As if there wasn’t already enough confusion about which diet is best for your dog, a new study released by the University of California Davis suggests there may be a correlation between some grain-free or legume rich dog diets and a nutritional deficiency causing heart disease. I have included a link to the article, which has a link to the actual study. Does this mean you shouldn’t give your dog a grain-free diet? I don’t have the answer. It doesn’t seem that science does either. Even within our human diets, what is considered good for us seems to change every few years, with some more obvious exceptions, like diets rich in sugar and highly processed and refined foods. Personally, I believe there is a lot of benefit from eating different foods in moderation. As it pertains to dog food, perhaps continually varying your dog’s food is the simple answer. After all, who among us would like to eat the same thing for breakfast and dinner every day for the rest of their lives? Keep in mind though that changing your dog’s food suddenly may cause an upset stomach and loose stool. Your dog’s food should be changed over gradually, mixing the new food in with the old for a few days and gradually increasing the proportion of new food.
Category: Nutrition/Health
Should I Go Raw?
This debate can get to a level like that of religion and politics, so I will tread carefully! Let me share my personal experiences with raw diets. I fed my dog raw meats at the suggestion of Dr. Becker when I took my German Shepherd to see her in 2009. It did not solve his rare neurological issue, but he clearly loved it much more than the very expensive Solid Gold dehydrated kibble that I was feeding him before that and at 9 years old his coat was still shinny and soft. He also never got sick from eating raw food, nor did I get sick from handling it because I washed my hands. Yes, it was much more expensive and I couldn’t afford to feed him just raw, so I fed him a mix of kibble and raw. Also, keep in mind that there are in-between options that Dr. Becker covers in this first video. The decision doesn’t need to be gross smelling, species inappropriate kibble with rendered meat or really expensive raw meat. There are homemade recipe books, canned foods and dehydrated foods that fill that in-between space. Here are some of my favorite videos that can help you make an informed decision.
What’s in My Dog’s Food?
This subject can quickly head down the path of debating raw vs. non-raw, grain vs. meat and much more. I’m not going to take a position here, but encourage you to educate yourself and do what you think is best for you and your dog. What we hear from the scientific community is often coming from industry or scientist bought by industry. So, let me just make this one statement, know your source. Are they actually a scientist? Do they provide sources for their statements or reference scientific research by renowned research institutions? Dr. Karen Becker is a holistic wellness advisor and doctor of veterinary medicine. She has a long list of credentials and associations. She regularly publishes educational information and cites all her accredited sources. In general I find that what she says makes sense and I encourage you to watch her videos about dog food. One comment to add, in this first video Dr. Becker says you will never find the foods she recommends in big box pet stores like Petco and PetSmart. I believe this may have changed since this video was made in 2012. Additionally, there are boutique pets stores now in many cities and of course you can likely find them on Amazon as well.
