Tag Archives: healthy food for dogs

Dogs eat better than we do

It occurred to us, during our once-a-month dog-food-making marathon, that most pet dogs eat better than we do. It’s a tribute to the care and love that most pet owners lavish on their dogs – and we think it’s true. When was the last time your dog ate “junk food” for a meal? We’re not talking about sharing a cheese puff or two. We’re talking about that dog food bowl being full of “empty calories!” 

People eat junk food all the time. But they would never give it to their dogs on a regular basis. Why?

It’s easier for the dogs

When you think about it – wouldn’t it be just great if all you had to do was show up for a meal and it was presented to you? No shopping, no preparation, no work, and no bill at the end! It seems like our dogs have it made!

Whether your dog’s food is a high-quality packaged food (check dogfoodadvisor.com to see how your brand rates), or home-made, we’re confident our dogs are getting complete, nutritious food. When was the last time you can honestly say you got all the fruits and veggies the FDA recommends?

So, our dogs eat better. The commercial dog food manufacturers have to meet standards to market their products widely. We may not always admire some of their ingredient choices, but they do provide for dogs’ nutritional needs. 

picture of home made dog food in oven for dogs eat better
Four dog food batches ready to bake

And those of us making dog food at home know we’re responsible for the meeting our dogs’ dietary needs and get lots of help – from experts like Judy Morgan, D.V.M., Lew Olson, even social media groups devoted to helping each other out with recipes and techniques. For example: did you know you can save the shells from hard-boiled eggs in the freezer, grind them into powder, and add to your dog’s food as a source of calcium?

Junk food junkies

Of course our dogs, like most, get to share when we have snacks. We’ve never met a dog who didn’t love popcorn (hold the butter!). But we’ve also never met a dog who didn’t love carrots, or frozen green beans. They don’t know it’s healthy food. They just know if you’re giving it to them, it’s got to be good! We only carry treats that are good for dogs – we just don’t tell them that part of it.

During the pandemic, with options restricted and choices limited, many people started preparing their own meals more than ever. And we’re thoroughly sick and tired of it. We think that’s why we’ve seen an explosion of prepared-and-delivered meal companies. 

Much as we’d like to hand over the responsibility to somebody else – we’re afraid we just can’t justify it. If we didn’t before, we now know how to put a (human) meal together in very little time.

Planning means dogs eat better

Planning ahead is the hiccup in the system. We know when we’re running low on dog food that it’s time to either go get it, or make it. For ourselves, we can always “grab something.” And that something isn’t always the healthiest choice – it’s what our taste buds dictate that day.

Another major difference – dogs don’t seem to care whether they eat the same thing, every meal, every day. Ours certainly disappear their food in record time. Every time – morning and night, seven days a week. They don’t seem to care that it tastes the same as it did last time. And the same as it will next time.

Dogs eat better, but taste worse

We may be saying it wrong. It’s more accurate that our dogs eat healthier than we do. That’s what responsible dog owners do. 

The repetition would get old, fast, for people. It turns out that we have dogs beat as far as tasting goes. According to research, dogs only have about 1700 taste buds. People have about 9,000! 

So while our dogs can out-sniff us all day long – we have the advantage in sensing taste. Which, considering the disgusting stuff we’ve seen dogs try to consume, is a very good thing. 

Dog food debate – Part 3 – What’s the best dog food?

We know we’ve reached the “crazy dog ladies” stage. Not everyone can or should make their dog’s food themselves.

What everyone can do is read. Read the ingredient lists. Read the country of origin. Read where the ingredients come from (where they’re “sourced”) as well as where the food is processed.

If it’s good dog food – the manufacturer should announce all these things loudly and proudly on the packaging.

Never buy any dog food or treats made in China. Just don’t.

We actually saw this on a major retailer’s site:

Important Made in USA Origin Disclaimer: For certain items sold by W****** on W*******.com, the displayed country of origin information may not be accurate or consistent with manufacturer information. For updated, accurate country of origin data, it is recommended that you rely on product packaging or manufacturer information.

So even though you’ve done some research online – when you pick up that package of dog food, you still have to read it.

Actual ingredient list from a huge retailer's store brand dog food.

Actual ingredient list from a huge retailer’s store branded dog food.

And, once you’ve zeroed in on a particular dog food, you still can’t relax. You have to read the ingredients every time you buy a new bag – manufacturers are under no obligation to let you know if their formulas or recipes have changed. We have a friend who keeps seven different kinds of dog food in jars in her kitchen. To insure some consistency, she feeds her dogs from a different jar each night of the week. If her dogs react to a new recipe, they still have a few others to rely on. She’s a crazy dog lady, too.

The internet is both a blessing and a curse for research. You can support for any opinion, regardless of facts. One resource we think is pretty reliable is http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/  This website reviews all kinds of commercially available dog foods and gives a star rating to each. You can also sign up for email notifications about dog food recalls.

You don’t have to buy the most expensive dog food. But don’t buy the cheapest, either. With a little research you can find the right combination of nutrition and price that’s right for your family. Please do. Your dog depends on you.