Food

wholedogjournal_editorial

Worst (Top) to Best (Bottom)Kibbles 'n bits beef & chickencornsoybean mealbeef and bone mealground wheatanimal fat (BHA)protein 19%, fat 8%Pedigree Adultground whole grain cornmeat and bone mealcorn gluten mealanimal fat (BHA and citric acid)soybean mealprotein 21%, fat 10%Purina dog chow complete whole grain cornmeat and bone mealcorn gluten mealanimal fat (mixed tocopherols)soybean mealprotein 21%, fat 10%Beneful originalground yellow cornchicken byproduct mealcorn gluten mealwhole wheat flouranimal fat (mixed tocopherols)protein 25%, fat 10% …

You know the old expression, It's better to teach someone to fish than it is to give them a fish"? We're ardent advocates of this approach. We would far rather teach a dog owner how to identify the good

Each and every one of the six people who adopted the puppies I fostered recently asked me the same question: How much should I feed him?" I was surprised the first time

such as "meat

On what do we base that ranking? While it's difficult to get nutritionists to agree on just about anything, it's likely that most would agree on the following general idea: that a diet that was formulated to be complete and balanced" and comprised of fresh

Occasionally we are asked to rate the various options that owners have for feeding their dogs, based on the relative healthiness" of each major type of food: home-prepared (raw or cooked); commercial raw

Recently I visited a fancy new pet supply store?* – seriously, the fanciest store I've ever seen. It boasts a fenced and rubber-matted area for patrons' dogs to play while their owners shop; an area where owners can bathe their dogs (with warm water, cross ties in the raised tubs, shampoo and conditioner on tap, waterproof aprons, cool blow driers, and plenty of towels); an area where visiting veterinarians can provide vaccinations and basic health exams; a climate-controlled, glassed-in area for puppy and dog training classes; and, oh yeah, aisle after aisle after aisle of toys, beds, treats, shampoos, and lots and lots of dog (and cat) food.

The vast majority of dog owners feed dry dog food to their dogs – and quite a few of them select and store the bags of food in a way that turns a wholesome food into a health hazard for their beloved companions. Are you handling your dog's food in a safe manner? Or do you regularly make the following mistakes?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began receiving reports in 2006 regarding dogs becoming ill – sometimes fatally ill – shortly after being fed dried chicken “jerky” treats. Most, but not all, of the treats mentioned in these reports were made or sourced in China.

Three months ago, I asked, Why can't veterinary nutritionists design recipes that meet most nutritional needs through the use of whole foods

Price is the most commonly cited reason that people prefer to feed dry food to their dogs; canned food is far more expensive to feed than dry food. Owners of large dogs or multiple dogs rarely feed canned food as anything other than an occasional treat, for this reason alone.Of course, there are other objections, too.