Buy now! Because I say so!

   
     I just watched a short commercial with an adorable French Bulldog trotting around a bright and cheery home and then munching a bowl of the advertised kibble.  The company began with a picture of plain brown "competitor kibble" in a dull bowl on a blank background and then showed its bright and colorful kibble cascading merrily across the screen while a friendly voice told viewers that dogs preferred color to boring plain kibble.  It ended with the aforementioned pup chomping the red, beige and brown mixed kibble.

Cute faces and bright colors make us want to buy things!

     No mention of nutrition.  And of course we all know the colors listed above would all be shades of grey to a pooch anyways...... (dogs see in a blue and yellow spectrum, this link explains in greater detail)  So the company assumes that we are silly enough consumers that we will just say "Ooooh! Pretty colors!" and skip to the nearest grocery store to pick up those lovely bits.   The sad part is, some do.

     Some dog food companies are better at telling us nothing.  They have quaint stories telling consumers how much they love their pets and only want to feed them the best.  They complain about how no other companies exist that can give their babies the proper nutrition and so they had to create their own, dedicated to bringing you only the best, etc. etc.  All these things sound very nice, but for me, there is no direct correlation to good intentions and actually producing the best product.

     There are always such lovely pictures of dogs and cats, some running, jumping, rolling, being hugged or just sitting prettily.  Once again, while it hit's the internal "awwwww" button nicely, it provides no factual evidence of why their brand is optimal, other than because they say so.  My pets are important to me, as are their nutritional needs.  I want more proof.

    My personal favorites on the craftiness scale are those sites who will partially "educate" the general public in order to make their brand the most attractive and only logical choice.  I went to the website of a well-known dog food to see what their "spin" was.  They have some good basic facts sprinkled in with information that is misleading or just plain wrong.

     One site says "For example, real chicken meat is a higher quality protein source than chicken or poultry by-product meals; chicken fat is considered a higher quality source of essential fatty acids than generic 'animal fats.' Subtle differences like these may determine whether a pet food brand’s ingredients are as healthy as they claim to be."  Sounds legit, right?  

An older ad from the 70s

     
     Let's examine that more closely.  
     
     The first part states that real chicken meat is a higher quality protein source than meals.  Other companies use fake chicken?  Oh no!  That's not what they said, is it?  Of course not.  They simply implied it.   Okay so we agree real chickens are better than fake chickens, so do we agree that the :"real chicken" is a higher quality protein source than meals?  I do not.  Raw chicken is about 70% moisture (water) and 18% protein.  A "meal" in this case is a rendering of a whole chicken (or by products) where most of the water has been cooked away, and then baked to form a super concentrated result (meal) with about four times more protein per pound  than raw chicken (read more here ).  Surprised yet?


     The next part says that chicken fat is better than generic "animal fats".  Well duh.  Of course we don't trust "mystery meats" (or "mystery fats" in this case)!   Another way to highlight what this brand does right- awesome job so far advertising team!  A general statement to be wary of those evil "other guys" at the end to hopefully keep you from snooping around other dog food companies, and BAM: profits soar!

     It does not mention the fact that with the 70% moisture in raw (real) chicken, it must be cooked down in order to be made in to kibble.  After processing, it probably accounts for much less than you think in the finished product!

     Of all the advertisements I have been nosing through lately (and it is more than you think!) I notice the vast majority of content pertaining to dog food is designed to appeal to the human sensibilities.  It is impossible to find any facts supporting one particular food or diet or another.  Certain elements and ingredients have proven track records, but there have not been enough conclusive studies done on canine nutrition over a long period of time.  There are too many variables to render results that are accurate.  

     This is not to say all dog kibbles are bad.  There are some great options out there!  Just be careful to really find out more about what companies are actually promising.  Depending on the activity level of your dog, age, breed, general health and budget, a different food may work for your dog than your friend's dog.  That's perfectly okay.  Just make the decision based on facts, not on clever advertising.  

     I hope you enjoy the video clip below of one of my favorite advertisements from "101 Dalmations"!

     *If you want to hear more about dog foods, or have other questions please leave a comment below.

Please visit our main site at www.pawsthenplay.com 

Input = Output

 

     One of the joys of pet ownership is disposal of said pet's waste. What's this you say? You don't enjoy scooping poop? Whew! Guess that makes me normal! Poop patrol is not my favorite task, although a necessary one.

     What I do is minimize the amount coming OUT to make the scooping process a bit less of a pain. It's not magic or torture, it's a simple matter of nutrition. 

     The substances consumed will always effect substance excreted. Even more- what is eaten can also have an effect on physical and mental performance (think about how YOU function on junk food alone!). If your pet is on a high quality food, they will be absorbing much of the volume they consume, thus: excreting less waste.

     Without getting into too much detail (a fine line we are walking here)... do you realize that stool is meant to be firm?  Loose or runny bowel movements can be caused by not only a change in diet, but also a diet that is not compatible with the system ingesting it.  The waste needs to be firm enough to express the anal glands as it is excreted, or they can get painfully full and your vet or groomer will have to empty them for your poor dog (an extremely smelly and uncomfortable ordeal, for the dog and human alike).

     If you've ever heard "You get what you pay for", it applies in this case.  One will have to spend higher amounts for more nutritious foods. What offsets this cost is the fact that an animal will have to consume less of a higher quality food to maintain a healthy weight than they would of a poor quality food. I believe healthier animals live longer, and one way to contribute to good health is proper nutrition.

   For me, what makes it worth spending extra money is not only the difference I see in the comfort and health of my furbabies, it's also having less poop to scoop!

     If you are in the Mooreville, NC area, check out Village Paws and Claws!  Rick, the owner, and his dog Diesel will be there to welcome you at the door and can help you choose a healthy food for your best friend.  He carries my favorites that I feed to my babies at home.