research.
For example, I immediately think of environmental issues, like pollution, toxic chemicals, electromagnetic fields, radiation, and other negative influences that might come from the world at large and over which I have little or no control.
BUT, in the research world, environment simply means what’s going on in a pet’s life or at home or with the owner.
Buffington told seminar attendees, “Many cases we see in the nutrition clinic, the issue is more with the owner than with the animal.”
That doesn’t mean he is blaming the pet parents. It simply means something’s going on with:
- How the pet is fed
- Where the pet is fed
- When the pet is fed
- What else is going on when the pet is fed
- And, so on
The Mysteries of Environment and Food
What intrigued me most about how veterinary nutritionists figure out how to help pets with some diet-related problem is that, as Buffington explained, “We’ll see the same adverse health affects from barren environments and from a chaotic environment. The animal will look the same, so we need to find out what its home life is like. We’re always trying to change the perception of control, the perception of stress, in a positive direction.”
You see, many pets can cope with a high-stress environment, if they have “control” or the ability to some how escape from all the hubbub. BUT, if a pet feels trapped or has little control over his environment, then that can lead to eating or nutritional problems.
Buffington also explained how indoor-only pets or couch potatoes can develop serious food focus because “diet develops a much more prominent place in their day.”
Now, that’s food for thought.
Tags: AAHA Nutritional Assessment Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, cat food, dietary problems, dog food, feeding issues, pet nutrition, veterinary nutritionist
Posted in Dog Food Basics, Dog Health, K9 Nutrition | Comments Off
Pets At Risk for Dietary Problems
October 6th, 2010
Aside from certain kinds of pet food allergies, which have their own timetables, dogs and cats face a greater risk of diet-related problems at certain times in their lives:
- Right after they’re born
- When they are very young
- When they get “old”
- If they are nursing
- When they are ill
Not being a mom, myself, I was surprised to learn, for example, that a nursing mother (dog or cat) endures a much greater physiological strain from her feeding offspring than she does when they are in the womb.
I’d always thought that growing babies was hard work, but it seems feeding them is even harder.
Puppies and Kittens
The fragile and dynamic nature of just born or very young pets makes attending to their unique dietary needs VERY important. They can be undernourished. They can be over-nourished and grow too quickly, too fast. It’s a delicate balance, as we’ve discussed before.
Small or Toy Breed: Puppy Food Basics
Large Breed: Puppy Food Basics
Senior Pets
Perhaps in a later series of posts we can talk about how older pets food needs change. For now, I’ll just remind you that:
- Older dogs are MUCH more likely to become HYPOthyroid, characterized often by weight gain
- Older cats are MUCH more likely to become HYPERthyroid, characterized often by weight loss
Warning Signs
No matter your pet’s age, veterinarians get concerned about any changes in eating (or drinking habits). With all the online chatter about pet foods, it’s easy for us to immediately “blame” a specific food or even the entire industry.
But, veterinarians, and especially veterinary nutritionists, look at all kinds of factors when assessing a dog or cats nutritional needs and how that might affect what’s going on with their health.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be talking more about that. I hope you’ll stick with us.
Tags: cat food, dietary problems, dog food, food-related problems, kitten food, pet nutrition, puppy food
Posted in Dog Health, K9 Nutrition, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
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.
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 | 4 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.
Tags: dog food, dog food rating tool, pet food, pet nutrition, raw cat food, raw dog food, raw pet food
Posted in Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition | 10 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.
