In the years that I have been working with dogs and cats with behavior problems, one thing stands clear: Diet and nutrition play an integral role in behavior. Like a person, if a dog doesn't feel well, it can manifest in their behavior. My goal is to educate people not only about nutrition itself, but also how a dog or cat's diet can directly relate to their behavior. I truly believe that dogs who eat a super-premium, more species-specific diet will feel better, and thus behave better.
I urge every dog and cat owner to re-evaluate what you are feeding your pet. Please don't buy the grocery store brand because it is cheaper. You are doing your pet an injustice. Do research. Be informed. Study the labels on the foods that you are currently feeding your pet. On food labels, ingredients are listed in order of their volume percentages. For example, if chicken by-product is the first ingredient listed on the label, then chicken by-product is the major ingredient in your pet's food. Also, manufacturers only have to list the minimum amount of crude protein, not the digestibility of it.
Many dogs and cats eat the same thing day-in and day-out for their entire lives. There is no variety, and most domesticated animals are fed a dry kibble. One could argue that this is the equivalent of humans eating Pop-Tarts everyday for our entire lives. Dogs are omnivores, which means they need both meat and vegetables. Cats are true carnivores. Unfortunately, dry food kibble alone doesn’t give them all the species-specific nutrition that they need.
The digestive systems of dogs aren’t made to digest anything but what they would eat in the wild. Their digestive tracts are much shorter than ours so food basically goes in and out. It doesn’t take as long to go through as a human. Also, their saliva lacks the digestive enzymes amylase and cellulase that are essential to break-down raw vegetables. Ideally, veggies should be shredded or steamed.
I recommend supplementing your pet’s dry kibble with wet food whenever possible. This will add more moisture in his system, which will put less stress on his kidneys and liver. Most importantly, it will boost the meat content of his diet.
Dry dog and cat food (kibble) is 50% grain (or more) by nature. It has to be to hold the little pieces together. Therefore, by feeding your dog dry kibble everyday, you are giving him 50% more grain than he would eat in the wild, which is none. Dogs don’t need grain or traditional carbohydrates, but we are feeding it to them everyday.
Look for foods that have whole protein sources like Chicken, Turkey, Beef, or Lamb. If you see ‘chicken meal’ as the first ingredient, it means it’s been rendered twice (cooked), losing valuable nutritional value. Meal may also contain a majority of bone, and may not have any meat content at all.
There is a belief today that certain well-known national brands on the market are ‘the best’, when they are absolutely not. These brands are full of by-products and fillers, which can harm your dog’s long-term health and behavior. Another myth is that corn is an acceptable grain. Corn is very hard to digest and has little nutritional value for our pets, especially if it’s been cooked over and over to make corn meal. Also, although many vets are wonderful and are very knowledgeable (like mine!), some do not think nutrition is necessarily important in your dog’s health. Veterinary students only take one nutrition course their entire time in vet school, and just as human doctors don’t know much about nutrition, some vets don’t either. Don’t take your vet’s word for it- investigate foods on your own and make an informed choice.
These are parts of an animal that are left-overs from the human food chain. They can include intestines, chicken heads, lungs, livers, kidneys, duckbills, chicken and turkey feet, feathers and bone. Ingredients listed as chicken, beef, poultry, and animal by-products are not required to include actual meat.
These are chemical additives used as preservatives. Ethoxyquin is FDA-regulated as a pesticide, and is now banned in Europe for both human and animal food. If these chemicals are part of the left-over food that comes from the human food chain, manufacturers are not even required to list it on the label!
These are ingredients such as corn, brewers rice, beet pulp, feathers, soy, cotton hulls, corncobs, peanut hulls, citrus pulp, screenings, weeds, straw, and cereal by-products. These fillers have no nutritional value for your pet and are only used to hold the dry kibble together.
ALTERNATIVE DIETS
The raw, species appropriate diet does not contain grain products, which are not biologically appropriate for our pets. The ingestion of grain and other starchy foods contribute to many degenerative diseases. Domestic pets should be getting their carbohydrate in a similar manner to their wild ancestors. That means fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit. To maximize your animal’s health, he requires protein from sources like his wild ancestors who derived their fats and essential fatty acid from raw meat and vegetables. In addition, raw food is a great ‘weight maintainer’. If your cat needs to lose weight, he’ll lose it while eating raw food. If he needs to gain weight, he’ll gain it- both with the same amount of food.
Some argue that the best diet for a dog is the rotation diet, which consists of rotating protein sources every 6 months. A lot of animals develop food allergies, and this can be attributed to eating the same protein every day for 15 years. If you rotate the kinds of proteins you give your dog, you may reduce the chances of him developing a food allergy. All this means is you can feed your dog a chicken based food for 6 months, then switch to lamb or beef. Rotate and you can see major health benefits.
Some people may prefer to make their pets’ diet, which has now become even easier. There are freeze dried powders, including bone meal, vegetables, and supplements that you can add to raw or cooked meat to allow for your pet’s nutritional needs. It can be more cost effective than some diets, but can also be more time-consuming. Here is an easy and yummy recipe for Bow WOW Meatloaf that your pooch is sure to enjoy!
There are many different views on the pros and cons of all dog and cat foods. All I hope for you is to educate yourself and feed your animal a more species-specific diet, with less grains and fillers. Here is a breakdown of those super-premium foods, plus some extra bonus information. If you are feeding a grocery-store brand, I promise you, your animal will thank you!
Kari Bastyr, M.S.
TESTIMONIAL
Our 4 year old pug, Oliver, had always been a “licker”. His giant tongue made it easy for him to give kisses and lick his own paws. About 6 months ago, we started to notice the licking was becoming more frequent and more intense. It got to the point where every time we turned around, Oliver was licking himself.
The other concern we had was the amount that Oliver needed to go to the bathroom. He has a doggie door and lets himself outside so we had no idea how much he was defecating. Then, we started spending the weekends in the mountains where there is no doggie door and the yard is not fenced. Once we started having to take him out we learned that he needed to go up to 5 times a day! We didn’t understand how such a little dog could be producing so much waste.
The licking was really out of control so I sent Kari an e-mail explaining the situation. It did not occur to me that the licking could be related to the “potty issue” and didn’t even bring it up. Once I told Kari the food Oliver was on, she became concerned. She explained how the food is full of fillers, corn and even known carcinogens. The food was almost like poison going through Oliver’s body and skin, and he was eating it everyday! Because it had so much “junk” in it, the food went right through the body which explained all the defecating. I had no idea! The food came directly from the vet’s office and was very expensive.
After talking with Kari, I went to a natural pet store in my neighborhood. I bought new food and treats made from quality ingredients. Oliver’s “potty issue” was better almost immediately. Within a day, Oliver was down to needing to go 1-2 times per day. The licking is getting better everyday. He still licks his paws but the intensity is decreasing. We were told it would take a few weeks to really clear-up so Oliver is right on track.
Kari, thank you so much for the information on the importance of good nutrition. We are telling all of our dog owning friends and they are also making the switch to natural food too.
Owner: Katie Greenwell
If you’re interested in researching or buying super-premium foods, here are some stores who sell foods without fillers, preservatives, or by-products. Bring your pet’s current ingredient label with so you can compare with another brand.
80 S. Pennsylvania
Denver
303.788.PAWS: Danielle
www.qualitypaws.com |
810 E. 6th Ave.
Denver
303.733.6410: Rebecca |
2300 S Colorado Blvd
Denver
303.757.6800: Katherine
|
1540 S. Pearl St.
Denver
303.871.0443: Sue |
200 Quebec Ave.
Lowry
303.344.2663: Julie
www.chewysbonetique.com
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710 Golden Ridge Rd
Golden
303.278.8566
|
4082 S. Parker Rd.
Aurora
303.699.4554: Cheri |
6842 S. Yosemite St.
Englewood
720.482.6806 |
10875 Us Highway 285
Conifer
303.816.1848
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6654 Timberline Rd.
Highlands Ranch
303.471.4230: Meghan |
5664 S. Prince St.
Littleton, Colorado, 80120
303-347-6370
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3719 Evergreen Pkwy
Evergreen
303.674.8711
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Nutrition, Diet, and Behavior
What to Avoid