Comments on: Dog Files Viewpoint: Let’s Not Kibble

By: Tweets that mention Dog Files Viewpoint: Letâ€™s Not Kibble | The Dog Files -- Topsy.com

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:52:24 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by twoof news, kennbell, CharlieThePooch, Jeannie Morris, maxwellvintage and others. maxwellvintage said: RT @thedogmeister: The Dog Files: Dog Files Viewpoint: Letâ€™s Not Kibble http://bit.ly/9Gg8pZ [...]

By: Marcie Jensen

Marcie Jensen — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:13:47 +0000

My dogs and I compete in Conformation, Agility, Obedience and Tracking so they not only must look their best but their energy level is important too. I feed dry dog food right out of the bag and occasionally add yogurt. I am constantly asked how I keep their coats so rich and shiny. A few people have asked if I put oil on them!
Marcie

By: katybeth

katybeth — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:03:13 +0000

Hi C.J's Dad!
Its clear you really care about what you feed your family (human and pup) and that you have made thoughtful choices for both. Just like you have already done, I'm encouraging Dog Files readers to make thoughtful food choices for their pets based on what they are most comfortable with and to become educated and aware that there are many “right food choices” available to pet owners.

By: katybeth

katybeth — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:54:29 +0000

@Jenna's Mom you make some excellent points. It is really important to understand what the ingredients are in the dog food you are buying, so you can make the best choice for your dog. I think educating yourself the best possible advice you could give a new dog owner. There really isn't just one right way is there?
Thank you for your thoughtful and informative reply.
Katybeth

By: C.J.'s Dad

C.J.'s Dad — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:31:41 +0000

For a “dog spoiler”, these comments are incredibly naive and one-sided. Do I buy my dog food at the supermarket? Hell no, or the same reason that I don't buy food for people at the pet store: supermarkets tend to stock crap to make money and so people can have the convenience of buying everything in one place. I don't feed my kids OR my dog crap. If you want to, go ahead, but it's a shame that you are encouraging your readers to do so.

By: Jenna's Mom

Jenna's Mom — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:38:47 +0000

I find your thoughts on dog food to be rather ignorant. I agree, not all commercial dog food is bad (I feed a high end dry kibble that you have to either buy online or at a specialty store), however, there are MANY dog foods that do not meet the nutritional needs of a dog. Dogs for one are primarily carnivores, there are many foods out there that leave you wondering along the lines of the old Wendy's commercials, "Where's the meat?"

In addition to that, some of your big box generic brands are priced around .25 cent a pound. I can't even buy fresh veggies at that rate with a high moisture content! Just what quality of material are you getting processed,delivered, and shelved at your local convenience mart for that price?

Most dogpark foodies (like myself) could care less if you feed kibble, raw, or homecooked. However, we want every pet parent to provide the best they can for their dogs. This comes from educating yourself, something that we all must do regardless of what or how we feed. An improperly balanced homecooked or raw meal can be as detrimental to our pet as a low quality kibble.

If you want to know the basics of what to look for, here you go.
1) First ingredient is a named meat source that you recognize (i.e. says chicken). I like to see two meats in the first 2 ingredients. I'm not going to diss by products too much, by products can include many good things as well as bad things. However, make sure there is more better quality meat in the food than by products. Also, recognize that chicken meal (not byproduct meal) is basically dried chicken flesh and is just as good as 'chicken' I like to see both chicken and chicken meal listed in the first two ingredients (by product meal is dried byproducts). I say chicken, but it can be any named meat.
2) Avoid foods that list a grain in multiple ways (i.e. says whole ground corn, corn meal, corn gluten meal e.g. a lot of corn ingredients). That could mean there is more corn in the food than meat. Food ingredients are listed in labels by their weight. The more of an ingredient in the food, the higher in the list it appears. To make a food appear to have more meat, some companies list their grains by fractions instead of the whole grain.
3) Finally, avoid artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and sugar, especially Menadione, BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin, and Propyl Gallate.

Be aware that corn, wheat, and soy are common allergens. Many people say avoid it all together, but if your dog doesn't have a problem with them it's not as important. Though, I don't want a lot of grains in the food either.

Avoid vague references like animal fat, meat and bone meal, etc. If you can't identify what the ingredient is sourced from, it's probably the cheapest thing available.

For more information, visit the Food and Nutrition Forum on Dogster.