Short Guide to Healthy Food for Dogs

Home , Dog food, Dog health

Mud Bay’s Short Guide to Healthy Food for Dogs Written by Katy Patterson, DVM, Mud Bay’s Director of Dog and Cat Health and Nutrition, and Lars Wulff, Mud Bay’s Co-CEO n the 1970’s, many largest pet retailer headquartered in IAmericans believed the Pacific NW and one of the that astronauts’ powdered largest in the world focused on orange drink was as good natural food for dogs and cats. for them as orange juice We hope you find our brief and that dog food was just… introduction to natural diets dog food. Fifty years later, for dogs useful. And we most Americans know fresh hope you stop by one orange juice is healthier than of our stores. We’d sugar water and some dog love to hear about your foods are better for their dog and help you identify dogs than others. the natural foods that make the most sense for him or her. What many US dog owners don’t know is that canine nutritionists have What’s a Mud Bay? recently begun creating foods that emulate the natural diets dogs ate In the 1990’s, Mud Bay was one before commercial dog food was of the first retailers to embrace invented. These nutritionists have natural cat and dog food. Today, ushered in a golden age of natural Mud Bay is the largest pet retailer dog food: today’s dog owners have headquartered in the Pacific NW more and healthier choices than and one of the largest in the they had even 10 years ago—many world focused on natural food for offering great value for their money. cats and dogs. In the 1990’s, Mud Bay was one of the first retailers to embrace natural dog and cat food. Today, Mud Bay is the The myth of The Best Dog Food

o two dogs are exactly the Nsame—even those that come from the same litter. And when you consider the differences between dog breeds, you discover that dogs are one of the most heterogeneous1 species on earth. (If the physiological differences between people were as great as those between Chihuahuas and Great Danes, then professional football players might weigh up to 5,000 lbs, consume 100,000 calories per day and live only to age forty!) Every dog is a unique individual with unique nutritional needs. When Find what works best we’re helping owners choose foods, for your dog it sometimes takes us a couple of tries, but we can almost always find So when dog owners ask Mud Bay a healthy diet that’s a great staff, “What’s the best dog food?”, fit. And our veterinarian we have to tell them it’s a question has trained Mud Bay’s staff we can’t answer—because it’s on specific dietary approaches to the wrong question. The improve a wide range of conditions question we can help them from itchy skin to diarrhea. answer is, “What’s the best food to feed 1Heterogeneous means composed of highly varied my particular dog?” parts—the opposite of homogenous.

2 Re-evaluate a dog’s diet every few years

og owners often seem up to us to make it for them—and to Dinclined to find one diet continue making adjustments as their for their dog and bodies continue to age. keep feeding it for rest of their dog’s Dogs’ food life. This approach choices sounds simple, but it improve doesn’t make a lot of nutritional sense, and it doesn’t every year work well for many dogs. We live in a golden age of natural dog food. Each year, Dog’s dietary needs change dozens of new dog formulas are 7 times faster than ours created, and many offer significant nutritional advances over foods Most owners know that during a year developed earlier. Re-evaluating of their own life, their dog ages about your dog’s diet every few years gives 7 years. But owners often don’t think you the chance to find a food that’s a about the nutritional implications better fit for his nutritional needs or of dogs’ rapid aging. Sometime that provides a better value between the age of 4 and 7, (or both). dogs reach the human equivalent of ages 30 to 50—when most of us discover that the diet we were happy with in our teens and twenties now leaves us feeling less than our best. Since dogs can’t make a mid-life dietary adjustment on their own, it’s

3 Dogs are what they eat...

very cell in a dog’s body is The strongest reasons to Emade up of the nutrients that feed the right diet may came from his diet. be invisible Thriving vs. surviving Owners quickly notice the immediate When one or more of the nutrients a consequences of a diet that isn’t particular dog needs are missing from a perfect fit for their unique dog: its diet (or in insufficient quantity vomiting, diarrhea, bad breath, dirty or in an unusable form), some of teeth, itchy skin or poor coat — its cells can’t function as nature issues that can often be improved by intended. And when a dog eats a diet a switch to a diet that’s a better fit. that contains chemicals or unusable nutrients, its organs work overtime to Harder for anyone to see—and eliminate them. harder to reverse—are the long-term effects of a diet that isn’t a good fit. By contrast, when a dog is fed a minimally processed, biologically Obesity, cancer and damage to joints, appropriate diet that contains all of the kidneys, liver, heart or digestive the nutrients it needs, its cells are system can be exacerbated, or even more likely to function well, spend caused, by a sub-optimal diet.2 less energy expelling toxins, and experience optimal health. 2Stei EL, Bauer JE. Nutritional adequacy of diets formulated for companion animals. JAVMA September 2001; 219(5):601-604. Bontempo V. Nutrition and Health of Dogs and Cats: Evolution of Pet od. Veterinary Research Communications August 2005;29(2):45-50. Patton R. Ruined by Excess, Perfected by Lack: e paradox of pet nutrition. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK 2011.

4 ...and they behave accordingly

arents often say that feeding and fat, with few if any carbohydrates. Pyoung children a lot Diets that are difficult to of sugar affects the way digest and diets with they behave. There inappropriate levels appears to be a similar of protein, fat, or connection between carbs appear to cause, diet and behavior for dogs. or contribute to, a variety of challenging behaviors: What do you feed him? unresponsiveness to training, pooping or peeing in the house, hyperactivity, For years, “what do you feed anxiousness or aggression. him?” has been one of the first questions many dog trainers ask Nutrition may lie behind their clients. Much of the evidence for connections between canine diet the behavior we experience and behavior remains anecdotal, Diets that are low in a particular but recent studies have begun to nutrient can lead dogs to look for identify and validate some of these it someplace else—in garbage, interrelationships.3 plants, poop, furniture, clothes etc. We experience this as a behavior Unlike humans, dogs’ digestive problem, but nutrition may play a systems are built to obtain energy primary role. from diets that are high in protein

3DeNapoli JS, Dodman NH, Shuster L, Rand WM, Gross KL. E ect of dietary protein content and tryptophan supplementation on dominance aggression, territorial aggression, and hyperactivity in dogs. JAVMA August 2000; 217(4): 504-508.

5 Variety makes nutritional sense...

ogs are made to be we don’t know today. And even Dscavengers. There’s nothing today, canine nutritionists disagree on biologically appropriate for a dog how best to feed dogs. A varied diet about eating the same kibble reduces your dog’s dependence on day after day, a potentially incomplete nutritional year after approach. year. Here are three 3. Different manufacturers other do things differently reasons to offer dogs a The foods produced by each dog and varied diet. cat food manufacturer are unique. Spreading your dog’s diet among dif- 1. Different dogs need ferent manufacturing plants reduces the different nutrition risk that your dog’s unique needs and Dogs are an extraordinarily heterogeneous a particular manufacturer’s unique species: the nutritional needs of a 5lb foods are a poor fit for one another. Maltese and a 200lb Mastiff differ in more than amount. By increasing va- Dogs dig variety riety, you reduce the chance that your Eating the same thing every day is dog with his unique needs will suffer boring. Dogs are smart enough to from a dietary mismatch. appreciate variety. 2. Nutritional science is incomplete We’ll know things about canine nutrition ten years from now that

6 ...and so does combining kibble, raw and canned dog foods

y combining different forms of Bnatural dog food, owners can give their dog a diet that’s healthy, convenient and economical.

1. Natural kibble. Kibble is the most familiar, convenient and economical kind of dog food. It’s also the most highly processed and the poorest in high quality meat, naturally occurring vitamins and other nutrients. We believe most dogs can healthfully eat a well-chosen Substituting raw food for as little as natural kibble, but we also believe a quarter of a dog’s kibble seems to most dogs benefit from diets that also provide some of the benefits of an include raw, cans or both. all-raw diet. Frozen foods are the 2. Raw (freeze-dried, least processed and most economical dehydrated & raw frozen). kind of raw. Dehydrated and freeze- Raw dog foods have dried foods are the most convenient. precisely the advantages 3. Natural canned foods. kibbles lack. They’re Natural canned (and pouch) foods minimally processed are rich in high quality meat, with and rich in high nutrients that have been less oxidized quality meat, naturally than those in kibble. Canned foods occurring vitamins lack the naturally occurring enzymes and other valuable found in raw. nutrients.

7 A Brief History of Dog Food

efore the last 150 years, dogs Bate table scraps or what they could scavenge. Then, about 1860, an American electrician named James Spratt launched the commercial dog food industry when he hired a British company to bake biscuits for dogs.

Tasked with selling kibble to Ameri- cans who believed canned foods were better, advertising agencies claimed that crunchy kibble was better for dogs’ teeth. There was little science to back up the claim, but the ads put kibble on the path to commercial In the 1920’s, success, and increasing numbers of canned and dry food were US dog owners began feeding their introduced, with canned food carnivores grain-based kibble instead dominating the dog food business of meat-rich table scraps. before WWII. When the war-time government categorized dog food as Then, in the 1990s, the non-essential, dog food companies carnivorousness of dogs inspired the couldn’t buy steel for cans, and their first commercial dog foods designed focus switched to dry food. to emulate the meat-rich diets dogs had been eating for thousands of In the 1950’s, the first extruded years—and commercially-produced, kibble was brought to market. natural dog food was born.

10 Things to look for on a dog food label

rotein from meat. Protein Speciﬁc ingredients. Ingredients Pmatters a lot to dogs. They use that don’t specify a species (e.g. it not only to build muscle, but also meat and bone meal) are as a primary energy source. For generally of lower quality most dogs, the more protein than those that do that comes from meat (e.g. chicken meal). (instead of from vegetable ingredients), the better. What you won’t ﬁnd. Much of what a dog owner Healthy fats. needs to know about Look for healthy, her dog’s food can’t specifically- be found on the label. That’s why named fats: chicken fat, sunflower Mud Bay visits manufacturing plants, oil, canola oil, for example. Avoid analyzes formulas and quizzes generically named fats (such as company owners, diet formulators animal fat) and fats that are solid and plant operators. at room temperature (like tallow). Canned and raw foods get most or all of their fat from their meats—perfect.

What comes before the fat. On the ingredient list, ingredients are listed in order of weight before processing. With kibble, ingredients listed before the fat source generally have much more impact on the food than those listed after the fat source.

11 Mud Bay carefully evaluates 23

mong North American pet QUALITY CONTROL: How Afood manufacturers, Mud Bay do they control the quality of their has earned a unique reputation for foods? SUPPLY: How well do the care it takes in investigating they keep their foods in stock? companies and products. Here are EXPERTISE: What is their level the 23 criteria we use to evaluate of mastery? INNOVATION: foods before beginning to offer them How innovative is the company? to dog owners. SUSTAINABILITY: DOG HEALTH: How will the Are they focused on foods contribute to canine health? sustainability? VISION: Does their vision for their company support Mud Bay’s mission? PEOPLE: How committed are the people running the company to their vision? INTEGRITY: Does the company act with integrity? VALUE: How much value do LOCAL: Is it a Pacific NW the foods offer to dog owners? company? PARTNERSHIP: Will STABILITY: How stable is the the company be a good partner for company? PRODUCTION: Mud Bay? EFFICIENCY: How Do they make their own foods or efficiently can we deliver the food to outsource them? our stores? ALIGNMENT: Will

8 characteristics of every dog food adding this food help us improve Why we carry so many our overall selection of dog food? dog foods RETAILERS: Where is the brand Mud Bay carries more than 400 sold? PACKAGING: Is the carefully selected dry, canned, pouch, packaging effective, attractive and freeze-dried, dehydrated and raw sustainable? CHARACTER: Does frozen foods for dogs. This enables the brand fit Mud Bay’s character? Mud Bay’s staff to find the right UNIQUENESS: How unique nutritional solution at the right price are its nutritional characteristics? for almost every dog. SALES: How well do we expect this food to sell? CONTRIBUTION: Instead of treating sick dogs, Can Mud Bay make a fair profit Mud Bay’s staff veterinarian selling this food? helps keep them healthy FULFILLS REAL After years of treating sick dogs, Katy NEED: How well Patterson, DVM, now spends much of does this food fulfill a her time analyzing dogs’ diets, visiting pet food plants and quizzing canine real need for dogs and owners? nutritionists. Her focus is helping select the dog foods Mud Bay will carry and enabling Mud Bay’s staff to help each dog owner who visits our stores identify the specific diets that are most likely to keep their unique dog healthy.

9 What does it cost to feed a dog a healthy natural diet?

t costs between fifty cents and Ifive dollars per day to feed a forty pound dog a healthy diet from Mud Bay.

Most of Mud Bay’s natural kibbles It’s cost per day (or over cost between fifty cents and $1.25 a lifetime) that counts per day for an average forty pound dog. Replacing 100% of the kibble When comparing dog food prices, with less processed, more meat- focus on cost-per-day, not cost-per- rich foods could bring the cost per pound. Foods that offer a low price day up to as much as $5.00, but per pound usually provide little owners of medium and large dogs real savings because they’re less frequently choose a more economical nutritionally dense, so dogs have to combination of 50%-75% kibble with eat more of them. For most dogs, 25%-50% freeze-dried, dehydrated, these less dense foods also mean both raw frozen or canned food. bigger poops and reduced long-term health—because these aren’t the kinds of diets dogs are made to eat.

If we could put a price on longer, healthier lives—or just calculate the potential for fewer teeth cleanings and other veterinary procedures— feeding a high-quality, natural diet would almost certainly work out to be a bargain for most dogs.

12 Two supplements every dog owner should know about

atural supplements can enzymes in well-made digestive aids Nhelp dog owners address a help dogs get the most from whatever wide range of health and behavioral food they’re eating. Especially good problems from challenged immune candidates for a digestive aid include systems to fireworks anxiety. middle-aged and senior dogs, dogs Mud Bay’s staff or others trained suffering from diarrhea, vomiting or poor skin/coat and dogs undergoing diet transitions or other stresses.

Joint supplements are a must for almost every dog over the age of seven or weighing more than eighty pounds. Rather than waiting for the in natural solutions can often help development of pain or loss of mobil- owners identify supplements to help ity, most dogs seem to be well served with specific conditions. But every by receiving high-quality, natural owner—no matter how healthy their joint support throughout dog—should know about these two their lives. canine supplements.

Digestive aids. Most dogs eating a cooked or processed diet experience significant benefits from taking a digestive supplement. That’s because the probiotics and digestive

13 Making dinnertime fun

ife with your dog is too short associate food with fun, Lnot to make it as fun as it can reduces obesity and is be. Here are three things you can a great opportunity for do to make dinnertime a kick. bonding.

Variety is the spice of life, Create anticipation for and dogs are scavengers by the next meal by picking nature. Introducing up the dish after 20 or 30 new foods and meat- minutes. Leaving food out rich table scraps all day isn’t good for dogs’ makes mealtime more digestive systems, and it fun and stimulates dogs’ immune takes all the excitement out of mealtime. systems.

Play just before dinner. Goofing Mud Bay supports adoption around before mealtime helps dogs with healthy food and cold cash. Most dogs and cats adopted from shel- ters around Puget Sound go home with coupons for natural foods from Mud Bay. And now, we are pleased that dogs and cats adopted in the Vancouver/ Portland area go home with them too. When these coupons are used, Mud Bay makes a donation to the shelter. Since 2001, Mud Bay has donated more than $333,000 to organizations that contribute to the well-being of animals.

14 Mud Bay has been helping dog owners feed healthy foods since 1988

ur company began in 1988, Othe year Elsa Wulff bought a small farm store on a hill above Mud Bay just outside of Olympia, Washington. Today, there are Mud Bay stores all around the Pacific Northwest and we’re employee-owned Our original store on Mud Bay Road, outside of Olympia and operated, but we’re all still doing Visit any of our stores for more information the same thing: helping owners feed on solutions to everyday problems that arise healthy foods to their animals. when caring for your dog.

Employee-owned Mud Bay shares information, decision-making, profits and company ownership with the members of our staff. We don’t charge extra We put a fair, low price on everything we sell— and we almost always set the prices of our pet foods below the everyday prices of every other major retailer in the area. We research everything we sell Mud Bay has earned a unique reputation for the care we take in investigating companies and products. We guarantee satisfaction We guarantee everything on our shelves. If a cat, a dog or an owner is unsatisfied with anything we sell, we’ll happily buy it back.

15 Good nutrition provides the best foundation of health for your dog...

hat’s why Mud Bay staff give dog owners Tcustomized nutritional recommendations and why Mud Bay stores carry more than 300 healthy and fairly priced natural dog foods. We’d love to help you choose the diet that makes the most sense for you and your dog. Where is Mud Bay? There is a body of water called Mud Bay in Puget Sound (and at low tide, it really is very muddy), but we’ve established and staffed Mud Bay stores in communities all around the Paciﬁ c Northwest.

mudbay.com

Natural foods, well-made supplies and useful information Mud Bay and its sta strive to help dog and cat owners improve the health of their animals and to increase the happiness owners experience in caring for their animals by provid- ing natural foods, well-made supplies and useful information. Mud Bay and its sta do not diagnose or treat speci c conditions, and the information provided by Mud Bay’s sta , publications, website and other media are not substitutes for treatment by a veterinarian. A great vet is an invaluable resource, and we recommend that owners discuss diet and other changes in the care of their animals with theirs.