HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD KIBBLE FOR YOUR DOG

In this article:

1. General Issues with mass-produced, highly processed, commercially manufactured dog food and treats and your dog's health;
   
2. Specific ingredients to avoid and how to select a better quality product.

1.0 General Issues and Your Dog's Health
 
I have to start out by saying that 'good dog kibble' is a relative term. The point of this article is to assist you in choosing the best of what is available in dog kibble, but...

• I have to be 100% honest with you, I have yet to find a dog kibble that is truly: 
• Nutritionally complete;
• Truly species appropriate; 
• Truly free-of toxins and carcinogens. 
• In addition it is important to note that no matter what dog kibble you purchase, in order to ensure your dog's overall health you will have to supplement his/her diet with other items such as:
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and; 
• Probiotics;
• You will see why further below.  
• But yes, there is a vast difference between the majority of dry dog food (dog kibble) and the truly better dry dog foods.

The number of obese dogs has increased in recent years. As well, so many dogs are getting cancer and other diseases. 

The proof is in the numbers;

• Statistics recorded by veterinary organizations from the 1950's up to present day are very telling:
• The life-span of a companion dog in North America is now half of what it was in the 1950's; 
• In the 1950's the average life-span of a golden retriever was 15 to 16 years, today the average is in the range of 8 to12 years;
• In 2005, 50% of older dogs dies from cancer, and the number is on the rise.

 There are three main reasons for this downturn in the health of dogs;

• Diet;
• Lack of exercise,and; 
• Environmental contaminants. 

Your dog’s best defense against cancer and other diseases is a strong immune system:

• Diet plays a big role in a dog’s ability to maintain a healthy immune system. 
• If you are feeding your dog commercial dog kibble, knowing how to choose a quality dog kibble is essential for your dog’s health and well being;
• And please don't make the mistake of assuming that the price of a dog food product is reflective of that products quality and safety - it is not. 
• Of the many thousands of types dry and wet dog foods and treats available there are very few that I recommend to my clients. 

Many commercial dog kibbles are comprised of ingredients that are seriously bad for our dogs. A kibble that provides poor nutritional value, contains cancer causing and otherwise toxic ingredients provides little hope of attaining and maintaining day-to-day energy and health. In addition toxins will build-up in a dog’s body overtime. This puts great strain on the organs - such as the liver and will eventually cause organ damage and failure. Poor quality nutrition can also lead to either being underweight or overweight / obese- either of which can also trigger the onset of disease. 

Just because a product is for sale in a pet supply store or on-line through a pet supply dealer don’t ever assume that the product is actually good for your dog. Also, just because the manufacture labels the food as ‘natural’ or ‘holistic’, does not mean that the product is made up of good ingredients. 

'Natural' or 'holistic' are not regulated terms in the pet food industry - the product may simply mean the ingredients were derived from a plant or animal. In North America 'USDA  Certified Organic' is the only term that can actually be taken as a gurantee that the food does not contain:

• Carcinogenic Fumigants;
• Genetically Modified (GM) Ingredients, Genetically Engineered (GE) Ingredients;
• Chemical Solvents;
• Toxic Pesticides.

In addition, although the product may contain 1) fruit and vegetables, 2) probiotics...
1) The fruit and vegetables used:

• May have been rotting - not fit for human consumption so they were used for pet food (there is no law currently in place that prevents a company from saying that the ingredients they are using in their kibble is first quality - they do not have to prove that this statement is true);
• May be full of pesticides and herbicides.

2) The  'probiotics'  (i.e. Lb. acidophilus) used are rendered useless:

• By the time the kibble is fully processed and ready the benefits that would normally be derived from fruit, vegetables and probiotics have been decimated by the processing process. 

To be effective, probiotics must be live. The beneficial micro-organisms and probiotics required by the GI tract are susceptible to heat damage. Most commercially made dry pet food is sterilised or pasteurized - canned food is prepared using dry heat. The only way in which the manufacturers can add probiotics to these foods is by coating the products with a liquid or powder after processing is complete. This presents two fundamental problems: the coating is inconsistent, and preservation of the probiotic is not possible with current technologies.

While I believe that fresh whole foods have much to offer your dog in the way of diverse nutrition to support overall health, boost the immune system, promote good oral health etc., once these foods have been commercially and highly processed overall value can be completely minimized.

Unknowingly you may be paying a manufacturer to seriously compromise the health and shorten the life of your dog. On the other hand you may be feeding your dog a very good kibble product. Unless you know a little more detail about how to discern true quality in a kibble product it is very difficult to identify good from bad. The same principles discussed in this article are also applicable to dog treats. 

Before we get into the facts regarding what makes a kibble a good food or bad, I just want to briefly address the issue of cost to the consumer - you!

Let’s Define ‘Quality’ In Broad Terms

In broad terms what is meant by ‘quality’ as pertains to this discussion? Well…

Having the ingredients that make up the kibble inspected by authorities having jurisdiction, i.e. CFIA (for Canada) or USDA is no reassurance that the product is truly a safe and nutritional food product for your dog. CFIA and the USDA allow great leeway in the inclusion of poor quality and toxic ingredients in pet foods.

Please also note that just because a kibble is AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) approved does not mean that it is a good product. Although this group does regulate the pet food industry and the board does include some members of the US state and federal representatives it is not a government body and is partisan as it includes people directly involved in the pet food manufacturing industry. AAFCO is directly responsible for the unclear labeling on pet food products including kibble…responsible for the confusion around poor vs. good quality.

In my opinion a good 'Quality' dog food:

• Does NOT contain any non-species appropriate food stuffs;
• Does not contain toxins and carcinogens;
• Derives its protein, fat and carbs from truly good quality food stuffs;

More on that further below...

Does a Good Quality Kibble Really Cost you More than Poor Quality Kibble?

I have seen many pet supply stores and large retailers selling a poor quality kibble for the same or more than they are selling a better quality kibble. And yes, better and really good quality kibbles may be more expensive to purchase at the cash register (than inexpensive kibbles) but the actual cost of these products is not necessarily higher once you get home and open that bag of food. 

What do I mean by this statement? Well, a dog kibble that is comprised of poor quality ingredients offers less digestible high quality nutrition so you have to feed your dog considerably more kibble to at least part way met his/her nutritional needs than you would if the kibble was comprised of quality ingredients. You will go through a 40lb bag of poor quality kibble much faster than you will go through a 30lb bag of good quality kibble.

Specific Ingredients to Avoid, How to Select a Better Product.

Now Let’s Look at Good vs. Bad in Detail

What we really want to make sure of is that we don’t purchase product a) comprised of  poor quality nutrition, b) minimize the carcinogens and other toxic components.

Synthetic Additives, Preservatives & Colouring Agents

Many off-the-shelf dog foods and treats contain synthetic additives, preservatives and colouring - many are proven carcinogens. These substances are added to the kibble to help stabilize the product and enhance its appearance. The most common of these preservatives are BHA, BHT, EQ (ethoxyquin), propyl gallate. Then there are artificial colouring agents and additives such as glycerol monostearate, phosphoric acid and propylene glycol (this is used in antifreeze - antifreeze kills dogs!). Read product labels - if the product you are looking at contains these ingredients put it back on the shelf! Instead look for products that contain ‘natural preservatives’ and antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and mixed tocopherols.
 

Minimize the Poor Nutrition and the ‘Unknown’ in Your Dog’s Diet

Once again, many off-the-shelf dog foods contain food stuffs from unknown sources. These food stuffs are cheap source fillers that provide poor quality nutrition and can be full of unknown chemicals, steroids and antibiotics, petroleum derivatives, aflatoxins, etc. 

Grains and Poor Quality Legumes

In the 1950's the percentage of grain products used in kibble increased dramatically and has since continued to reign as the most common ingredient in commercially manufactured dog kibble. Many of these grain products are added primarily as fillers. These products are included:

• For the benefit of the manufacture’s cost margin and profit, not for the benefit of your dog;
• To help bind the ingredients in kibble together.

Not only are grains not a species appropriate food for a dog, the digestibility and nutrition available from many grain products is negligible. Your dog ends up consuming a lot of filler with very little nutrient value. This is very deceptive as you think you are feeding your dog enough and his stools are sizable (due to the high filler indigestible fibre content), but his nutrient intake is low. Here is a list of some of these low nutrient, cheap fillers…brewers rice, cereal food fines (leftovers from human grade cereal production -  junk), feeding oat meal, grain fermentation soluble, maltodextrins, fermentation solubles, potato product (leftovers from human grade potato product production - nutritional value, nil), soy flour, corn bran, corn cellulose, oat hulls, peanut hulls, rice hulls, soybean and wheat mill run (wheat middlings), corn germ meal, corn gluten meal, soybean meal (these last three ingredients are often included as a source of protein - very poor quality protein!).

While some of these fillers are derived from the leftovers of human food processing - as the product at the end of the line, they can be full of chemicals. They can also be from non-human grade sources. If the grains/grain derivatives are not from human grade sources they will contain aflatoxins. Aflatoxins cause liver cancer. Aflatoxins grow mainly on grains but they also grow on legumes - like peanuts, walnuts and pecans. This is one reason why you will hear some people say do not give your dogs nuts! Actually it is fine to give your dog peanuts or peanut butter - they are a good source of nutrition - just make sure you are giving them human grade. 

Aflatoxins can also be found in cottonseed oil, fish meal and peanut oil. Human grade foods are monitored closely for aflatoxins, if they are present the raw product (such as grain) is not allowed to be sold as human grade. There are no such regulations for animal grade foods so aflatoxins so most commercial grade dog, cat and bird food will have some aflatoxins...the body can usually detoxify small amounts. 

Rye is another grain that can cause problems for your dog. Rye contains polysaccharides (classified as a type of carbohydrate and biological polymer, starch and cellulose). The problem is not that rye contains this substance but the fact that it contains a high content of polysaccharides (i.e. in comparison with other grains such as wheat and corn). Why is that bad? Well polysaccharides interfere with the body's ability to utilize nutrients. Additionally, rye contains alkylresorcinol in high levels - this substance is a known to irritate intestinal and mucous membranes and can also retard growth.
 

Another thing to consider…

• Corn and soybeans in the USA and Canada are almost all grown from Genetically Modified (GM) seeds - the long term affect of ingesting GM food is not known. 
• Further to this, large factory farms use a method to process soy that leaves it very high in photoestrogens. 
• Photoestrogens have been proven to interfere with reproduction and thyroid function. Factory farming processing methods for soy also result in a product that is very high in phytates. 
• Phytates prevent mineral absorption as well as substances that prevent the normal function of enzymes required to digest protein.  
• Traditional methods of processing soy by fermentation (as employed in Japan and China) greatly reduces photoestrogens, and phytates, thus making consumption of the resulting soy, safe and nutritional. 
• And one last thumbs down for large factory farm produced soy - it has one of the highest concentrations of pesticides found in North American crops. 
• For example, large factory farm soybean crops receive heavy applications of the potent herbicide glyphosate -  a powerful toxin and carcinogen. 
• The vast majority of soy derivatives (i.e. soybean oil, soy meal, soy milk, tofu and everything in-between) found in both feedstock and human food is contaminated with high amounts of glyphosate.

Look for off-the-shelf dog food that specifies that the ingredients are from first grade or human grade sources.  

Grains are not part of a dog's natural diet! This includes whole corn kernels and corn derivatives (i.e. corn bran, corn cellulose, corn meal are just fillers offering little nutritional value if any). While rice offer better nutritional digestibility than many of the grain products noted above…rice is also not species appropriate food. Sweet potatoes, legumes such as chickpeas and lentils and squash are a better and nutrient dense source of carbohydrates. 

Fiber

High quality fiber such as the fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables is very different from the low quality fiber found in many off-the -shelf dog food products. Again, low grade fiber is added as cheap filler for the benefit of the manufacture’s cost margin and profit, not for the benefit of your dog. Cellulose derived from dried, processed wood is the most common form of cellulose (hard to believe but true!), corn bran (GM product), oat hulls, peanut hulls, rice hulls, soybean middlings (GM product) and wheat middlings. These ingredients may also contain aflatoxins. If the product has a lot of these ingredients put it back on the shelf.

Protein

Protein should be the first ingredient in your dogs kibble…but there are issues to be aware of with protein sources too. Protein may come from poultry (chicken, duck, etc.), cattle, swine, lamb…the problem is often what goes into the kibble is not the quality cuts of meat - lean muscle tissue. Instead the animal parts that are added to a lot of kibble is the by-products - the bones, blood, intestines, ligaments, and many other parts not sold for human consumption. Here is a list of protein sources that you should avoid - again, if these are listed in the product, put it back on the shelf…beef and bone meal, blood meal, chicken by-product meal, corn distillers dried grains with solubles, corn germ meal, corn gluten meal, fish meal, liver meal, meat and bone meal, meat meal, pork and bone meal, poultry by-product meal, poultry meal and soybean meal. As these ingredients are loosely regulated they may be from 4-D animals (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), road-kill, animals euthanized at ‘shelters’ (euthanization includes the use of harmful chemicals, also the animals may have been diseased), the ingredients may also include pus, cancerous tissue, decomposing tissue, etc.

If the kibble you are feeding your dog contains fish meal - I would advise you to throw the kibble out ASAP and purchase a dog kibble that does NOT contain fish meal. Fish meal contains Ethoxyquin - is a pesticide that is also used in animal feed to stop fats from going rancid. Ethoxyquin is a very dangerous substance - it IS a known carcinogen and has been banned from use in human food. To understand more about this dangerous substance and why you do NOT want it in your dog's food you can read more here.

Again, look for off-the-shelf dog food that specifies that the ingredients are from first grade or human grade sources. I have heard people say dog food should have bone and blood meal in it - wrong - dogs do not require blood and bone meal, especially the fertilizer grade quality added to many off-the-shelf pet foods.

Fats

Animal and poultry fat is added to a lot of kibble. Again these are the rancid fats and oil by products that are not sold for human consumption. Waste from restaurants and food manufacturing is saved and then refined by rendering companies, who then turn around and sell it to pet food manufactures. The manufactures add them to their poor quality kibble to give it taste and to help the ingredients bind together. The following are the ingredients you should avoid…animal fat, beef tallow, lard, poultry fat, vegetable oil. Again the source of these fats can also be from 4-D animals and the vegetable oil is likely to be poor quality and/or GM.

Sweeteners

Sweeteners are not required in your dog’s diet! In fact they are not good for your dog. They are added to many pet foods to make the food more attractive - think about it, some of these products have a lot of fillers - no taste…so the sweeteners give the food some taste. If the product you are going to buy has these ingredients you know want to do - re-shelve it: cane molasses, corn syrup, fructose, sorbitol, sugar, di-alpha tocopherol acetate. Remember daily intake of sweeteners is just as bad for dogs as it is for humans. Sugar suppresses the immune system - making it easier for cancer to take hold. Sweeteners also cause allergies, arthritis, cataracts, hypoglycaemia, heart ailments, nervous energy, tooth decay, obesity and so on. The more your dog’s health is compromised the harder it is for your dog’s body to fight diseases including cancer! If you would like to see a more comprehensive list of ingredients to avoid you can click here.

In addition, some dog kibble and treats include sugar, syrup, molasses.

If You Are Going To Switch Your Dog's Kibble 

If you are going to switch your dog’s kibble don’t switch his food overnight. Add a little of the new food to the old food. Gradually increase the amount of new food and decrease the amount of old food until the old is completely replaced by new. This process should be carried out over several days to several weeks depending on the hardiness of your dog’s digestive system. Some dogs are very sensitive to changes in their diet while others dogs are not.

If you have switched your dog’s food before with no deleterious affects and you know your dog’s system is hardy you can shorten the phasing in of the new food. 

You Can Also Make Your Own Dog Food and Treats
If you would like to try making healthy, nutritious home-made dog food to either supplement or completely phase-out dog kibble you can try these home made dog food recipes I developed for the health of my dogs...DIY Home Made Nutritious Dog Food, DIY Home Made Nutritious Dog Treats.
 

To Learn More About Discerning Good vs. Bad Kibble

If you would like to look at the subject (of what makes a kibble good or bad) in further depth I recommend that you take a look at the Dog Food Project’s website section on Commercial Dry Foods. 

An Independent Review of 100's of Brands and Types of Kibble

If you would like to see an extensive listing of Dry Dog Food reviewed by an independent group I recommend that you take a look at the Dog Food Advisor’s website page on Dry Dog Food.

Learn More About Enriching Your Dog's Diet

If you would like to learn about more about additional ways to increase the good nutrition in your dog’s daily diet you can take a look at these articles…

DIY Home Made Nutritious Dog Treats

Fresh Food is Good for Your Dog’s Health

Coconut Oil is Good for Your Dog’s Health

Herbs and Spices for Your Dog’s Health
 

Foods That Dog’s Should Never Eat - dangerous, toxic, lethal

If you would like to help feed Shelter Dog’s for free you can do so by clicking on these links…when you go to these sites and click on the button corporate sponsors donate kibble to homeless pets on your behalf. I click on all three sites every day.

Care2 Click to Feed Pets in Need

Free Kibble.com

The Animal Rescue Site

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