Reconsidering Raw

January 26, 2010

Ok Feed in Tucson, my source of Frankie's food, though he's not a horse

I know, I can get up on a soapbox. And, hey, that’s what blogs are for. But I’ve also been known to step down from mine if I find a good reason for doing so.

I’d like to report I’ve made tentative steps towards soapbox descent on the topic of raw feeding.

I argued in a recent post that, with Frankie’s compromised immune system, I wasn’t going to feed him any raw bones or meat that might contain bacteria. And I haven’t changed that stance. But two people who wrote into that post’s comments section suggested a compromise: Commercially prepared raw food that was vetted for food safety.

Rod Burkert of GoPetfriendly.com wrote a guest post on the topic at DoggyBytes.ca, advocating for The Honest Kitchen brand.

It sounded appealing in some ways, but I once tried dehydrated food on Frankie, a brand  (I don’t recall which it was) suggested by a holistic vet. Neither of us was very pleased with it. It took too long — about 10 minutes — to reconstitute; Frankie was tapping his paws impatiently waiting for breakfast. And when it was done, Frankie didn’t like it. I don’t know whether it was the smell, or the texture, but he took a couple of mouthfuls and walked away.

So I had my reservations about trying Honest Kitchen.

But Robert, who blogs at Jealous of Angeles, had another suggestion:

There are options like Stella & Chewy’s that is pre-made and pathogen free! You will not get all the benefits of RAW since you do need to get the RAW meaty bones with them….but that definitely would be a more trusting route.

The name Stelly & Chewy’s was familiar because, I realized, I give Frankie the company’s Carnivore Kisses — freeze-dried chicken and bison — for treats. No question; he’s extremely fond of them.

The clincher, however, was when I went to my favorite pet store, OK Feed, to buy Frankie his usual high-grade kibble and a probiotic. I noticed bags of Stella & Chewy’s  raw food patties near the checkout counter. Reading the feeding instructions, I saw they don’t require the addition of water because they are freeze dried, not dehydrated. According to Stella & Chewy’s website:

When you freeze-dry a product, it starts out frozen. The ice crystals turn directly into water vapor, skipping the liquid stage. Through this process, practically all the nutritional value of the raw meat and produce is retained. In contrast, dehydrating a product requires high temperatures to evaporate the water. Since dehydrating is similar to cooking, many of the vital nutrients are lost.

That makes sense. And the Chewy’s Chicken Dinner I decided on contained the probiotics that I was planning to buy separately for Frankie.

So I’m going to try it. As recommended with all dietary changes, I’ll be taking it slowly, topping my usual kibble with the raw food patties mixed with my standard cooked meat toppings.

I’ll report back, I promise.

Posted by Edie Jarolim
Posted in Dog food | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Why Frankie won’t be BARFing

January 21, 2010

I like to be open minded. That’s why I gave Jim McBean at DoggyBytes a forum for his advocacy of raw feeding the other day. But I’m not convinced its benefits outweigh its risks and here’s why:

  • Dogs are no longer living in the wild. Yes, they are equipped for eating raw meat. So are we.  Just because we can doesn’t mean we have to — or even should. Because…
  • Most meat we buy today comes from animals that eat corn and other unhealthy feed and that are injected with hormones and chemicals (not to mentioned slaughtered in inhumane conditions). Just watch the movie Food Inc. — if you have the stomach for it. If a raw diet were to consist of meat that came from animals that were free-range, grass-fed and not subject to any growth hormones or other chemicals, great. But don’t tell me that feeding such meat every day wouldn’t be expensive.
  • The more raw food you eat, the greater your chances are of getting some that has harmful bacteria in it. I eat sushi. I eat steak tartare. But not every day because I worry about mercury. And because I’m not in France.
  • A dog with a compromised immune system, as Frankie’s is because he has diabetes, shouldn’t be taking the chance. Here’s what my pal Susanne Fritz wrote in response to Jim’s earlier comments:

    • I personally don’t give Jasmine raw bones for her teeth any more. I did for many years, and they did the job, but they also gave her the occasional stomach upset. Then a couple months after she was diagnosed with diabetes I gave Jasmine a big juicy bone as a treat just before Christmas. I consequently spent an expensive Christmas eve at the vets because she had been vomiting frequently, had diarrhea, and wasn’t eating (not good in a diabetic dog). The gastrointestinal bug was traced back to the bone, Jasmine got a couple of weeks of antibiotics, and my pet insurance company got yet another big bill (phew!). Since then bones have been off limits, and I have found Jas’s teeth have done fairly well feeding her a largely dry food diet.

  • Because the alternative to feeding raw is not always feeding commercial kibble. A false dichotomy is posed by raw food advocates. There are other alternatives to feeding raw than supermarket brands. I feed Frankie Wellness Core topped with cooked lean beef or chicken.
  • Because BARF (Bones and Raw Food) is a ridiculous acronym and the name for the website is even worse: Barfworld. I’d be embarrassed to feed my dog a puke-referencing diet. If I were to come up with a raw diet, I would call it BARC: Bones and Raw Comestibles, a dining plan that has a far better, and vocabulary enhancing, acronym.

Update: As it happens, my Aussie pal Susanne Fritz, who is quoted above, came up with a far more scientific — and far less childish than “because it uses the word ‘barf’” — contribution than mine to the raw food debate, which she sent to the “pro” post. As you’ll see, she is not opposed to raw feeding; she just urges people to use caution. I’m including it here:

A word of caution – dogs have evolved as omnivores and to state they are meant to be solely carnivorous is incorrect. “Dogs are opportunistic eaters and have developed anatomic and physiologic characteristics that permit digestion and usage of a varied diet.” Source: Hand, M. and Novotny, B. (2002) Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 4th Edition. Dogs require a diet that in addition to protein and fat includes a carbohydrate source, some fibre, and nutrients that they will not get eating meat alone. Wolves achieve this through eating the stomach contents of the herbivores they kill, and it has been documented that this is one of the first parts of the kill they will devour. In times when prey is scarce wolves also eat seeds and berries to supplement their diet.

It is possible to feed a domestic dog a vegetarian diet as long as it contains the appropriate levels of protein, carbohydrates and other nutrients to meet the dog’s daily metabolic energy requirements…. And there is nothing wrong with feeding your pet dog on a diet of raw foods you put together yourself at home as long as it meets all the dog’s nutritional needs i.e. contains enough protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber etc. A vet could give you suggestions on how to achieve this, or an animal nutritionist could also provide feeding plans. The area where care needs to be used if doing this is when substituting ingredients from the recommended diet plan, say due to a listed ingredient being unavailable, or deciding to use other ingredients because they are cheaper etc. This can result in nutritional deficiencies, which over time can cause health problems.

Sorry to get academic on you, but I had to clarify the dog – carnivore issue as it is a common misconception and can result in a sick pup in the long term. There are many excellent texts available, including the one I mentioned already, or the likes of “Animal Nutrition” by Mc Donald, Edwards, Greenhalgh and Morgan – a more technical text that goes into calculating daily metabolic energy requirements to develop appropriate diets for a variety of domestic animals (lots of boring calculations and such, but if you are into that sort of thing it’s a great book). I have a feeling what I have said is going to rile some people up so I’ll throw some qualifications out there to back up what I said (at the risk of being all academic yet again)

Susanne Fritz B. Science (Biology) B. Arts (Science Communication) Grad Cert Food Science There you have it – the science geek has been outed! ;-)

Posted by Edie Jarolim

Posted in Dog food | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

Another contest & a product endorsement

December 15, 2009

I got an email yesterday from a woman named Annie, the web director at Mambo Sprouts, a site that helps promote natural and organic manufacturers. She asked for my help in publicizing a photo contest on my blog. It’s co-sponsored by Wellness Natural Food for Pets and benefits an animal charity. I said yes, so here’s the link.

The reason that I agreed is two-fold: It’s for a good cause. And it was clear that Annie had bothered to look at my blog.

I get a lot of solicitations, most of them from people who have not taken the time to find out what subjects I cover and what my views are. I’m thinking specifically of  one person who has asked me twice to link to a site that sells electric fences for dogs. Anyone who’s spent five minutes on my blog could figure out that I’m opposed to shock collars, electric fences, and all other negative methods of behavior modification.

Annie also asked me if I was interested in doing a product review of any Wellness pet foods. I am generally unable to test anything edible on Frankie, since he is diabetic, but as it happens his diet consists of Wellness Core kibble — high fiber, low fat, grain free — topped with lean meat. I did a lot of research and discovered that the company does not use gross ingredients. Frankie likes the kibble and seems to thrive on it.  So my endorsement of Wellness products — or at least one of them — is honest and heartfelt.

I love Wellness Core!

I love Wellness Core, too!

But in the spirit of the new FCC blogging rules of full disclosure, I can’t leave it at that. You see, I woke up this morning to discover that the bag of Wellness Core had a small hole in it, made by teeny teeth. If that weren’t enough of a giveaway as to the (generic) identity of the perpetrator, there were mouse turds in the drawer where I keep Frankie’s food. Eeek!

So I feel compelled to add: “Wellness. Mice like it too.”

If you still want want me as a spokesperson, Annie, feel free to send me a few bags of Wellness Core. You get what you pay for, and Wellness products are not inexpensive.

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The scoop on poop eating

September 30, 2009

Frankie just came in from the back yard with a satisfied look on his face — and a little piece of dog poop caught in the fur around his mouth. This made me very unhappy for a variety of reasons, but not for the most obvious one: the fact that he was feasting on his own feces.

He’s done it before. And if I’m not careful he’ll surely do it again. But in the general scheme of canine health concerns, it’s no big deal.

As it happens, I discussed the topic with my vet a few days ago because we were trying to figure out what might have caused Frankie’s recent bout of intestinal distress. Frankie doesn’t graze on potentially dangerous stuff out on the trail — I would know, because I’m always with him — and the only thing he’d be likely to come across in my enclosed back yard, where he is allowed to venture unaccompanied, is his own poop. I didn’t think that was an issue; I hadn’t noticed Frankie with stink breath or with little shit snacks — yes, for a brief period he used to bring the “treats” into my living room to enjoy — in a very long time. And, anyway, my vet opined, “That wouldn’t have caused his stomach problems.” Which I knew.

It’s a fact that’s hard to accept. Many dogs — even cute little ones like Frankie — eat poop. Their own. That of other creatures. They would no doubt eat yours if they managed to get hold of it. There’s even a name for this taste for waste: coprophagia. It’s gross to us — but then again so is a dog’s habit of rolling around in dead stuff.

No one is entirely sure why some dogs do it and why some don’t. Perhaps it’s as simple as some humans having a taste for lobster, and some being disgusted by it. And it’s not always clear why some dogs like Frankie do it for a while and then lose interest. But, hey, I used to eat tuna fish sandwiches every day when I was in sixth grade. Now I can’t look at them.

What concerns most people about poop eating is how to prevent it.

I’ve heard solutions to the problem ranging from putting meat tenderizer in your dog’s food — apparently it makes the poop less yummy — or, on the same principle but post-digestion, sprinkling Bitter Apple on the turds.

This seems to ignore the obvious cure: cleaning up after your dog immediately.

I know, poop production can’t always be supervised and some dogs like to recycle their waste immediately. One friend admitted, shamefacedly, that one of her dogs used to stand with his face near her other dog’s butt, waiting for him to eliminate so as to get a steaming fresh feast. But the fact that my friend was around to observe this suggested to me that what was required was vigilance — and separate potty times for her pups.

Which brings me back to my distress over Frankie’s snack. He’s still on a semi-restricted diet, one that’s clearly not entirely satisfying. I know I’ll need to call my vet again to discuss introducing more or different food.  And that in doing so I’ll have to admit to him that I haven’t been very scrupulous about keeping my back yard feces free.

Posted by Edie Jarolim
Also posted in Dog Health Care, Dog health | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Cruel to be kind

September 28, 2009

I’ve just finished lunch. The point here is not the food — although my foodie friends would no doubt beg to differ — but the ‘tude. Frankie’s attitude that is. During the entire meal, he was in his traditional spot on a hemp rug about four feet away from the dining room table, staring at me.

Sometimes he sits straight up, head cocked perkily, expectant. Other times he’s in a down stay but with his head lifted. Today, he rested his head on his paws, the picture of despondency.

Did he know that this was the optimum position to inspire guilt and therefore to achieve a treat? I would bet on it.

After all, it’s worked in the past.

I’m about to start researching and writing a story for the Your Dog newsletter about how dogs read us. I don’t like to go in with preconceptions about what my research will yield, but in this case I think I’m pretty safe in assuming that Frankie’s got my number — far more than I’ve got his. Yes, I study his tail position, his tongue flicking, and his yawns but I’m still not entirely sure what everything means. In contrast, I’ll wager that he’s got my brow wrinkle, dejected head tilt, and shoulder slump of resignation sussed to the point that he knows when I’m going to succumb.

Not this time.

I’ve been writing a lot about dominance theory, about how positive techniques and rewards are not only less harmful and smarter ways to train a dog but based on better science. But the flip side of that is allowing ourselves to be manipulated by our dogs to their detriment (and therefore to ours). I’m always railing about how there’s no reason for dogs to be obese when their owners are in control of their food intake. I should remember my own advice.

Frankie is not fat, but he’s diabetic, which means he’s not supposed to eat between meals. I nevertheless give him a little nosh whenever I eat — just a wee bit of dried chicken or beef — and, according to my twice-daily tests, it hasn’t raised his blood sugar. But Frankie’s just been through his second bout of intestinal distress that was not only costly and worrying but really, really messy.

I’m extremely glad he’s feeling better, that he’s got his appetite back. And I know the bland diet that the vet advised for him — which includes brown rice, metabolized faster than his usual grain-free kibble — likely makes him feel hungrier than usual. But my vet is not going to be in until tomorrow and until I get his approval to go back to the kibble and, possibly, the snacks, Frankie’s just going to have to be a little peckish. And I’m going to have to be a bit more resistant.

Which is why I ran to the computer to post this rather than sit at the table, catching the gaze, whenever I glance up, of a small but very persuasive pup.

Also posted in Dog Health Care, Dog dominance theory, Dog health, Responsible dog care | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

The Dog Food Debate: Opening Up a Can of Worms

August 10, 2009

I don’t mean the title of this post literally, though fresh worms would be an improvement over the ingredients contained in  some dog food. But a discussion on Twitter — if you can call a series of 140-character bursts a discussion — spurred me to venture into the arena.

When it comes to dog food, I believe in two key principles.

– Different people and different dogs have different needs, both in terms of time, budget, and health requirements. Do the best you can.

Freeze-dried, raw, and home-cooked food are great for some dogs and some people but not for others. When Frankie was diagnosed with diabetes, I consulted several holistic vets to find a good diet to supplement the insulin shots. Frankie didn’t like the freeze-dried fare that the first one recommended. I don’t know whether it was the consistency (mushy) or the taste; Frankie didn’t wish to discuss it. I didn’t particularly like the food either: It took 10 minutes to reconstitute itself in water — far longer than it took me to reheat the fresh food I’d been preparing.

As for the fresh food, after reading several books and consulting with nutritionists, I was still struggling with finding the correct proportions of cooked tepary beans — a high protein Native American bean that’s effective for diabetes in humans — meat, and vegetables to feed Frankie. I was relieved when the second holistic vet I went to for nutritional advice suggested a good brand kibble (more on which in minute) topped with lean meat, plus a supplement. It made my life easier and Frankie was happy to have the kibble crunch back.

– Doing the best you can doesn’t include feeding most commercial foods, even the so-called premium and science diets.

Commercial dog food manufacturers and puppy mills have two things in common: They are regulated by government agencies that operate on a lowest common denominator basis.

Many vets –- including my primary, nonholistic one, who I’m crazy about – warn patients away from food that isn’t approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the organization that establishes standards for nutritional balance in all kinds of animal feed, not just pet food. I won’t go into the limitations of the trials used to establish those standards, or discuss which pet food manufacturers are on the board of AAFCO. For the purposes of this post, suffice it to say that balanced doesn’t necessarily mean healthy.

Corn byproducts, preservatives, and taste enhancers like salt or artificial sweeteners are common in most commercial brands, which spend more money on advertising than on high-quality ingredients. And the “crude protein” requirement, to use one example among many, says nothing about digestibility, so the protein source could be old shoes. Or dead dogs. As long as the label is vague enough — listing  “meat” or “animal,” as opposed to “chicken” or “beef,” for example — there’s no problem. It’s okay to include substandard ingredients if you don’t lie about it.

You can spend hours trying to decode the different ingredient listed on labels, a kind of canine Da Vinci Code. The Dog Food Project, the source of a good deal of my information about AAFCO and its labeling/nutritional requirements, can show you how.

Or you can buy better quality dog food, whether in kibble, canned, or freeze-dried form.

Cost? Pay now or pay later, with higher vet bills because of food allergies or — in the cases of brands that have been recalled because of melamine or salmonella tainting — heartbreak.  I’m not saying that plenty of dogs don’t do fine on commercial food. But why take the chance?

The Whole Dog Journal has done the work of evaluating a great many high-quality brands, and publishes annual reviews of different varieties (discounted for subscribers).

Of course, as anyone who watches or reads the news knows, the problem is by no means restricted to dog food. Tainted peanut butter, spinach, meat… I could go on and on. My only point is that it’s worse in dog food, which is even less closely regulated than the human variety. If you’re interested in details, read Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine, by Marion Nestle; or check out her Food Politics blog.

And yes, I’ve devoted a chapter to the topic of dog food in my new book, Am I Boring My Dog.

Also posted in Canine diabetes, Responsible dog care | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments