In Checkout Line, Lou Bendrick cooks up answers to reader questions about how to green their food choices and other diet-related quandaries. Lettuce know what food worries keep you up at night.
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Dear Grist,
I eat organic food; should my dog? What's the deal with organic dog food and what's the problem with conventional dog food anyhow? And most importantly, does organic dog food taste better? Not that my dog has ever been too picky about what he eats, but I've always wondered when I dump the same dry kibble in his bowl day after day if he actually likes it.
Best regards,
Tara
Dear Tara,
Are you familiar with the work of artist Stephen Huneck? In his book, The Dog Chapel, there is a woodcut print of a human hand reaching toward a grocery store shelf stocked with "The Really Expensive Dog Food." The accompanying text reads, "Be good to your friends."
Hats off to you for being good to your friend by at least considering the organic kibble. Your friend, after all, watches your every move with moist, adoring eyes, guards your car stereo with his life, and keens when you go to the movies. And what is the reward for this undying loyalty? Most likely, a couple of tethered walks each day, and kibble, ad infinitum.
The problem with conventional dog food is that it could contain cheap, unhealthy ingredients -- or even deadly ones. Last year, there was a massive pet-food recall after a Chinese manufacturer added melamine, a toxin, to pet food, which killed an untold number of beloved companion animals. As nutritionist Marion Nestle pointed out in her recent Grist interview, pet-food regulation and labeling are sorely lacking, even after this incident.
And, just to prove that the pet-food industry is not headed toward a reformation, that group is now considering the use of distiller grains (a byproduct of ethanol production) that could potentially contain toxins.
Toxins aside, commercial pet food legally may contain such unsavory things as newspaper, feathers, high-fructose corn syrup, cancerous or diseased animal tissues, bovine fetal tissue, and "glandular waste." According to an article on Dr. Andrew Weil's web site, the animals rendered into many pet foods are classified as "4D": Dead, Dying, Diseased, or Disabled (aka "downer").
In short, the commercial pet-food industry hasn't quite figured out how to work nuclear waste into dog food, but it does seem to have a penchant for icky byproducts. Still, does these mean that you need to feed your dog organic kibble?
The first thing to figure out is what you're getting when you reach for organic on the pet-food aisle. According to veterinary nutritionist Dr. Lisa Freeman, professor of clinical sciences at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, there is no federal or international standard for what qualifies as "organic" pet food.
"While some foods are made with great care and high standards," Freeman told me by email, "using the term 'organic' is a marketing strategy." Freeman encourages pet-owners to buy their dog food from a well-known, reputable company that they trust and one that has undergone feeding trials with the Association of American Feed Control Officials. (Check the label for this imprimatur.)
But wait: There's more work for you to do to find high-quality pet chow (and hey, isn't that lavish greeting you get from your dog after a long day of work worth a little work?). Freeman advises that you find a company that employs at least one full-time nutritionist, has a research and development department, and conducts ongoing research on the firm's foods to continue to improve them.
"Companies should also have high-quality control standards for their ingredients, the food's shelf life, and their ability to detect and respond to a problem with their end-product," she writes. "If you can't find this information on the internet, call the company."
Now, just to complicate things, and with apologies to Stephen Huneck, the best dog food doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive one. "I encourage pet owners to be informed consumers when it comes to their dogs' food," Freeman advises. "Having high standards doesn't necessarily mean that the price of dog food is high, and not all expensive pet foods are formulated using these standards. Read the label carefully!"
Most important, though, your dog does have to like his food. Because your dog is "not too picky," you might not be able to tell if his organic kibble tastes better to him than the conventional stuff. My curiosity aroused, I decided to do a taste test using an expert panel. I offered this panel side-by-dishes of kibble: Castor & Pollux Organix Canine Formula, which contains organic free-range chicken, barley, brown rice and flax seed; and Purina Dog Chow, which among other disheartening ingredients contains "animal digest" -- animal tissues broken down with chemicals.
The test results: Our expert panel, perhaps intoxicated by the break in kibble monotony, devoured both bowls (starting with the Purina) with equal vigor. But then, our panel is just a dog.
For you, Tara, I also personally tasted both kibbles (note to self: Demand hazard pay from Grist). The Organix Canine Formula kibble tasted like a really earthy health food store cracker (pass the tahini dip). The Purina Dog Chow tasted blander than it smelled, but like rancid fat nonetheless.
Bottom line: Your dog, being a dog, may have an undiscriminating if not ghoulish palette. My late, long-lived dog ate mostly organic kibble for many of his 13 years, but much preferred putrid things he found in the woods, which were still probably healthier than "animal digest."
I think it's safe to say that your buddy will be healthier if he eats high-quality organic food and you'll get to support the values you're already choosing for yourself by purchasing organic food -- avoiding planetary and corporeal pollution from pesticides, antibiotics, synthetic fertilizers, growth hormones, GMOs, etc.
I'm feeling the strong urge to play with a squeaky toy, so I must go now. Give your friend a pat on the head for me.
Sincerely yours,
Lou Bendrick
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Comments
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raevynn Posted 3:51 am
10 Oct 2008
The ingredients in pet food often contain something called "meal". Beef meal, chicken meal, fish meal.
It isn't necessarily MADE from beef, chicken, or fish, it just SMELLS like beef, chicken, or fish. It is actually the waste from slaughterhouses, ground up into a slurry, and cooked in large vats.
Another not commonly known ingredient of "meal" is rendering plant waste. The rendering plant is where dead animals go. Including animals that have been put down at animal shelters. All those strays, those unwanted kittens and puppies, those old animals with diseases -- all part of "meal", which is a main ingredient in many pet foods.
Waste products from slaughterhouses include the spinal column (mad cow disease, remember that one?)and other internal organs that can't be sold as human food.
Another factor to look at with pet food, is the amount of grain used in it.
Dogs are basically omnivores who prefer to eat meat; cats are carnivores, so why are they being fed wheat and corn? Is anyone paying attention to the numbers of household pets that are getting Diabetes? Heart disease? Cancer? Why do you suppose that is?
I refuse to feed my pet anything that contains "meal" or has wheat or corn in it. After 3 years, the vet is amazed at how healthy my pet is! (normal weight, glossy coat, shining eyes, sound teeth)
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Cornrefiner Posted 3:57 am
10 Oct 2008
High fructose corn syrup has the same number of calories as sugar.
In 1983, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration formally listed high fructose corn syrup as safe for use in food and reaffirmed that decision in 1996.
The American Medical Association in June 2008 helped put to rest misunderstandings about this sweetener and obesity, stating that "high fructose corn syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners."
Consumers can see the latest research and learn more about high fructose corn syrup at http://www.HFCSfacts.com and http://www.SweetSurprise.com.
Audrae Erickson
President
Corn Refiners Association
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BlackBear Posted 4:12 am
10 Oct 2008
This probably also explains why your dog is attracted to whiffy roadkill et al. It smells much more interesting than baked kibble (of any stripe).
Of course I'm not saying that feeding your dog recognizable ingredients isn't important or beneficial, I'm just trying to explain their "lack of taste."
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sweible Posted 7:44 am
10 Oct 2008
I want to know what is up with all the promotion in commercials, the web and other places of High Fructose Corn Syrup?? I think they are full of it with their new adds that say HFCS is safe. I have SEVERE allergic/sensitivity reactions to HFCS but not to regular corn syrup. I guess they think we are gullible and actually believe commercials. Though sadly I guess some people are susceptible to them.
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Tom Philpott Posted 8:00 am
10 Oct 2008
Victual Reality
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mmccan02 Posted 11:31 am
10 Oct 2008
http://www.primalpetfoods.com/
http://www.nw-naturals.net/
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/rawpetfood.html
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marymartinphd Posted 5:16 am
11 Oct 2008
After a handful of years of trying various foods (none from the regular grocery store, by the way), I've come to the conclusion that I cannot advise anyone that any particular diet would be best for their individual dog.
Other than "feed actual food" as advice (rather than the crap most commercial pet food provides), my advice is to try raw if you can deal with it (there's also raw kibble--and soak any kibble before serving), try grain free, try high-end, wholesome foods like those from The Honest Kitchen, and pay attention to (and record) the reaction of your dog to what you're feeding her until you find the food that's best for her, then get her bloodwork done in 6 months and make sure she's getting everything she needs.
I'd love to say there's a one-food-fits-all answer, but in my experience, it's simply not that easy.
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Angelsnecropolis Posted 7:17 am
11 Oct 2008
Best thing about the internet is the ability to fact check.
"In the June 2008 edition of the Journal of Nutrition, researchers from the University of Texas published new research that apparently caused both the Corn Refiners Association and the AMA to react at the exact same time. The research proved what many would suspect -- that high-fructose corn syrup and sugar are not the same, and that the body reacts to them quite differently."
"a stamp of approval from the AMA doesn't necessary mean so much. After all, this is the organization that accepted millions of dollars to advertise Sunbeam products back in the 1990s, and then settled out of court to avoid a lawsuit for a breach of contract. It is also the same organization that has historically earned millions of dollars from food, tobacco, and pharmaceutical advertisements in their peer-reviewed journal, and today it has a 22 page promotional guide for potential advertisers."
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/10/1/10539/3876
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marylounoble Posted 9:05 am
11 Oct 2008
Marylou Noble
Portland, OR
Marylou Noble
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perk Posted 4:11 am
15 Oct 2008
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/01/cbsnews_investi ...
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chix96 Posted 11:30 pm
15 Oct 2008
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Lou Bendrick Posted 9:59 pm
16 Oct 2008
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070315123558 ...
Alas, HFCS seems not to be the biggest of our worries when it comes to pet food. Here's a news clip, not for the squeamish, that a reader sent along:
http://cbs4.com/video/?id=35022@wfor.dayport.com
A quick last thought: Because of their blunted sense of taste (another good point), our dogs are more than willing to eat our industrial waste ....perhaps more so when it is sweetened.
Be vigilant, animal guardians.
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