People Food vs. Pet Food

One of my biggest pet peeves when I was selling pet foods and even now when I am discussing pet foods with people, is the fear people have of feeding their pets what they refer to as "people food". I cannot count the number of times I suggested, as I always do, a person add fresh food to their dog or cat's food, only to hear a gasp of terror followed by "oh I would never feed my dog/cat people food". But you already are, so why not give it to them before all of the nutrition is heated out of it and then added back in with a premix?

With the exception of the poor quality kibbles you would purchase at a grocery store for example, if you look at the ingredients in a food like Orijen Adult Dog Food for instance, you will find the first five ingredients are fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon, turkey meal and herring meal. The next few ingredients are things like russet potato, peas and sweet potato. Further down the list you have fresh whole eggs, organic kelp, pumpkin and carrots etc. So after they gather all of these fresh ingredients, they cook them at temperatures that kill all of the nutritional value, extrude the food, dry it out and then add a premix, which contains all of the vitamins and minerals they just cooked out of the food, back into it.

I really do not have anything against kibble as long as it is a good quality food, from a reputable company. I would love to see everyone feeding a home cooked or raw diet to their pets, but I realize this is an unrealistic goal. What I believe is extremely important, is that pet owners provide their companion animals with fresh food as a supplement to their processed diet. 

I am not going to get into the whole raw, home cooked, processed diet debate in this post, although I will pick each apart separately in the posts to come. What I am hoping to get across is how important it is for your pet to have all of the good things fresh foods provide, to all of us. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain all kinds of wonderful nutrients that all of our bodies require. There are live enzymes, proteins and antioxidants in fresh fruits and vegetables of which most are destroyed during the heating process extruded and baked kibbles go through. Adding some fresh, slightly cooked meat, or even a good quality canned food to your pet's diet is also beneficial. There are all kinds of dehydrated and freeze dried pet foods on the market as well, which can be used as a supplement to your pet's kibble. Moisture is extremely important in your pet's diet, just as it is for you. I can hear everyone reading this saying "but my dog/cat has fresh water all the time" or "I add water to their kibble at each meal". Providing water is great, but imagine you were only given a dry cereal every day, at every meal, for the rest of your life...with a glass of water. Humans eat throughout the day, at least three meals most of us, and with each meal most of us have a glass of water, or some other form of liquid. The food we are eating usually has a high moisture content as well. Commercial kibbles have a moisture content of approximately 6 - 10%. I believe the only kibble with a higher moisture content is a Wysong product, which came out a couple of years ago at 12% moisture. Moisture in your pet's diet is just as important as it is for people, for optimal health and well being.

Adding some real, fresh foods to your pets diet, even as a supplement is only going to benefit them and their overall health. For all of you who have "only ever fed kibble to your pets and they have all lived long, healthy lives", try adding some fresh food to their diet and see how much more health and longevity you get out of them! There are very few foods that you eat, which your pets cannot. Go to your local pet food supply store and purchase a bag of Sojos, add some water to it, let it sit in the fridge overnight and put a spoonful in your dog's food at each meal, taking away the same amount of kibble to balance things out and reduce the risk of over feeding. Cats need meat in their diet, so pick up some good quality canned cat food or some raw chicken necks for your feline companions. I will do an entire post on cats and their diet in the near future, they deserve it!

Some foods of the dehydrated and freeze dried foods I recommend are:

Sojourner Farms (Sojos): This is a freeze dried diet and I have used this food for years. My dogs love it and do very well on it. This was one of the most popular, non-kibble based, diets when I was selling pet foods. 

The Honest Kitchen: A company that's been around for a while and has a great track record. Their products are fantastic and their ethics are too. They even have a customer rewards program.

K9 Natural: This is another freeze dried pet food and although it is expensive to feed as a staple diet, it is affordable and well worth it when using it to supplement your pet's kibble.

Remember, what's in your pet's bag of kibble once was "people food", so why not give them the real thing? Even just a little bit every day can benefit them and they're worth it!