Fresh is BEST; 3 reasons processed food could be harming your dog

 “The living testimony exemplified in the many people and animals who thrive on diets that include plenty of fresh raw vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and other foods is enough to convince me that a diet of cooked foods alone will not maintain your pets in top-notch condition. Moreover, my clinical experience over the last 27 years confirms this. The difference in many animals given a home-prepared, raw food diet after eating processed foods most of their lives is nothing short of amazing.”

This quote from Richard Pitcairn’s book Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Cats and Dogs, embodies my belief surrounding fresh food. It is such a relatively simple topic and yet, I think that it is the lack of fresh, whole foods in our diet, and that of our dogs, that is contributing to numerous health problems. We eat processed breakfast bars instead of fresh pieces of fruit, boxed cereal instead of whole, complex grains and frozen, breaded fish or chicken instead of fresh, organic meat from our local farmer. We feed our dogs dry pieces of kibble that have travelled from other provinces or countries, been stored in warehouses and sat in our closet, instead of feeding fresh, whole foods.

To clarify, this is not a blog about the evils of the commercial pet food industry. Nor is this a blog advocating that a raw food diet is the only sane way to feed your pet. My argument is that we all, including our dogs, need whole foods in our diet in order to thrive.

I would like to talk briefly about how pet food is made in our society. In order for kibble to take on the uniform, compact shape that is does, it must go through an extrusion process. Step one of this process occurs through the action of a hammer mill grind. This grind processes truckloads of ingredients  into particles the size of course flour. Next, these ingredients are blended together with a ribbon mixer which uses computer software and scales to ensure the food is mixed in correct proportions. The final step before entering the extrusion machine is to precondition the food by mixing all the wet and dry ingredients together with hot water and pressurized steam. The hot steam begins the cooking process and causes the starches to gelatinize. Finally the food is ready for extrusion. To visualize the extrusion machine, picture a massive metal tube with a screw driver inside it. The preconditioned food is pushed through this machine while being heated to extremely high temperatures. Most, if not all, of the nutrients are destroyed during this process. The mixture exits the extruder through a die that makes uniform kibble pieces which immediately expand when mixed with open air. They puff up to 50% of their size. The final step is called enrobing, where the food is hardened by dryers. While drying, synthetic nutrients are sprayed on (to replenish the lost nutrients) as well as rendered fats to add palatability. The food is then bagged and delivered to various distributing companies around the country.

An example of the extrusion process. Extrusion machines are used for the manufacturing of plastics and pet food.

Three reasons processed foods might be harming your dog

Enzymes

Enzymes are proteins that are used to facilitate a variety of functions in the canine body. They are acquired by two sources; organs within the body and the diet. Common digestive enzymes are amylase, protease and lipase which are used breakdown carbohydrates, proteins and fats into smaller, absorbable compounds. Enzymes allow the food that we feed our pets to be utilized and absorbed for energy. (for an article on the digestive anatomy of dogs click here)

Enzymes denature when heated and therefore are non-existent in processed dog foods. Without enzymes in the food, the body must work harder to produce enzymes which utilize energy. After a few years of feeding only processed food devoid of live, active enzymes, the organs, such as the pancreas and intestine, become susceptible to disease. Nutrients were designed to be eaten in a fresh format with live enzymes and co-nutrients that aid in their utilization within the body.

These days our dogs are being diagnosed with allergies, arthritis, skin disorders, bowel disease, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, cancer and immune diseases, all of which enzyme supplementation are recommended for treatment. To be proactive against the onset of disease, supply enzymes in the diet with fresh, unprocessed food.

Carcinogens

Carcinogens are a fact of life in our world. They are defined as anything that aggravates, promotes or causes cancer. These carcinogens can come in many forms such as smoke and chemicals, however recently, they are being found in pet foods.

Dr. Demian Dressler wrote the book the Dog Cancer Survival Guide which is widely recommended by veterinarians and canine professionals to help guardians care for their dog with cancer. He highly recommends feeding a raw or lightly cooked balanced diet. He writes,

“The high temperatures used to heat food change it enough to produce chemicals called heterocyclic amines, which are known to be extremely potent carcinogens.  Another carcinogen that can be created by applying high heat to food – especially starchy food like the corn found in many commercial dog foods is acrylamide. This carcinogen has recently become the subject of intense study.”

Foods cooked below 212⁰F do not produce carcinogens and unfortunately if your dog’s food is processed, it is cooked at far higher temperatures. There are agencies that regulate carcinogens in pet food, however they do not consider the by-products of manufacturing, such as extrusion, ingredients. Feeding your dog a processed diet could be exposing your dog to the onset of cancer.

The Nature of Kibble

Chronic kidney failure is a disease that affects a large number of dogs. It used to be only older dogs that were being diagnosed, but now juvenile renal disease is noted in over twenty difference breeds. Feeding a processed, dehydrated diet could be contributing to chronic renal failure.

Veterinarian Karen Becker put it nicely in saying: “feeding a balanced, species-appropriate diet instead of commercial pet food will supply your dog’s body with the fundamental nutrition he requires for the health of every organ and system in his body, including his kidneys. Low quality, highly processed pet foods – in particular dry kibble, which lacks the moisture content and quality protein pets need -- are being linked to many of the degenerative diseases seen in pets today.”

When Dr. Becker says ‘species-appropriate’ she is referring to fresh, whole foods that wolves naturally eat in the wild. These foods have a moisture content of seventy to eighty percent and will keep your dog hydrated and healthy.

Conclusion

Many dogs live long lives on processed food, but numerous dogs also suffer from chronic ailments. My childhood dog Maggie lived her entire life on a processed diet and we were advised by our veterinarian not to feed her fresh food (table scraps). She lived till the ripe age of fourteen, however she suffered from chronic ear infections and arthritis. Would fresh food have helped her? I think so. Fresh foods are filled with bio-available vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that likely, she needed. I know one thing for sure, and that is, it would not have done her harm.  Please keep in mind that I’m not recommending to throw out your dogs processed food and replace it with a random assortment of fresh food. My message is simply; fresh is best.

Choosing what to feed your dog is a personal decision based on your experiences, your dog and what feels right for the both of you. When writing about the 7 steps to blissful dog ownership I wrote about the bond you create with your dog when you prepare their food with love and healthful nutrients. It is an unbeatable feeling to feed your family a wholesome and delicious meal. This statement is also true with your dog, as you, their guardian, have complete control over what they eat. Feeding your dog fresh, whole foods will be a rewarding experience for both of you.

 “Dogs, like people, need fresh whole foods. In the past ten years, many long-term studies have shown that vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from whole foods are more nutritious than the synthesized or refined forms found in most dog foods.”  Steve Brown, author of See Spot Live Longer