A dog ... or pigeon life eh!?

Roland · December 26, 2007

Monday, December 24, 2007

Diets for dogs: What's the best food for your pampered pooch?

by Flannery Dean

CBC News

It's one measure of North American affluence that we've begun to bring the same earnestness about what we eat to what our dogs eat, transferring our food anxieties to our canine companions whose recent ancestors appeared to thrive on table scraps and tinned mystery meat.

With an abundance of zealously held views, conversation about doggy diets, like talk about religion, is becoming a socially dangerous undertaking.

"Pet food is big business, so there is much misinformation out there by foods marketing for a larger piece of the pie," says Danny Joffe, a Calgary-based veterinarian, speaking on behalf of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

Informed choices

Start by reading the label if you want a clear picture of what's in commercial pet foods, advises Susan Thixton, a pet nutrition expert based in Tampa, Fla. Meat and bone meal, for example, basically consists of whatever is leftover from human consumption, while chicken or poultry meal is essentially human-grade food and provides a superior protein source.

While all ingredients are not created equal, neither, it seems, are the nutritional demands imposed by breed.

Man-made distinctions between the chihuahua and the Great Dane don't preclude them from eating the same diet, says Joseph Wakshlag, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at Cornell University's college of veterinary medicine.

"But could we be exacerbating a potential problem in a large breed by feeding them a diet designed for a smaller breed? Possibly," he says. "That's why we are seeing … Labrador formulas, Yorkshire formulas, starting to pop up in the pet superstores. Basically, we can help alleviate or decrease the risk or onset of certain breed-specific medical conditions by using food ingredients or manufacturing techniques."

The verdict is out as to whether these breed-specific foods will translate into longevity over time.

"The only thing we presently know is the appropriate body condition can increase longevity in dogs," Wakshlag said.

After 25 years of experience, Lisa Newman, an Arizona-based naturopathic doctor with a PhD in nutrition and founder of Azmira Holistic Animal Care, has concluded that canines are meat eaters and do better on a low-grain diet.

"[Dogs] need some grain in their diet due to their lifestyles being so different than their wild cousins'. Breed-specific food is a wonderful marketing spin. Since each dog, let alone breed, is so different in their nutritional needs, no one food could be best," she says. "What works well is a high-quality diet" — a diet clean of byproducts and toxic chemicals — "to provide basic protein, fat and fibre, which is supplemented according to the individual dog's needs."

Myths abound

When it comes to canine nutrition, popular myths abound and can produce serious consequences.

Myth No. 1, according to Wakshlag, is that high protein causes growth abnormalities in large breeds. Coming in second is the notion that protein causes kidney failure.

"These are often comments that the lay public and breeders make, and I have heard it from a few veterinary professionals as well," he says. "The next is that large-breed puppies need calcium supplements for strong bones. This myth is less prevalent, but it is actually the opposite. Calcium supplements may actually increase the risk of developmental problems."

Following fads or marketing hype is another common mistake, Newman adds. "Just because a company can advertise on television does not mean their food is good. Dog owners should learn to … trust their noses. If it smells bad, it is bad!"

Pet owners often wrongly believe they can't afford better quality food, according to Thixton.

"When a pet eats a less than optimal food, they must eat more to meet the nutritional requirements their body is telling them they need. However, when they eat a better quality food — food that provides a good meat protein source — most animals eat about one-third less," Thixton says.

"The better quality food ends up lasting a lot longer, because less is fed at each meal," she adds.

A nice, home-cooked meal

Newman suggests that fresh, balanced food prepared at home is the best diet for your dog.

"Lightly cooking meats not only kills germs but starts the digestive process," she says. "I recommend this diet be mixed with a high-quality dry food for proper bulk and a back-up for when you don't feel like cooking."

Homemade diets are not without peril, though, Wakshlag warns.

"About once a week, we come upon a homemade diet here in our clinic that is grossly deficient in certain minerals or vitamins. Although the diets are elaborate, with many ingredients and supplements, they may leave out a calcium or iodine source. Or the multivitamin they are using for completeness is not a complete multivitamin."

Raw-meat-based diets, described as a "dangerous fad" by Joffe, are frowned upon by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Both note that while the benefits resist scientific proof, the potential risk to animal and public health of these diets is well documented.

Bacterial pathogens such as salmonella, E. coli and toxoplasma found in raw meat can also affect handlers and can also show up in the dog's stool, posing a possible risk to others. Salmonella associated with raw feeding shows signs of being resistant to antibiotics in recent reports, points out Joffe, who cites mounting evidence that raw foods are potentially not nutritionally complete.

"Some folks say [by lightly cooking meat] we destroy 'enzymes' that may be beneficial. But I am pretty sure the high acid environment of the stomach and pancreatic enzymes that chop up those enzymes do a pretty good job or rendering those 'important enzymes' denatured or 'dead' regardless of the cooking, once they reach the intestine," Wakshlag says.

Veggie diets

Some vegetarians want to institute the same dietary regimen for their dogs. Many experts take a conservative approach, however, especially for puppies that have specialized dietary requirements.

"Dogs are omnivores, and typically do not do well on vegetarian diets. It is possible to properly balance a vegetarian diet for dogs, but it takes specialty knowledge," Joffe says.

He advocates talking to your vet before making any decisions concerning your dog's diet.

"There are several commercial vegetarian diets — including one 'prescription' diet, available only through veterinary clinics, that is very useful in some cases of food allergies or in pets that have health problems that respond to an absence of meat protein in their diets," Joffe adds. "Vegan diets would be harder to formulate, and I would only recommend attempting this with the specific advice of a veterinary nutritionist."

Newman, meanwhile, expresses strong reservations about vegetarianism for dogs.

"I have never known a dog that responded well to a vegetarian/vegan diet over time," she says. "Soybean is a major source of vegetable protein, but dogs lack an essential amino acid needed to convert soybean to protein. As a matter of fact, a soybean-based dry diet is the number one suspect in many cases of bloat."

In the end, when it comes to your dog's menu, use common sense, make informed decisions and maintain a little perspective, animal experts say.

"I saw a centenarian on Good Morning America once," Wakshlag says. "He was 105. They asked him what his key to longevity was. He said he ate one candy bar every day of his life.

"The bottom line is all dogs start with 'good nutrition,' far better than you and I, when you open that bag of dog food," he adds. "Now, if your dog has hip dysplasia and kidney failure, then 'good' or therapeutic nutrition becomes essential to his longevity. So it really depends on what dog I am looking at next, as to how nutrition will influence his/her life."