By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr

The difference between commercially made dog food (kibble) and raw food diets are enormous. In order to understand the differences, one must first know how kibble is made. Dry dog food is made from leftover human product, thus companies who write "human grade" on the bag of kibble are not lying. What they don't tell you is that those "human grade" products are the "through away/non-usable" ingredients left over from the human food industry, or what is commonly referred to as by-products. If you believe fresh meat, grains, cereal, fruits and vegetables constitute your pet's diet, you are being duped by millions of dollars worth of marketing ploys.

First, kibble has to be in flour form BEFORE being processed. Unfortunately, manufacturers weigh the ingredients before mixing the product and the "fresh" chicken, which contains 80% water, will appear as the first ingredient on the list. Once dehydrated and mixed in, the "fresh" chicken comes in much further down the list. Second, the "fresh" chicken is everything BUT the meat. By-product is the leftover chicken carcasses without the beak, feathers, and feet. The cranberries or blueberries added as antioxidants are really the leftover dried pulp juice companies generate, which have little or no nutritional value left. Third, the entire mixture is blended and partially re-hydrated and cooked in an extruder (pasta-like making machine). Oils and vitamins are finally added to insure minimum nutritional requirements.

The human food industry found a nice little niche in commercial pet food to recycle it's by-products. Coincidentally, disease, cancer, allergies, and chronic illnesses have been on the rise. Savvy pet owners had enough of this "convenient" diet and returned to the ancestral way of feeding their beloved animals. Raw food diets have been around for many years, but only recently have they made their way to Quebec's pet stores. Natural, non-processed diets prevents health issues and prolongs your pet's life. It is a simple and affordable (drastically reduces veterinary bills) alternative to kibble. With basic hygiene, there is no more risk in manipulating raw diets than managing your own food. As for parasites found in human products, Canada has very high standards regarding meat processing; hence, if beef destined for human consumption is dangerous for your dog, why are YOU eating it?

On a final note. Dogs have a very short transit (digestive track) filled with super powerful acids designed to digest raw bones (never give a cooked bone to a dog); therefore, I believe the risks (which are very, very minimal) outweigh the benefits raw food diets offer pets. Just think about this... A dog has a better chance of chocking on a toy then on a raw bone!

Commercial dog food is highly processed and deprived of vitamins and minerals because the ingredients which constitute these diets are by-products deprived of nutritional value. When first introduced to the market, pet food was marketed as a supplementary diet. It was never destined to become a staple food. The over consumption of kibble causes two major side effects for dogs: allergies and chronic illnesses.

Allergies are manifested as skin dermatitis and chronic illnesses. The later varies from reoccurring ear infections to digestive issues such as diarrhea, flatulence, or urinary track infections. This is due to over consumption of highly processed grains and cereals. These fillers (grains, cereals, fruits, or legumes) irritate the bowel and become allergens in the dog’s system. Raw food diets do not contain grains or cereals; therefore, prevent allergic reactions and excessive bowel movements. Vitamins and minerals have not been cooked or processed, thus, are assimilated naturally by the dog. Plus, all parts are digested and utilized with a very interesting side effect; stools are smaller and almost odorless.

Making Raw Food
There are many raw food recipes on the Internet, but a simple rule of thumb is to compose a meal with 1/3 meat, 1/3 bone, and 1/3 organs + vegetables. Green vegetables are ideal but should be roughly chopped with a blender or food processor. The process of grounding the vegetables allows the dog to absorb the nutrients. Remember, dogs do not have chewing teeth, thus, are incapable of breaking down fiber to extract the vitamins and minerals.

A typical serving of raw food in our household is composed of a chicken or turkey carcass/meaty bone, minced meat, an organ, and a few green veggies. The total amount fed should represent approximately 1-2% of the dog’s total body weight. A 454g meal would look like this; 150g of minced meat, 150g of meaty bone, 150g of a combination of organ and vegetables. Unless you are scanning for a food allergy, the source of protein can be mixed together. Wild game and fish are a good source of food; unfortunately, the price can be an issue.

I have been feeding my dogs an exclusively raw food diet for the past 10 years and have never had a salmonella contamination, smelly flatulence, veterinary visit/emergency, or allergic reaction. My dog’s appetites are perfect and eating is a pleasure. I highly recommend owners feed their pets a raw food diet.

Take the Survey
The purpose of the Dogue Shop's pet food survey is to illustrate how difficult it is, for the majority of people, to differentiate a high quality brand of pet food from a lower one. This questionnaire is not meant to judge or criticise the pet food industry, or the people who make a living from it; it is simply intended to demonstrate how complicated and confusing the available information can be. Furthermore, I wish to demonstrate that products can be misleading, thus duping the animal lover. Personally, I believe there is a difference between optimal health and minimum nutritional requirements.

I hope you can take a second to cast your vote, thus becoming part of an ongoing educational survey. The answers will be posted in the near future; please come back soon, I think you will be surprised with the results... If you wish to know the answer before time, please let me know.

Thank you.

Gaby Dufresne-Cyr

Hill's Prescription Diet T/D dog food
Brewers rice, ground corn, chicken by-product meal, powdered cellulose, pork fat, soybean oil

Royal Canine Medium Adult dog food
Chicken meal, brown rice, rice, oat, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, natural flavours

Wellness Super 5 Mix Complete Health dog food
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Tomato Pomace, Rye Flour

Orijen Chicken Adult dog food
Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, fresh pacific salmon, herring meal

Old Roy Adult dog food
Ground yellow corn, soybean meal, ground whole wheat, corn syrup, poultry fat, meat & bone meal

Remember, fresh chicken is weighed BEFORE the products is made, and with a 70-80% water content is in fact the heaviest; however, the chicken must be dehydrated before it can be blended into the recipe. Once dehydrated, the fresh chicken moves down the line a few ingredients and cereal or grain often becomes the main ingredient in your pet's food.

I find it particularly troubling to see that Wall Mart's Old Roy and Hill's Prescription Diet T/D have similar ingredients and recipe, but one is almost three times the price...
Who would have thought !!!