Dog Food: Kibble

A brief review of what to feed your dog (amount of food is dependant on the brand or style of food- raw is less than kibble)

A dog's diet is the most important thing for a dog's health. It can prevent predisposed illnesses, improve it’s coat and teeth, and even affect the dog's behaviour. It is totally up to you on what you believe is best for your dog; this is some information to help you make a more educated decision. 

The most important thing to note: do not try to do it yourself without extensive research. A regular practice of “home cooked” meals, vegetarian diets, and cheap dog food could be the biggest mistake you can make for your dog. Even with all of the research I have done, I don’t feel like I know enough yet to create my own diet for my pup. There are constant discoveries, and always new information to learn. Unless you have done extensive research, or study nutrition specifically for dogs, it is a science that can seriously harm your dog in the long run. 

Before switching your dog’s food, always gradually transition to the next brand/type of food by mixing the food they are on with the new one you are switching to. Beginning with 25% of the new food with 75% of the original, then switching to 50/50 then 75% new food with 25% original until it is safe to change all together. The time given is based on how they are responding. I typically suggest this change over a week to two weeks time. A drastic change in food can cause stomach and gut issues such as; diarrhea, vomiting, gas, or sudden allergic reactions (rash or hot spots). If you notice any of these, slow down the process, or consider changing the protein in it. Speak to your vet if you have any concerns. 

Kibble can only do so much! The best diet for dogs (in my opinion) is a raw food diet. I have seen many dogs do well on a best suited kibble diet, however, I have seen many more dogs thrive on raw. As long as you ensure the raw brand you feed your dog is a well balanced complete diet (very important it is the right balance), I believe it is what is best for them. I will send over another document all about raw diet. 

There are pros of course for a kibble diet. It is convenient and cost effective, making it the most common diet for dogs. There are many brands that every owner should look into to make sure the brand is the best fit for your dog and your family!  

The two leading brands of dog food: Acana (the "natural" approach) and Royal Canin (the "science" blend

Royal Canin: The number one brand of food sold by Vet clinics across Canada. They will always say that this brand is the best for your dog and will sometimes prescribe one of their diets. (Something to note: most clinics have to promote this brand because they are sponsored by them.) They have a diet for every condition and stage of your dog. Their kibble is heavily supplement based. They are the “science” brand of food, making sure that they supplement the kibble with every vitamin and mineral your dog needs. It would be the human equivalent of someone rely their daily vitamins and supplements. 

https://www.royalcanin.com/ca/en_ca?gclid=CjwKCAiAv4n9BRA9EiwA30WND03X-Kp4iLoGc_yGKdT8IOJ3b72b1VQdXqvMybCQXCnQrZoHq3ogTRoCX6YQAvD_BwE 

Acana: The “natural” approach. This brand is based heavily on the kind of protein, sold in flavours such as Lamb, Duck, Grasslands (turkey, lamb, duck, etc.) etc. or regional (Red, Coast, etc.) They also have three “life stages” flavours Puppy, Adult, and Senior. All flavours are a fully balanced diet, and great for interchangeable meals. This is a great option to have if your dog is accustomed to kibble fatigue (when they get tired of eating the same thing over and over again). This is the human version of a healthy, well balanced diet. 

https://acana.com/en_CA

There are many other brands out there that could work for you and your pup! There are more cost effective brands, as well as half raw, freeze dried raw, and other kinds of food that you can mix and match into your dogs diet. (You could get some freeze dried raw to crumble up and add to kibble as a healthy treat!)

Keep in mind* mixing and matching foods within reason. The base (over 50%) should remain the same, and only a few kibble/treats mixed in to make it more interesting. 

Flavours/types of meat matters! Some dogs can develop allergies (most commonly to chicken/poultry) that can cause itching, irritation, and stomach/digestion issues. Their system (similar to ours) can build up an immunity to a certain type of protein or food (if it is what they have for every meal) and they can actually become allergic to a food after consuming it for years! To avoid this, try switching the protein within the same brand of food. This is also a good idea to do if you already see signs of allergies. It will be easier on their system and a lot simpler to determine if it was in fact the protein that they were allergic to (rather than other products/ingredients in the food) if the brand of the food remains the same. Sometimes avoidance can cause sensitivity (and allergies), but definitely avoid once it proves to be problematic. (You may even need to change dog food brands if it becomes problematic for your pup). 

It’s all about trial and error, seeing what your dog likes, what they can be healthy on, and what makes the most sense for your family. If you can’t afford freeze dried raw or don't want to be inconvenienced with a full raw diet, customize it to what is best for you!  

Whatever you choose to buy, both for their main diet kibble as well as their treats, be sure to read all ingredients to make sure they are as natural as possible.

Avoid these ingredients:

(Especially in main diet kibble, but within reason in treats; if it is near the end of the ingredient list or enjoyed in moderation)

• Any form of excessive “meal”. Having treats that have chicken meal or liver meal or whatever form of “meal” is okay in moderation. “Meal” basically means that it has been processed and could potentially be only the fat, skin, or unwanted parts of an animal that contain no nutrients. The same as what hot dogs are made out of or McDonalds “chicken” nuggets. 

• Glucose fructose or any form of unnatural sugars. Sugars are mostly found in treats, and it is okay to splurge a little bit with a sweet treat, however never the processed or negative sugars such as corn syrup or glucose. Instead opt for things made out of cane sugar or molasses. 

• “Fillers” as first listed ingredients. Oats, rice and other grains are necessary for a balanced diet, however, flours, and corn meals are not included in that natural grain necessity. It is even worse if it is listed within the top 3 items on the ingredients list. This means that your dog is getting full on mainly rice or other forms of grain, and lacking the nutrients from a meat based diet. 

• Be wary of kibbles with “grain free” since they supplement with legumes and peas that may lead to heart disease in extremely high doses. Like most things in life, everything is okay and even good for you, in small quantities. 

• Use your best judgment! Think of what ingredients are the best for you or your child and feed it to your dog as well. They deserve the best, just like you!
  

If you are able to add things to your dogs food or enjoy giving them a healthy treat one day a week, you may add things like these to their meal as toppers (not the whole meal):

1. Sardines: In water not oil Adds omega 3 and taurine (an amino acid) to their diet.

2. Raw eggs -- finding eggs without hormones or pesticides of any kind is becoming more and more difficult, so if you’d like to cook them, you can scramble, poach or hard boil them in water without adding any seasonings of any kind. BONUS: You can also save, dry and grind up eggshells to add to their food to add important minerals such as calcium to their diets.

3. Pumpkin Puree -- NOT pumpkin pie mixture (the puree has no added ingredients). This is an instant gut fixer. If your dog has diarrhea - give it pumpkin. If it has vomiting, pumpkin. If it has gas, constipation or any other tummy troubles it is an easy, natural, additive to ease any symptoms before running to the vet. (*note: if there is ever blood in their stool, contact the vet immediately).

4. Pureed fruit or veggies -- Puree or steaming/boiling the vegetables make it easier on their stomachs and easier to digest. By making it easier to digest, you are also giving your dog their best chance of collecting all the nutrients it can from the veggies you give it. *Please google what vegetable you want to give your dog before you prepare and feed them it. There are a few things that are obvious but many that people are unaware of. Things like grapes, avocado, and high content of onion or garlic can be toxic and potentially fatal to your pup.

5. ANTIOXIDANTS can not be overdosed in any way and are incredible for your dogs (and our own) health. Incredible things such as limit the look/effects of aging, and even reversing cancer cells! Things such as blueberries, and dark leafy greens (steamed or boiled) are a great source of antioxidants to add to your dog's meals. (My dog loves frozen blueberries on a summer day!)