Is your pooch’s food shortening his lifespan?
Gross by-products, dangerous preservatives and indigestible fillers in commercial pet foods could be shortening the lifespan of your furry best friend. Learn the tricks to keeping your pup around longer.
Extend the Life of Your Dogs by Feeding Them Natural Dog Food
Why This Matters
- You can keep your pet with you for years longer. Our pets have the capacity to live up to 20 years with the right nutrition and care.
- Because of big dog food production methods and use of meat byproducts, some scientists have estimated that the average dog has the carbon “paw-print” of a midsize SUV.
- Learn to readily spot the “profit-first” dog food companies, and avoid buying their products.
On a Personal Note
As much as I crazy-adore Cricket, I don’t have time to make her fresh meat and veggie meals twice a day. As a next best option, we switched to Taste of the Wild, and she lost a bit of weight and her eyes and coat got even more sparkly (if that’s even possible!).
Ready To Try?
- Watch the episode for more details about all the chems in conventional dog-foods and how to sniff out the best alternatives.
- Look for human grade, real proteins (ie: the animal species has to be named), Omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber-filled carbs.
- Avoid these frighteningly common preservatives like the plague: BHA, BHT, Ethoxquin.
Our Favorite Products
- Taste of the Wild – Jen’s pick for Cricket is the Pacific Stream Canine variety ($46 / 30 lb bag).
- Preference – a grain free dog food base-mix full of healthy fruits and veggies. Just add your own meat and a 7lb box can last anywhere from 1 month for very large dogs to 3 months for toys, ($54 / 7 lb box).
- Natural Balance LID (Limited Ingredient Diet) – a recommended grain-free choice sold in larger stores, ($53 / 30 lb bag).
A Deeper Dig
- Road kill, cattle ear tags, and even flea collars in your pup’s food? Get the gory specifics short article, repurposed from Earth Island Institute.
- A detailed primer on deciphering dog-food labels from The Dog Food Project.
- Thinking of going raw with your dog food? Join the Facebook conversation.
Our Fresh Pick
Sam’s Yams: These chewy treats are a favorite because they clean teeth like rawhide, and we love their “no waste” manufacturing process and 50-mile radius for yam sourcing. (Stay tuned – Chef David is working on some yam-based chicken feeds!)
Did You Know?
The average dog has the same level of intelligence of a 2-year-old child.
You are SO RIGHT! I’ve been making Stella her groceries since she became my doggie almost five years ago. It started out like a lot of work, but as soon as it’s a rolling system, it’s no harder than cooking for the Old Boy. Brown rice (5 parts, cooked in bone broth), raw carrots, cooked yams, kale, squash, chard (3 parts), and meat (3 parts). I add diatomaceous earth, brewer’s yeast, and butter (still cheaper than commercial dog food) or clean animal fat. Meat is the big issue, but here in Montana it’s pretty easy to buy a tag to hunt an extra deer or two, and everybody is willing to give me their scraps from hunting season and cow-butchering season. I make 20-30 pounds at a time and freeze the food in yogurt containers. Stella loves it. She’s healthy as a pink pig, and I sleep with a clear conscience. (I also sleep with Stella if the Old Boy is out of town.)
It’s easier than you think, and so rewarding.