Why Raw Feeders Frustrate Me
That was the title of the post I planned to write today. But the universe had another idea, so more about raw in the next post… (sorry about the bait and switch!)
Kibble frustrates me even more. Especially today, after corresponding with a dog owner who was told to switch her dog to a grain inclusive kibble from one of the “big 3 brands” after a screening echocardiogram showed a normal heart. Yes, you read that correctly, a normal heart. A year after eating the suggested food, at a followup echocardiogram, the dog had full blown DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) and congestive heart failure.
The ingredients in the kibble are as follows: Chicken, Cracked Pearled Barely, Pea Protein, Brown Rice, Dried Beet Pulp, Dried Tomato Pomace, Pea Fiber, Powdered Cellulose, Brewers Rice, Chicken Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor… etc.
The nutrient profile stated: Moisture 10%, Protein Minimum 23.5%, Fat Minimum 7.5%, Crude Fiber Maximum 13%.
How much nutrition do you think is in these little brown nuggets? What proportion of the calories are coming from carbohydrates? Is it something you would choose to nourish your large breed dog? Are you surprised the dog developed a health problem after eating this product (it is not food!) for a year?
And imagine your dog weighed between 80 and 100 pounds — you would need to feed up to 6 3/4 cups per day. Using 6 cups per day, at the current Petco price of $3.25 a pound, it’s going to cost about $3.89 a day to feed this large dog. I should say that’s what it costs to feed a product made from non-human quality grains and mega-processed ingredients, while limiting the protein and fat the dog’s body needs. And while I cannot say this feed grade, biologically inappropriate product was to blame for the dog developing DCM, I feel confident in saying it did little to support the dog’s health and well being. It supported survival. It probably would have passed an AAFCO feeding trial, although just how meaningless that is can be learned at the link above.
It does not make sense that the “feed grain inclusive, not grain free” bandwagon is still rolling. How is feed protein rich foods, and avoid pulses and legumes that may interfere with protein absorption not the message? How about feeding according to the dog’s biology, rather than what we can mega-process to utilize in kibble?
Stay tuned as I begin a new series of posts on assessing foods and feeding plans. I’ll be tackling everything from kibble to DIY cooked or raw recipes, and helping you learn to discriminate between the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I invite you to comment and share questions on my Facebook page.