We are in Ames, Iowa at my parents house a few days early because of the ice/snow storm that is hitting the Midwest. In our rush to leave Omaha I forgot a few things. One important item forgotten was my Medela breast pump…I was SOOO mad at myself. I’ve been looking forward to coming home so that my parents could watch the dogs and Will for awhile and Don and I could actually go on a date or two. Luckily good ole Target carries hand pumps…pretty funny contraption but it’s fantastically easy to use…hence now Don and I are at a coffee shop enjoying time together and blogging.
The other thing I forgot was dog food. I know…how bad of a dog mom am I? Technically I didn’t forget it, it’s just that we only had a little bit left so I packed that up and figured we could get more when we arrived in Ames. For those of you who are not familiar with Ames, it is a town in Iowa of about 50,000- of which about half is students of Iowa State University. I thought, surely there will be a place to get high quality, dog food in this great college town.
In Omaha, you can go to Target and they sell Newman’s Own Dog Food, which is what my dogs are currently eating. (We’re thinking very seriously about switching them to Halo’s Spot’s Stew in the new year, but that’s another post for another day). My dad took me to Target in Ames and there was nothing but crap…Iams, Beneful, Purina, etc. Reading the ingredients in these foods made me sick. My dogs aren’t used to by-products and all the other gross stuff that they have in a lot of common brands. Don and I always said that if it’s good enough for our dogs, it should be good enough for us to eat too. Now does this sound snobbish to some people…maybe. But bottom line is that our dogs are part of our family and I don’t want to feed them crap just like I won’t be feeding baby Will Mountain Dew and candy bars for dinner.
Next we went to Walmart…still nothing of high-qulaity. Now there were certainly bags of food that said “natural”, but when you looked at the ingredients, there were still a lot of by-products and ingredients that I didn’t recognize…not good. Lastly we went to Hy-Vee, a grocery store. Strike Three. The thing that kills me about not easily finding high quality dog food is that not only is Ames a progressive college town, it’s also home to a very good veterinary school. So puzzling.
Finally, my parents told me that there was a small co-op in town that had organic food. We called there and miracle of all miracles they had three different high-quality brands of dog food to choose from…Newman’s Own was one of them. I’m so glad that they did because I was seriously considering ordering food off of Amazon and shipping it overnight.
This whole wild goose hunt has got me thinking…don’t people care about what they feed their dogs? Maybe it’s that people just don’t realize all the gross stuff that goes into most brands. There is a fantastic BornFreeUSA.org article on dog food that covers the ins and outs of the industry. Here is a small part of that article:
Pet Food Shopping Checklist
* When selecting a commercial food for your animal companion, make sure the label has an “AAFCO guarantee,” preferably one that references “feeding tests” or “feeding protocols” rather than Nutrient Profiles.
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* Never buy a food containing “by-product meal” or “meat and bone meal.” These rendered products are the most inexpensive sources of animal protein. The contents and quality of these meals can vary tremendously from batch to batch, and are not a reliable source of nutrition for your animal.
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* In general, avoid foods that rely on by-products as the sole source of animal protein. By-products consist of organs and parts either not desired, or condemned, for human consumption. An occasional can of by-product-based food may be okay, since, in the wild, carnivores do consume the whole prey including the organs, but these foods are not acceptable as a steady diet.
Look for a named meat or meal (“lamb” or “chicken meal,” for example, instead of the generic term “meat”) as the first ingredient.
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* Avoid generic or store brands. These may be repackaged rejects from the big manufacturers, and generally contain cheaper — and consequently poorer quality — ingredients.
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* Unless specifically recommended by your veterinarian, avoid “light,” “senior,” “special formula,” or “hairball formula” foods. These foods may contain acidifying agents, excessive fiber, or inadequate fats that can result in skin, coat and other problems.
In general, select brands promoted to be “natural.” While they are not perfect, they may be better than most. Several brands are now preserved with Vitamins C and E instead of chemical preservatives (such as BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin and propyl gallate). While synthetic preservatives may still be present, the amounts will be less.
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* Check the expiration date to ensure freshness.
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* When you open a bag of dry food, give it a sniff — if there is any rancid odor at all, return it immediately for an exchange or refund.
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* Store dry pet food in a sealed non-porous container (a large popcorn tin is ideal) in a cool, dry place. Canned food is best removed from the can and refrigerated in a glass or ceramic container.
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Guidelines for Feeding Your Animal Companion
* Change brands or flavors of dry food every three to four months to avoid deficiencies or excesses of ingredients which may be problematic for your animal.
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* When changing dry foods, mix 1/4 of the new food with 3/4 of the old food, and increase the new food a little each day. Some finicky animals may need a more gradual change over two or more weeks. Never let a cat skip more than one or two meals; return to the old food if necessary.
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* With any new food or supplement, watch for subtle changes in your dog’s skin and coat, appetite, energy level, mood, itchiness, discharges or odors, body weight, and the size and consistency of stool. If negative changes occur, try a different food. If the change persists, consult your veterinarian.
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* If your animal companion is on a prescription diet, check with your veterinarian periodically (at least every 6 months) to make sure the diet is still correct. Many conditions resolve over time, and a diet that was needed for a younger animal may be inappropriate when she is older.
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* It is usually preferable to feed one or two meals per day rather than leaving food out all the time. However, some medical conditions require more frequent feeding. Check with your veterinarian about recommendations for your animals.
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* Feed some canned food, which generally contains more animal protein and less grain than dry foods. Plain dry food does not clean the teeth and is not an essential for either cats or dogs. Cats in particular need at least 50% of their diet in the form of wet food to reduce the workload on the kidneys and keep the urine dilute. Cats with a history of bladder or kidney disease should not be fed any dry food.
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* Supplement all commercial pet foods with other foods, such as organic meats and steamed, pureed or finely grated vegetables (most cannot be very well digested by carnivores raw). Dogs may be supplemented with tofu and cooked grains; however, cats should receive minimal carbohydrates in the diet. (Plant products tend to raise urine pH and may predispose cats to urinary tract disease.) If you are supplementing more than 15-20% of the diet, however, you will need to consult one of the many available books or websites for information on balancing vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
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* Other helpful supplements that are especially important when feeding commercial food include probiotics such as acidophilus, digestive enzymes, and the antioxidant vitamins E (alpha tocopherol) and C (either Ester C, calcium ascorbate, or sodium ascorbate).
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* Consider making at least some of your animal’s food at home. This lets you control the quality of the ingredients. There are many excellent books, articles, and websites available for more detailed guidelines on ingredients, proportions, and preparations. Even one or two home-made meals a week will be a significant improvement over feeding solely commercial pet foods.
I encourage everyone to evaluate the food that you feed your dog. I know you love your dog as much as I love mine and you want them to live long, healthy lives. This is one way you can concretely effect that. In the meantime, I will make sure to keep plenty of our dog food on hand!
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Tags: beneful, born free usa, dog food, halo dog food, high-quality dog food, iams, newman's own dog food, purina
I recently switched to Innova – Senior Plus Dry Dog Food and it is made in Fremont. You can get it at Long Dog Fat Cat, Nature Dog and Northwest Grain and Feed in Omaha. My 8yr old mix dog seems to like it and the switch did not upset her system.
I tried feeding my three dogs manufactured pet food but one rebelled. After many attempts to feed the fussy eater with different brands, I decided to home cook. Now all three dogs get home cooked brown rice with tuna (for protein) or chicken or beef with vegetables, usually spinach or sometimes frozen veges (corn, carrot, peas). I just put all the ingredients in a rice cooker at night before I go to bed and its cooked in the morning. They’ve been on this diet for a good 6 years or so, no health problems, still as active as when they were younger. I’ll always have dogs, but I don’t think I’ll ever go back to manufactured dog food.