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Whole Dog Journal’s Approved Dry Dog Food List 2015

By
Nancy Kerns
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Good Dog Food Ingredients

In our opinion, the most important factors to consider – the starting place for the search – are the food’s ingredients. The following are desired traits – things you want to see on the label.

Lots of animal protein at the top of the ingredients list. Ingredients in pet food, just like human food, are listed in order of the weight of that ingredient in the formula, so you want to see a top-quality animal protein at the top of the list.

Importantly, that animal protein should be identified by species – chicken, beef, lamb, etc. “Meat” is an example of a low-quality protein source of dubious origin. “Poultry” is more specific but not specific enough!

Animal protein “meals”are made through a process called rendering, wherein the animal tissues (muscle, fat, skin, connective tissue, and some smaller amount of bone, hair, and/or feathers, depending on the species) are ground, and then heated to separate the fat and reduce the moisture. If it’s made from rendered chicken, the resulting product is chicken meal; if made from lamb, it’s lamb meal, etc. Just as with the fresh animal protein, look for a named species (i.e., “chicken meal”) but avoid “meat meal” or “poultry meal.”

pet food aisle

© Murdock2013 | Dreamstime.com

When a fresh, named meat is first on the ingredient list (such as “chicken”), there should be a named animal-protein meal (such as “chicken meal”) in a supporting role to augment the total animal protein in the diet. The closer to the top of the ingredient list that this supporting meal appears, the better. The ingredient list of the best foods will start out with something like, “Chicken, chicken meal . . .” and go on from there. Fresh meat contains a lot of (heavy) water, so if meat is first on the list, it acts like a diluted protein source; while it adds an appealing flavor and aroma to the food, it doesn’t actually contribute that much protein. That’s why another named source of animal protein should appear in the top three or so ingredients.

Whole-food ingredients: vegetables, fruits, and/or grains or other carbohydrate sources such as potatoes, peas, chickpeas, or sweet potatoes. Fresh, unprocessed food ingredients contain nutrients in all their complex glory, with their vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants intact. Don’t be too alarmed by one or two “fractions” (a byproduct or part of an ingredient, like tomato pomace or oatmeal), especially if they are lower on the ingredient list. But the more fractions present in the food, and the higher they appear on the list, the lower quality the result.

Undesirable Ingredients

We also think it’s important that you know some ingredients to look out for. Avoid the following:

Meat byproducts and poultry by-products, meat byproduct meal, or poultry byproduct meal. Some of the animal tissues that go into the ingredients that are identified on labels as animal byproducts are highly nutritious, such as lungs, spleens, kidneys, brains (of some animal species, not all), livers , blood, bone, fat, and emptied stomachs and intestines. Poultry byproducts also includes necks, feet, and underdeveloped eggs. In addition, poultry byproduct meal may contain poultry heads.

However, believe us when we say that these ingredients are not handled as nicely as the higher-value cuts of meat of which they are “byproducts.” Because they are not headed for human consumption, these products are not kept clean and chilled through processing and transport; it’s a given that whatever bacterial burden may flourish during this time will be reduced by later processing. As they become oxidized – rancid – these animal tissues develop a certain level of peroxide. Pet-food producers may specify byproducts with lower peroxide values, but these cost more.

A “generic” fat source such as “animal fat.” This can literally be any mixed fat of animal origin; it need not have originated from slaughtered animals. Meaning, it can be obtained from renderers that process dead animals. “Poultry” fat is not quite as suspect as “animal fat,” but “chicken fat” or “duck fat” is better (and traceable).

Added sweeteners. Dogs, like humans, enjoy the taste of sweet foods. Sweeteners effectively persuade many dogs to eat foods comprised mainly of grain fragments (and containing less healthy animal protein and fats).

Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives (i.e., BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin). The color of the food doesn’t matter to your dog. And it should be flavored well enough to be enticing with healthy meats and fats. Natural preservatives, such as tocopherols (vitamin E), vitamin C, and rosemary extract, can be used instead. Note that natural preservatives do not preserve foods as long as artificial preservatives, so owners should always check the “best by” date on the label and look for relatively fresh products.

Give It A Try

Along the bottom of these two pages is a list of relatively well-known dry dog foods and their first five ingredients. They appear in order of how we would rank them in quality, with the lowest-quality foods on the left, and the better-quality foods on the right.

Why have we put them in this order? First, understand that we wouldn’t buy any of the foods on the left page. Not a single one has an animal-protein source at the top of its ingredients list. Instead, each uses corn as its major source of protein. (Note: There is absolutely no difference between the designations each uses for “corn.” All those phrases mean the same thing.) The array of amino acids that make up the protein in corn are not as beneficial for dogs as the amino-acid profile of animal proteins; while dogs can survive on it, it’s an unnatural and low-cost protein for them.

We have Kibbles ‘n Bits ranked below all the rest, due to the fact that its source of animal protein, the very low-quality “meat and bone meal,” appears lower on its ingredient list (third) than the next foods. Even its low-quality, artificially preserved fat source appears lower on its ingredient list than its competitors. (These things are reflected in its low protein and fat percentages.)

The next two foods are nearly identical, with one small difference: Pedigree uses an artificial preservative on its low-quality fat, so we would rank it lower in quality than the Purina Dog Chow. By the way, corn gluten meal, which appears third on both of these products’ ingredients lists, is a concentrated protein made from corn – again, a lower-cost, lower-quality nutrient for dogs than an animal-protein source.

Beneful has a significantly better animal-protein source than its predecessors; chicken byproduct meal is at least a named animal protein. And it’s present in a higher amount than in the preceding foods; see the higher protein content?

We’d start to consider foods that appear on this page. They meet our basic criteria as described above, displaying some of the good traits (a named animal protein first on the list, whole grains, a named supporting animal-protein meal) and minor infractions with the “undesirable ingredients” (brewers rice, a food fragment). We’d call the Hills and the Iams product nearly a tie, with the edge in quality going to the Iams food, with the credit given for chicken meal in the fourth spot on the label (rather than fifth, as in the Hill’s food). Again, this is reflected in the total amount of protein seen in the food.

We jump upward in quality with the next two foods. The Taste of the Wild product is a grain-free food, so remember to expect it to be higher in protein and fat – not something that every dog can handle. But look at those nice named meat sources – one fresh at the top of the list, followed immediately not one, but two supportive named meat meals. Nice!

We will take another upward jump with the highest-quality product on this list, Orijen. Five ingredients down and there are still no grains or other carbohydrate sources on the ingredient list. It’s packed with high-quality named animal proteins, and this is reflected in its high protein content.

By the way, don’t be afraid of feeding protein to your dog; he’s well suited to utilize it. If you’ve been warned about the dangers of too much protein, please see our article “When to Say No to Low-Protein” in the May 2005 issue of WDJ.

Hopefully, you feel comfortable now in reading an ingredient list. Here are just a few more things to look for when considering a new food for your dog.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Many of the other things we want you to read the label for are neither good nor bad, just things you need to be aware of when shopping for your specific dog. Remember, each dog is an individual, and while it’s great when it works out that all of your dogs do well on the same food, don’t take this for granted.

You will need to become aware of how much protein and fat your dog thrives on – how much is too much, and how much is too little. Top-quality foods contain a lot more protein (and often, more fat, too) than lower-quality foods, so you may have to reduce the amount of food you feed quite a bit if you switch from a low-quality food to a really good one. (One upside is that good foods are much more digestible, and your dog’s poop should shrink a lot, too.)

Look for a “best by” date that’s at least six months away. A best by date that’s 10 or 11 months away is ideal; it means the food was made very recently. Note: Foods made with synthetic preservatives (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin) may have a “best by” date that is 18 months or more past the date of manufacture.

Grain-free or not? Be aware that grain-free foods generally contain higher protein and fat levels. Also, keep in mind that grain-free does not mean carbohydrate-free; another carb source has been employed to take the place of grain (you can’t make kibble without any carbohydrate at all). Be sure you can identify the carb used in the food you choose – the most common ones used today are potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, and chickpeas – and keep track of how well your dog digests it.

Some companies use a small amount of dehydrated or freeze-dried meats in their formulas. These unprocessed ingredients add both concentrated protein and taste to a finished product, but are wickedly expensive, so they aren’t often used in dry food.

LIST OF APPROVED FOODS
Here is the reward for those of you who have applied yourself to “learning to fish.” On the following pages, we’ve listed a number of companies that make foods that meet our selection criteria. Some of them make just a few foods; some make dozens and dozens of different formulas. Some sell a relatively tiny amount of dog food; some sell quite a bit.

Only a couple of companies on this list could be considered corporate titans – and in the case of the ones you may identify as such, you need to look carefully to see which line of their products has actually met our selection criteria. We predicted a decade ago that if the largest pet-food companies ever wanted to put a lot of small companies out of business, all they would need to do is to produce a few formulas that more closely resemble the higher-quality products formulated and marketed by the “boutique” companies, but with the economy of scale and efficiencies of their large production facilities and ability to write big contracts with ingredient suppliers – and you should be able to see that this is happening. Many of you don’t trust the “big guys,” but I’m here to tell you that you’ve never seen cleaner, more professionally run manufacturing facilities and fantastic in-house labs than those operated by “big food.”

The FDA has a site where all the pet food recalls since 2008 are listed (it’s here: fda.gov/animalVeterinary/safetyhealth/recallswithdrawals/default.htm). We’ve indicated which products on our list have had a recall since 2008, what it was for, and when it happened. Keep in mind that we are not terribly concerned about recalls for Salmonella in dry dog food. (To understand why, see “Do You Recall” in the April 2013 of WDJ, as well as “Why Are There So Many Recalls?” in the October 2013 issue.)

We also included information about the foods’ price, but this is fairly unscientific, given that retailers vary wildly in their markup. We gathered prices from a variety of retailers – brick and mortar and online. We also checked prices on each variety, in large bags and small bags; the price per pound is much less in large bags than small bags, but not everybody buys (or should buy) large bags. We averaged these prices per pound and came up with these categories:

$         Food is less than $2.50/lb.
$$       Food is $2.50 to $3.50/lb.
$$$     Food is more than $3.50/lb.

Because of the number of variables, the price range may not be accurate for all foods in all places, but rather a rough guide to help some of you identify which foods may or may not be in your budget. Just remember: To some extent, price does equal quality. While it’s highly possible to pay a lot for a mediocre food, you cannot buy a great food for less than the cost of the superior ingredients that are needed to make it.

Finally, look for your favorite foods alphabetically under their maker’s name. So don’t freak out when you don’t see Orijen under the O’s; it’s listed under the name of the company that owns it: Champion Pet Foods. 

Be Encouraged

By
Nancy Kerns
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A few weeks ago, in preparation for writing WDJ’s annual dry-dog-food review, we asked readers on our Facebook page what they most wanted to know about dry dog food. We received a lot of good questions, including a great many that revealed a common depth of interest in (and confusion about) feeding dogs. We were somewhat disappointed, however, by the number of people who took the opportunity to criticize dry dog food of any quality – the whole concept of kibble. More than one person asked, “Why would anyone feed such an inappropriate diet to a dog they loved?”

Whole Dog Journal editor Nancy Kerns

Well, it’s a sign of the times; people will start an argument about anything online, and when it comes to our beloved companion animals, passionate opinions are to be expected.

But we don’t think it’s at all helpful to tell people who have shown a greater-than-average interest in their dog’s health that “Kibble kills!” Especially when there is an awful lot of evidence to the contrary.

The fact is, more people feed dry dog food to their dogs than all the other forms of food put together – and any veterinarian can tell you that the lifespan of the average American family dog has increased, not decreased, since extruded foods were invented in the 1950s. That’s due to a lot of factors – including leash laws, greater rates of vaccination and basic veterinary care, social mores that increasingly regard pets as cherished family members (as opposed to disposable toys), and so on – but if kibble was the “killer” that the most adamant advocates of more “biologically appropriate” diets sometimes say it is, there wouldn’t be so many overcrowded animal shelters.

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence, after all, that dogs can thrive on all sorts of diets, including ones that we would never recommend. One woman who responded to our Facebook inquiry volunteered that she has fed her dogs Kibbles ‘n Bits – what I would characterize as junk food – since the company started making it, and her pit bull lived to 17, and she has two other dogs, ages 12 and 14, who have never had to go to the vet.

Does this anecdotal account mean we should feed all dogs Kibbles ‘n Bits? No.

On the other hand, do we want that woman to stop feeding it to her presumably healthy senior dogs? We do not. What is the use of making someone feel bad for doing something that appears to be working just fine?

If, however, someone has observed that her dog receives only a small serving of dry dog food (which she buys at the grocery store) and yet the dog remains obese, and also happens to be perpetually itchy . . . if the owner notices these things and is motivated to try to improve her dog’s health, comfort, and appearance . . . then we would encourage her to upgrade the dog’s diet and see what happens. We would give her some concrete information about what to look for, and what to look out for, when choosing a new food. We’d want that owner to be successful in finding something that works better for her dog and that she can afford.

Once she sees her dog improve, she will likely be on board for further dietary improvements – whether that’s an even better kibble, or the inclusion of some good-quality canned or frozen raw food, or a well-researched home-prepared diet. Whatever her level of comfort or budget, we will (over the course of the year) be publishing articles that will help her identify the traits of diets in those categories that more commonly produce fit, healthy dogs.

In this issue, we’ll be talking about dry dog food and how to find good ones. In other issues, we’ll discuss other types of diets. We’re confident that if you’re reading this now, you’re already doing more for your dog than most owners. Good job! And keep up the good work!

3 Steps For Solving Your Dog’s Overexcited Behavior at the Door

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Training and reinforcement are how to stop a dog from darting out the door.

Doors are fascinating to dogs. Think about it: Doors are reliable predictors of all kinds of exciting stuff. People enter through doors – people you like and people you don’t like. People leave through doors – people you want to stay, and people you want to go. A door plus a leash equals a WALK! Or maybe a RIDE IN THE CAR! And when the magic door noise happens (whether it’s a doorbell or a knock), the humans often speed to the door and engage in an orgy of greeting rituals guaranteed to be arousing to a dog, including loud voices, handshaking, sometimes even hugging and back-slapping. Small wonder that a significant percentage of dogs develop undesirable door-related behaviors, including:

  • Overly excited greeting of arriving humans
  • Excessive arousal in anticipation of outings
  • Door darting/escaping
  • Aggression directed toward arriving humans
  • Aggression directed toward departing humans

If you are struggling with a dog who exhibits any of these challenging behaviors, take a deep breath and know that you can make it better. The three-step process that follows provides a simple framework to help you modify your dog’s inappropriate door-related behaviors. First we will explain the steps, then look at how to apply them to some of the unwanted behaviors listed above.

train dog to be calm at the door

Step #1: Visualize/Articulate the Behavior You Want

Old-fashioned training focuses on physically and/or verbally punishing the dog for unwanted behaviors in an attempt to suppress them. While this method can be successful, it carries with it a lot of baggage, including the potential for teaching your dog to fear you, to avoid offering behaviors in training sessions, and to become aggressive in response to the punishment. Obviously, we don’t recommend it.

Modern, positive-reinforcement-based training focuses on the behaviors you want your dog to do. In order to successfully modify an unwanted behavior, you need to start by identifying the desirable behavior(s) you would like your dog to do, instead.

Step #2: Manage the Environment to Prevent Reinforcing Your Dog’s Unwanted Behavior

Management is critical for successful behavior change. Every time your dog is reinforced in some way for an undesirable behavior, it increases the likelihood that he’ll repeat that behavior, and it will be harder to make that behavior go away. (Keep in mind that a “reinforcement” for your dog is not just a tasty treat or word of praise; if anything that your dog enjoys happens as a result of his behavior, – or anything he doesn’t like goes away – it’s a reinforcement. So, if he manages to dart out the door when you open it for someone, and he then gets to run around, or pee, or bark at the UPS truck, he will have been “reinforced” for the door-darting behavior.)

By implementing a well-thought-out management program, you will prevent reinforcement for the unwanted behavior while you install a new behavior in its place. Note that it’s not enough that you don’t reinforce the behavior. You also have to prevent the rest of the world from reinforcing the behavior if you want to change it.

Step #3: Generously Reinforce the Behavior You Do Want

This is where you replace the unwanted behavior with the desired behavior you identified in Step #1. Figure out how to create an environment in which your dog is able to offer the behavior you want so that you have ample opportunity to reward him for it. Behaviors that are consistently reinforced increase, while those that are not reinforced extinguish.

In time, along with the good management you’ve implemented in Step #2, your dog will choose to offer the desired behavior instead of the unwanted one.

Now let’s apply the three-step process to one of our inappropriate door-related behaviors:

EXCITED GREETING OF ARRIVING HUMANS

Step #1: Visualize/articulate the behavior you do want. Here are some possibilities:

  • I would like my dog to greet me, other family members, and any visitors at the door (and anywhere else!) by sitting politely in front of them.
  • I would like my dog to go lie down on his bed (or go get in his crate) when visitors come to the door.
  • I would like my dog to sit for a toy that the visitor holds up and then fetch it when the visitor tosses it.

Step #2: Prevent your dog from being reinforced for the behavior you don’t want.

So, consider the following:

  • Use tethers, leashes, crates, baby gates, etc. to restrain your dog and prevent him from happily jumping on people to greet them.
  • Instruct family members and visitors to turn away and step away if your dog tries to jump on them.
  • Put a note on your front door asking visitors to wait a moment while you put your dog away before answering the door.

Step #3: Generously reinforce the behavior you do want.

In this case, you could try:

  • Teach your dog to “Sit politely for greetings.” This is a good-manners behavior best taught to young puppies so they don’t have a strong reinforcement history for jumping up, but it’s never too late to begin.

You can practice polite greetings with your dog on a tether or leash. Step toward him when he’s restrained, and if he starts to jump up, step back. Pet or feed him a treat only if he stays in a polite sit. Don’t ask him to sit; you want him to figure it out himself – otherwise he will sit only when someone asks him to.

If you consistently reward your dog for sitting anywhere and everywhere, sit will become his “default” behavior – he’ll sit whenever he’s not sure what else to do. That’s a good thing!

If company is coming, tether your dog a safe distance from the door so you can greet your guests without worrying about him, and hand them each several treats. Tell them to walk over to greet your dog one at a time, and to pet or feed him only if he remains sitting.

When the initial excitement of the visitors’ arrival subsides, you can remove him from his tether. If necessary, keep him on leash for a bit so he can walk around to greet your guests but you can restrain him if you see him gathering himself to jump up.

When he is settled enough, take him off leash and let him interact freely. Remember to remind your guests to turn their backs if he jumps up!

  • Teach your dog to “Lie down on your bed (or go in your crate) when visitors are at the door.” You can teach your dog that the sound of the doorbell, or a knock at the door, is his cue to go lie down on his bed, or run and jump into his crate. Once there you can tether him at his bed or close the crate door, if necessary, to prevent him from running to greet your guests.

If you don’t already have a verbal cue for the behavior you want, begin by teaching him one. Stand two feet away from your dog’s designated spot. Say “Go to bed” (or “Crate” or whatever cue you want to use) and prompt him to go there by pointing and/or using a treat lure. When he gets there, mark the desired behavior with the click of a clicker or a verbal “Yes!” and give him a treat. When he starts heading for his bed or crate upon hearing the cue, fade the prompt/lure by waiting until he gets there, and then using the click and treat.

Gradually increase your starting distance until he will run to his bed/crate from across the room, and farther. When he will go there on just the verbal cue from anywhere in the house, you are ready to add the new cue – the knock and/or sound of the doorbell.

To install the new cue, start with your dog just a few feet from his crate or bed. Make a knocking sound or ring the bell and then give your dog the verbal cue to go to his bed/crate. If he seems confused, go ahead and prompt/lure as needed, until he’s no longer distracted by the knock or bell and begins to realize that it means the same thing as your verbal cue. When he will go to his designated spot consistently from just a few feet away at the sound of the knock or bell, gradually increase distance until he will run there from anywhere in the house at the sound.

Now do setups with people actually coming to the door. Be prepared to follow the knock or doorbell with your verbal cue until he can get past his excitement over someone being at the door and respond promptly and consistently to the cue.
Continue to practice with setups until he will run to his spot upon hearing the knock or bell, even with the exciting stimulus of a stranger at the door.

  • Teach your dog to “Sit for and fetch a toy.” This one is my favorite because it’s fun for dog and guests alike. Keep a basket of toys outside your front door, with clear and simple instructions for your visitor to:
dog greeting warning

1. Take a toy out of the basket before you enter.
2. Hold the toy at your chest and wait for your dog to sit.
3. When he sits, toss the toy 10-15 feet into the house.
4. If he brings it back and drops it or hands it to you, you can wait for him to sit and toss it again, if you want.

Of course, you will have practiced this with your dog ahead of time so you are confident that he knows how to play the game. You may also have to eventually put the toy up so he will stop pestering your guest to throw it again. Unless, of course, your guests are enjoying the game as much as your dog, in which case you can just sit back and let them exercise him for you!

EXCESSIVE AROUSAL IN ANTICIPATION OF AN OUTING

Okay, let’s apply the three-step process to another door-related behavior commonly displayed by dogs. This time, I’ll be brief, in order to streamline the logic of the three steps.

Let’s say your dog gets highly aroused, leaping into the air and bouncing off of you or the door, when you pick up the leash to take him out for a walk. Here’s what you do:

Step #1: Visualize/Articulate the behavior you do want: “I would like my dog to sit calmly and wait for me to attach the leash.”

Step #2: Prevent reinforcement for the behavior you don’t want: As soon as your dog starts acting silly, say, “Oops!” in a cheerful tone of voice and set the leash down. If necessary, turn your back or go sit down until he is calm. Then start the process again. Not only are you preventing reinforcement, you are also telling him that his wild behavior makes the opportunity for a walk go away.

Step #3: Generously reinforce the behavior you do want: When he stays calmly seated for you to attach the leash, reinforce the behavior by opening the door and taking him for that highly anticipated walk. You don’t even need treats to reinforce him for this one – although, of course, you always can reinforce with treats as well.

Your Turn

Now it’s your turn. If your dog has any other undesirable door-related behaviors, take the “three-step process for changing a behavior you don’t like” and give it a go.

But, heck, why limit it to door-related behaviors? You can try it out with any unwanted behaviors your dog exhibits. Try to commit the “three-step process for changing a behavior” to memory so you have it at your fingertips when you need it. Make a list of your dog’s unwanted behaviors in order of importance. Select one or two behaviors from your list and stat applying the “three-step process.” You will be amazed at how quickly those troublesome behaviors can just fly out the door, never to return!

A Healing Coat

By
Cindy Foley
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Back on Track dog agility coat

Pulled muscles and joint inflammation are as much a part of your dog’s life as your own, and they increase with age and activity. The fact is, no matter which way you turn it, strains happen. Imagine how great it would be if there was a magic garment that could soothe those strains and restore your dog to fitness. Well, you don’t have to imagine it: There is such a garment.

For initial injuries and acute pain, a veterinary diagnosis is a necessity. Your dog may need an anti-inflammatory drug to rapidly get the pain and inflammation under control. For chronic stiffness due to geriatric arthritis, a therapeutic daily dose of glucosamine to help lubricate those joints may make a difference. It may even slow the onset of joint degeneration, making supplementing sooner rather than later a smart move. Other complementary therapies for chronic issues include laser therapy (see “Hire the Lasers,” WDJ August 2013) and acupuncture (“Needle Your Dog,” November 2013). That’s because, for chronic pain issues, keeping your dog on a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) isn’t optimal.

Many veterinarians will also suggest investing in a Back On Track coat, which sport-horse and performance-dog owners have long used for muscle strain from strenuous athletic activity, arthritis and muscle warm-up. These coats are so popular that if you attend a cool-weather, early-morning dog agility trial, you may think basic black is trendy in dog clothing.

In reality, the Back On Track products are established remedies for chronic inflammation and muscle health. Based on researched and documented Chinese medicine practices, these products use ceramic’s heat-reflective properties to increase circulation. The ceramic particles are infused into blanket material, which is warmed by the dog’s body heat. That heat then radiates back into the body.

This form of infrared heat radiation is proven to increase circulation, which naturally reduces inflammation, enhances healing, and relieves muscle tension.

Skeptical? Don’t be! A study from 2002 in Alternative Medicine Review looked at the ceramic-impregnated gloves for Raynaud’s syndrome in humans. People with Raynaud’s suffer from tightening of blood vessels, resulting in decreased circulation, usually in their fingers; it worsens in cold weather and can be painful. The study’s conclusions noted “significant improvement” in pain, temperature, grip, and dexterity, showing the ceramic increased circulation.

It’s actually the inside of the Back On Track blanket that contains the ceramic powder. The outer material is your choice: either a water-resistant breathable polyester or a lightweight, breathable mesh. The mesh is popular as it comfortably drapes over your dog and can be used in warmer weather and for more active dogs. Both blankets are machine washable, as the powder cannot be washed out (no dryers, though). We’ve seen dog coats in use for more than seven years.

Personal Experience with Dog Agility Problems

Draco is my 9-year-old Papillon and my first agility dog. We’ve been competing seven years and only need two qualifying scores to finish his last AKC Masters title, which is pretty good for a “first” dog. A couple of years ago, I noticed Draco was slowing down and less enthusiastic. He seemed excited at the start line, but slowed by the end of the course. In the second run of the day, he would start fast but slow down as he progressed through the course – and would even sometimes avoid obstacles.

I had my veterinarian examine him. She observed that, overall, his muscles felt tight. She mentioned that at his age we may be dealing with early arthritis, too. She said I could use pain medication to help him, but also suggested I spend more time warming him up and get a Back On Track coat first to see if it helped. I also decided to drop him to a lower jump height.

Huge improvement! Draco is back to running fast – sometimes too fast for me to control! When I get the coat out he puts his head right through the neck hole, as if he knows the coat makes him feel better. Once again, he is excited to be doing agility! In fact, last summer, I couldn’t hold him still at the start line!

Back and shoulder injuries are the most prevalent problems in agility dogs, and A-frames account for most injuries. Reluctance to tackle the A-frame is a pretty sure sign of a back problem, especially in a little dog.

When Raven, my younger Papillon, started to avoid obstacles, I had him examined, too. My vet readily detected the tight muscles in Raven’s back and showed me how to palpate them and recognize when they’re tight. I had no idea he was in so much pain, since he always gamely tried to do the courses. We used anti-inflammatory drugs to get Raven’s acute pain under control and I invested in a second Back On Track coat.

Back on Track dog agility coat

The difference in the tightness of his back muscles after wearing his coat was nothing short of amazing. I give him pain medication only for acute injuries. Although I decided to retire him from agility, as I didn’t want to risk further injury, I still have to watch him for back pain. However, with the Back On Track coat, I reach for the pain medication only for an acute episode – such as when he decided to race a visiting puppy all around our dog arena.

Using The Back on Track Blanket

Dogs do vary in their response to the blanket, and some take longer to achieve a noticeable effect than others. Nearly every dog owner reports at least a softening of tense muscles and less overall stiffness. You should gradually introduce the blanket, increasing from a couple of hours per day for several days up to overnight use. In addition, as counterintuitive as it seems, best results are found if you set up an on/off schedule for the product’s use, such as three weeks of therapy and one week off, or use it only when you notice increased stiffness or need to ensure proper warm up of your dog’s muscles for physical activity.

The blankets are available in an incredible number of sizes from toy to XXL, retailing from $79 to $109, depending on size. As is the case with any covering you place on your dog, you need to keep the ambient temperature and sun in mind when your dog is wearing the coat.

Take-Away Points

Back On Track products are no substitute for warm-up and cool-down periods or conditioning your dog for his level of work. And acute injuries can still occur and require your vet’s help. But for most chronic problems and overall muscle health, ceramic therapy is a valid choice, offering comfort to your arthritic friend and keeping your canine athlete at his peak. It’s important to know what issue your dog is battling before you invest, as Back On Track products are a bit pricey and most certainly not cure-alls. They do support muscle health and reduce pain and inflammation in the dog’s body.

Ceramic therapy’s use for chronic arthritis, circulation problems, and inflammatory muscle and bone issues is well documented. The company’s website (backontrackproducts.com) has convincing clinical studies, including images showing before/after inflammation in horses. We found several studies ourselves, including research published in February 2012 that concluded the biological effects of ceramic materials have “the potential therapeutic effects . . . may contribute to relieving inflammatory arthritis and maintaining bone health.” (You can read it for yourself at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22242954.)

The company’s head office is in Sweden, and it manufactures these products for horses, dogs, and humans. The factories are in China, but the company states that an independent lab hired by the company measures each batch of ceramic textile to ensure its level of reflected heat.

Cynthia Foley is an experienced dog agility competitor. Also a lifelong horsewoman, she served as editor of Horse Journal from its inception in 1994 to 2014.

10 Steps to Healthy Skin and a Silky Coat for Your Dog

By
Cindy Foley
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0
All dog lovers appreciate seeing a healthy, happy dog, running in the sun with a glistening coat.

Your dog’s skin is the largest organ in his body and is comprised of multiple layers. The inner layer protects the internal organs and blood vessels, while the outer layer sheds old cells and secretes oils into the hair follicles, providing shine and water resistance.

Although it sounds like a simple organ, it’s not. Tiny problems can get out of control, requiring long therapies to heal. And when skin problems arise, it can be difficult and time-consuming to determine exactly what caused the problem. It’s no wonder skin ailments are one of the most common reasons dogs are taken to their veterinarians.

Keeping your dog’s skin healthy is critical to his hair coat health, too. The initial symptom of many health issues is often a dull, flat coat. While this is sometimes a matter of poor grooming, it can also be caused by a health issue. A dog who constantly scratches may be battling parasites, food allergies/sensitivities, or adrenal problems, such as Cushing’s syndrome.

Dry skin is nothing to blow off. It’s not just a matter of comfort. If your dog’s skin isn’t moist and pliable, it can crack, providing an entry point for microorganisms like bacteria or fungi. Dry-skin solutions may be as simple as correcting a dietary imbalance or using a conditioner after a bath. But you need to be aware that it could also indicate a thyroid problem or a parasite infestation. A trip to the veterinarian is in order if your dog’s itching does not subside with simple topical treatments.

Fortunately, prevention goes a long way toward avoiding that vet call, so let’s move on to the 10 steps to ensure your dog’s coat is glossy, silky, and healthy:

1. Optimize Nutrition. Feeding a top-quality commercial dog food or well-formulated, home-prepared diet will ensure your dog receives the nutrients he needs. Avoid foods containing low-quality fat sources (such as plant-sourced oils or “animal fat”). If your dog is allergic to or intolerant of certain ingredients, check ingredient labels carefully each time you buy a commercial food; the manufacturer may have changed the formula and added the problematic (for your dog) ingredient.

2. Consider a Supplement – Your dog may need a little extra nutrition support in the form of the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Adding a fish-oil supplement to your dog’s diet is the best way to provide these powerful anti-inflammatory nutrients. Only fresh oils should be used; never feed oils that smell rancid or “off.” All oils are fats and provide about 40 calories per teaspoon, so amounts should be limited, particularly in overweight dogs and those already eating a high-fat diet.

3. Establish a Regular Grooming Schedule. While long-haired dogs like Shetland Sheepdogs require more frequent brushing than short-haired Labradors, a weekly session is a good rule of thumb for most. Balance the frequency with the dog’s activity. Dogs who run through long grasses may get burrs that should be removed immediately (or he’ll chew them out!), and mud and dirt should be brushed out of their coats right away. City-dwelling dogs who walk through manicured parks usually need less attention, but watch for matting, especially in sensitive places, such as behind the ears and between the legs. Remember, too, that very young and very old dogs often do better with several shorter sessions a week rather than a single long one.

4. Choose the Right Grooming Tool.  You’ll find no shortage of dog-grooming tools on the market. Your choice depends upon your dog’s coat. A shedding tool is not the right choice for a silky-haired Yorkshire Terrier, but your German Shepherd Dog may think it’s awesome. Long coats need at least an initial comb-through to remove small tangles, but a bristle brush at the end will bring out the shine and stimulate the skin. Avoid overly soft and overly hard brushes. Soft ones won’t reach the skin, while hard ones may painfully rake the skin. Your dog can help you identify the grooming tools that work for her; if she leans into it or obviously enjoys being groomed with it, keep that brush or comb. But if she runs away from you every time she sees it, keep looking for an alternative.

5. Remove Tangles Immediately.  Tangled hair masses worsen with every shake of the tail. Most can be worked out with a human’s comb and a good detangling spray to soften the hair. Really bad mats must be cut out with scissors. Be extremely careful, as the skin tents up when you pull the mat and you can easily cut the skin, too. It can help to insert a comb between the mat and the skin, so you use the scissors only above the comb.

6. Bathe Your Dog.  Obviously, if your dog is filthy from running through mud or swimming in a pond, he needs a bath. Otherwise, a monthly bath keeps skin healthy; over-frequent bathing can dry the skin and strip oils from the coat (see “Waterworks,” November 2014). Select a shampoo that contains a moisturizer, or use a conditioner after bathing – and rinse well! Hypoallergenic products are good choices for dogs with sensitive skin. Thoroughly dry your dog (a shammy works great!) after the bath. Spray-on conditioners and detanglers can go a long way toward extending the benefits of the bath, as they help repel dirt and mats. Never spray these products on a dirty coat, as you’ll just trap the dirt in. And a little goes a long way; don’t overdo it.

7. Check for (and control) fleas.  Scrutinize your dog frequently for fleas, especially if you see him scratching or chewing himself. Swiping through his fur with a flea comb (an extremely fine-toothed comb that will trap fleas between the comb’s teeth) several times a week is a good surveillance method. Whenever your dog rolls over for tummy rubs, examine his skin for any of the jumping, biting pests. If you see a single flea, take immediate action to stop an infestation; there are sure to be more.

8. No Ring Around the Collar.  A dirty collar can rub off or shorten the hair around your dog’s neck. Clean leather collars with saddle soap, a glycerin bar, or Murphy’s Oil Soap, then wipe off the excess and let dry thoroughly. Use a terry towel to do a final polish before putting it back on your dog. Nylon and hemp collars can be cleaned using dishwashing detergent and an old toothbrush; alternatively, toss them in the washing machine with a load of sturdy clothing, such as towels or jeans. If your dog is a very low flight risk, remove his collar when he’s just hanging around inside your home, giving his fur some time without chafing.

9. Maintain a Clean Place to Sleep.  There is no sense in having your clean dog sleep on a dirty, greasy, and/or smelly bed. Wash your dog’s bed – or at least, the bed’s cover – at least a couple times a month. If his bed doesn’t have a removable cover, consider keeping the entire bed covered with sheets or blankets that you can wash frequently (or consider getting a new bed with a washable cover). Frequent washing will also help prevent fleas from gaining any sort of foothold (washing destroys flea eggs and flea larvae) in your home.

10. Keep Regular Vet Checks.  A “well visit” is important for your dog’s overall health, and your veterinarian is trained to catch skin problems at the earliest stages. If there was ever a dog-health area where prevention is worth a pound of cure, it’s your dog’s skin.

Cynthia Foley competes in dog agility with her two beautiful Papillons.

Next-Level Selection Criteria

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

For some dog owners, a better dry dog food is just one more step on a journey to finding the healthiest diet in the world for their dogs. It’s generally accepted among dog owners that this means a home-prepared diet comprised mostly of meat. Beyond this broad description, there isn’t consensus. Opinions vary about the supremacy of raw vs. cooked, using raw bones or other sources of dietary calcium, what sort of fat source is ideal, whether it’s advisable to include any grains or not (and if so, what kind and in what amounts), whether organic is healthier or not . . . . Name any concept in nutrition; its value and application to dogs is being debated.

So it makes sense that even when one journeys from the lofty heights of home-prepared diets, back down to the kibbled valley floor, there is debate here, too. Keep in mind that (despite my tongue-in-cheek heights-and-valley metaphor) the vast majority of dogs in this country eat dry dog food, so there are even more opinions out there about kibble than any other type of dog food.

Now, stir in a lot of scientific data and medical opinions; there have been far more nutritional studies and feeding trials conducted on kibble than any other type of canine diet.

So, if you are one of the majority of dog owners who have chosen to feed kibble – but you are committed to finding and feeding the best possible kibble that exists – you will probably employ more than the basic selection criteria outlined on page 6. You may want to investigate some of the following aspects of dog-food formulation, ingredient sourcing, and manufacturing. Just keep in mind that the relative value of all of these lines of investigation, and anyone’s ability to confirm the veracity of a company’s answers, are debatable, as well.

In-depth questions for dog-food companies:

Where do your ingredients come from – are any of them sourced from outside of the U.S.? Which ones: animal proteins and fats, oils, carb sources, herbs or other botanicals, vitamins and minerals? Which ingredients do you use that are so-called “human grade” (the legal term is “edible”) before they arrive at your manufacturing facility? (Once an ingredient arrives at a pet-food plant, it can no longer be legally referred to as “edible” – which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to verify these claims.) Do you use any organic ingredients? What about genetically modified ingredients?

Where are your foods made? In your own plant, or are they made by a contract-manufacturer (also known as a co-packer)? What sort of certifications have been earned by the plant? If your products are co-packed, what sort of oversight does your company employ to ensure the ingredient sourcing and the manufacturing process are accomplished to your specifications?

What tests are employed in your manufacturing facility to ensure manufacturing accuracy and ingredient- and finished-product safety? Do you employ a “test and hold” system to prevent the release of products before test results have been returned? What tests are conducted, and how long are the products held before being released? If my dog has a health problem that my veterinarian thinks might be related to your food, or there is a recall of this food, who will I be able to speak to? What will your company do for me and my dog?

Be advised that some companies won’t even have a person who will answer your call, or return your emailed inquiry – and that is a valuable selection criterion in itself! To read the extensive list of approved dry dog food companies that meet all of the Whole Dog Journal’s selection criteria, look no further than the “Whole Dog Journal’s Approved Dry Dog Foods List 2015.“

About Dog Food Manufacturers and Co-Manufacturers

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

Some companies own and operate their own manufacturing plants; some of these make only their own products, and others make their own and other companies’ foods, too. Still other companies, especially the smaller ones, use “contract manufacturers,” a.k.a., “co-packers,” to make their foods for them. There are benefits and challenges of both arrangements.

When a company owns and operates its own plant, it has full control of the entire food-making process: sourcing ingredients and managing their in-flow and storage; hiring, training, and managing workers; equipment maintenance and cleaning; product testing (requiring at least a minimal lab, and space and a system for retaining product samples); and so on. When things go wrong, there is no one to blame but themselves; they are in full control of the whole process. Many people feel it’s safest to buy products only from those companies that own and operate their own manufacturing facilities.

But owning and running a plant is unthinkably costly; few small companies can afford the expense, so they contract the services of a co-packer, and build as little or as much control or oversight of the manufacturing process into their contract as they like. Some companies “leave it to the experts,” taking a hands-off approach to the production of their products, while others insist on things like sourcing their own ingredients and having a company representative present for every run of their products, from start to finish.

When a food company hires a competent, ethical contract manufacturer and is educated enough to provide meaningful oversight of the services it hired, the relationship can work out well for all concerned, including you and your dogs.

Unfortunately, when something goes wrong – say, a recall and sick dogs – unscrupulous companies can be quick to point fingers at each other. The co-packer will say it was following the recipe and using the ingredients specified by the dog-food company. The company will say, “That’s not what we told them to use! They screwed up!” Lawsuits fly. Settlements happen. Consumers are none the wiser as to who actually messed up, and how. And our dogs pay the price.

Some Well-Known Dry Foods, Ranked from Worst To Best

By
Nancy Kerns
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3

Worst (Top) to Best (Bottom)

Purina Beneful

Kibbles ‘n bits beef & chicken
corn
soybean meal
beef and bone meal
ground wheat
animal fat (BHA)
protein 19%, fat 8%

Pedigree Adult
ground whole grain corn
meat and bone meal
corn gluten meal
animal fat (BHA and citric acid)
soybean meal
protein 21%, fat 10%

Purina dog chow complete
whole grain corn
meat and bone meal
corn gluten meal
animal fat (mixed tocopherols)
soybean meal
protein 21%, fat 10%

Beneful original
ground yellow corn
chicken byproduct meal
corn gluten meal
whole wheat flour
animal fat (mixed tocopherols)
protein 25%, fat 10%

Hill’s ideal balance chicken & brown rice
chicken
brown rice
brewers rice
cracked pearled barley
chicken meal
protein 20%, fat 16%

Iams healthy naturals chicken & barley
chicken
ground whole grain sorghum
ground whole grain barley
chicken meal
brewers rice
protein 25%, fat 14%

Taste of the wild high prairie
bison
lamb meal
chicken meal
sweet potatoes
peas
protein 32%, fat 18%

Champion Pet Products Orijen adult dog
boneless chicken
chicken meal
chicken liver
whole herring
boneless turkey
protein 38%, fat 18%

Your Dog’s Diet: A Dry Food Discussion

By
Nancy Kerns
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1

pet food aisle

© Murdock2013 | Dreamstime.com

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, better, and best dry dog foods available to her than to tell her which food is “best” for her dog. But there is one giant obstacle in the way of our teachin’ fishin’ mission.

The obstacle has to do with human nature: An awful lot of you would prefer for us to just give you a fish – that is, you’d rather we just told you which food you should buy for your dog.

It’s a compelling concept, but only if you don’t think about it very deeply. Consider this: Imagine that there was an entire grocery store that sold only dry cereal, canned stew, and frozen dinners, and each and every product in the store was a “complete and balanced” meal that contained at least the minimum amount (and perhaps a lot more) of protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, and minerals that a human needs each day. Cool, huh? Now, what if we told you that you and everyone you know – your elderly parents, your shellfish-allergic spouse, your toddler son, your lactose-intolerant daughter, your pregnant niece, your professional-athlete cousin, your obese uncle, your diabetic aunt, everyone – should eat nothing but the Wheaties, because honestly, we think it’s best. We eat Wheaties, and it’s complete and balanced, so you should, too.

That would be weird, right? But it’s the same as thinking we could tell anyone which specific food, or even which whole line of foods from any given manufacturer, is “best” for his or her dog.

Dogs are just as individual as humans. Some stay healthiest on a high-protein, lower-fat food. Some thrive on an Atkins-style, high-protein, high-fat diet. Some get the runs when they eat fish. Grain makes some of them extremely gassy. And so on.

Also, the food we like the best may not be available in your state, or in the store where it’s most convenient for you to shop. And you may not be able to afford a certain food. Not everyone can afford to pay for “the best” food on the market if there are several big dogs in their family.

So, instead of giving you fish – that is, telling you which company’s products or which specific food is “best” for your dog – we’re going to encourage you to try your hand at fishing, instead. We’re going to explain how you can tell which foods in your favorite pet-supply store, in your price range, are the products with the best potential for being good for your dog. Then we will tell you how to determine whether they are “working” for your dog. Okay? So let’s get started – to read the extensive list of approved dry dog food companies that meet all of the Whole Dog Journal’s selection criteria, look no further than the “Whole Dog Journal’s Approved Dry Dog Foods List 2015.“

Download The Full February 2015 Issue PDF

By
Nancy Kerns
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Bad Breath is Significant

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

I met a small dog recently who had breath that could knock you over. Because I’ve had small dogs before, I knew enough to lift her lip and take a peek at her teeth. Even so, I was shocked, though not surprised, by the appearance of her teeth. That is, you could barely SEE white tooth material, for the accumulation of hard calculus ­ tartar ­ on her teeth. Her gums were inflamed and swollen, too.

It apparently didn’t occur to anyone who knew or handled the dog that her bad breath wasn’t some sort of character flaw, it was an actual health problem exacerbated by neglect. Rather, she was criticized as a “fussy eater.” I imagine I’d be a fussy eater, too, if I was in excruciating pain from infected gums.

Small dogs, especially the ones with crowded mouths (overlapping teeth) or underbites or overbites that keep the mouth partially open at all times, are prone to more dental disease and accelerated accumulation of dental plaque. Daily brushing is highly recommended ­ and annual exams and frequent veterinary cleaning is critical to prevent the relatively fast development of such a serious tartar build-up (the dog I’m describing is only four years old!).

She’s since had her teeth cleaned ­ and eight of them had to be extracted. She’ll receive pain meds for 4 days and antibiotics for 10. Her breath is now completely inoffensive, and she’s eating anything offered to her.

The experience made me check my own dogs’ mouths. Both of my dogs are 6 1/2 years old. Tito the Chihuahua has had one dental cleaning already, about two years ago. His breath is not at all bad, and his teeth look pretty good. I was surprised (when I took a whiff ) that my big dog’s breath is not as fresh as I expected it to be, and when I lifted his lips to examine his teeth, I saw no tartar at all . . . on ONE side of his mouth! On the other, I found a rather large chunk of tartar on one of his upper molars. I think of myself as being fairly aware of what’s going on with my dogs’ health, and completely missed this! He was examined by a veterinarian recently, too, for an annual health checkup, and she hasn’t spotted it, either. I’ll be taking him back in for a further exam – and likely, a cleaning — this week.

How often do you check your dog’s teeth? Make sure you look at the ones all the way in the back, too.

 

Training a New Dog is a Huge Challenge – Even for the Experienced

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

The thing that always crosses my mind at some point during a fostering experience: “If I am having a difficult time coping with this behavior, how do people with little or no experience handle it?” And I conclude, “Well, I guess a lot of people don’t handle it; that’s why there are so many dogs in the shelter!”

Seriously, there is always a point at which I am exhausted with the project and wishing I hadn’t taken it on. With my first foster puppy, it was when his kennel cough turned into pneumonia and I found myself spending hundreds of dollars at a local emergency vet clinic on a Sunday morning to pull him through. With the next dog, it was when I realized that she actually had fairly significant separation anxiety – enough to keep her barking and freaking out in a crate every time I left the room. Oh, and then, she also appeared to have some resource-guarding issues. Yikes!

The dog I am currently fostering set off a flash-fire of marital discord this morning when I spaced out and left her unsupervised in the backyard for a half hour or so. (In retrospect, I should have been thinking, “It’s quiet . . . too quiet!”) When my husband and I stepped outside my office, we saw with dismay that about 10 feet of concrete pathway that leads to our home was absolutely buried in soil – really expensive soil that had been, just a few minutes before, a raised garden bed full of winter onions. “That’s it! This dog is out of here!” my husband roared (before he calmed down).

Every young dog or puppy has to be civilized and trained, and the process takes a long time! Behaviors and health problems emerge that are incredibly trying, no matter how much experience a person has, or how well-equipped they are. I have a friend whose foster Aussie, after a week of subdued behavior, revealed serious obsessive/compulsive behaviors (kind of made me wonder whether he had been on unreported medication previously). I have another friend whose previously healthy and attractive foster dog developed demodectic mange. It’s really difficult to find homes for dogs with either condition – and equally difficult to give up on them after investing a lot of time in them.

It’s incredibly rewarding to raise a dog well, to see him become well socialized and well behaved. But there are lots of low spots, too, when you despair of the destruction and the bad behavior and are tempted to think you got a dud who is never going to improve.

How do you encourage your friends with the new dog to keep going, to persevere in the face of the hard times?

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