Dog Food Logic - Making Smart Decisions For Your Dog In An Age Of Too Many Choices by Linda Case

Author:Linda Case [Case, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Dogwise Publishing
Published: 2014-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

Figure 7.1 Innovative food types.

In the next chapter we explore choice further and examine the important criteria of who, where, what and why you should care of dog food choice. However, before moving on, it is time to pull together your understanding of clear thinking (avoiding cognitive biases), nutritional science and decision making by using a case example. Remember, it is not the purpose of this example to persuade you in one way or another. Rather, the purpose of the following exercise is to examine the science, avoid cognitive traps and use critical thinking to choose well for your dog.

Case example: using your critical thinking skills

It should be evident by now that my goal with this book is not to tell you what food to feed to your dog or how to specifically advise your clients about their dogs. Rather, my objective is to promote well-reasoned decision making that combines a working knowledge of the scientific method, canine nutrition and critical thinking skills. To practice these skills, let’s now turn to an example of a relatively new feeding approach that has received a lot of attention and use it to practice the science sleuthing skills that were presented in earlier chapters. The example is the emotionally-charged and oddly polarizing practice of feeding raw diets to dogs. This example is appropriate for this section because feeding raw diets reflects the innovation that is associated with the paradigm shift that we have witnessed in pet foods, and because feeding raw is considered to be the fastest growing new segment of the industry during the last several years.

First, let’s all calm down

No other dog feeding issue in recent years has generated a greater number of heated arguments, flaming emails and vehemently divergent opinions than the subject of feeding raw versus cooked dog food. It is certainly the topic that I receive the largest number of questions (and opinions) about at conferences and through consulting work. Sadly, the practice of feeding raw diets to dogs has become so polarized that otherwise reasonable dog folks are increasingly adopting a seemingly volatile “if you are not with us, you must be against us” mindset. This type of thinking has led to cult-like beliefs and devotion on one side and the banding together of opponents to issue position statements against raw feeding on the other. Let us see if we can dial back the rhetoric a notch and examine what is believed about raw diets versus what we actually know about them.

Defining raw

The term “raw diet” can encompass a variety of products, but generally refers to feeding a diet that consists of uncooked muscle meat, bones (either whole or ground), organ meats such as livers and kidneys, possibly raw eggs, and various amounts of vegetables and fruits. Some owners who feed raw prepare the entire diet as homemade, while others purchase a commercial product. Either way, the resulting diet may or may not be formulated to be complete and balanced. Those that are not must be supplemented with additional ingredients by the owner to make a balanced diet.

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