Every week I meet over a hundred dog owners face to face at our local San Diego Farmer’s Markets.
Together with Ruby from Real Dog Box we’ve been talking to dog owners about how to feed your dog better by adding food to your dog’s diet.
Ultimately we’d like to see dog owners feed raw but we know that path will be long.
Most of the people I meet in the local community have never seen anything other than kibble and milkbones.
When I show them what kind of real food they can add to their dog’s bowls their eyes get as large as saucers.
Can dogs eat “THAT”? I get asked.
And with compassion, I gently say yes and then… I say as succinctly as I can.
Stop feeding ultra-processed meals made in a factory from ingredients formulated in a lab.
Start feeding meals made from whole food ingredients, that you put together in your own kitchen.
Kibble is ultra-processed food and contains ingredients that you wouldn’t add when cooking homemade food. You may not recognize the names of these ingredients as many will be chemicals, colorings, sweeteners, and preservatives.
Processes and ingredients used to manufacture ultra-processed foods are designed to create highly profitable (low-cost ingredients, long shelf-life, emphatic branding), convenient (ready-to-consume), hyper-palatable products liable to displace all other real food.
A practical way to identify an ultra-processed product is to check to see if its list of ingredients contains at least one item characteristic of the NOVA ultra-processed food group, which is to say, either food substances never or rarely used in kitchens (such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or interesterified oils, and hydrolyzed proteins), or classes of additives designed to make the final product palatable or more appealing (such as flavors, flavor enhancers, colors, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sweeteners, thickeners, and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling and glazing agents).
Ultimately, for you to consider feeding whole food to your dog you will have to understand this concept that kibble is ultra-processed.
Whole food meat on the other hand is real and includes seafood, natural chews, raw milk, raw kefir, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and eggs.
I’ve always been suspicious of science when it’s backed by those that benefit from it.
And if you’re going to start feeding raw, you’re going to have to be capable of your own thoughts and opinions.
I saw it phrased the best on a post by Dr. Conor Brady on his Facebook page.
He shared a piece by Allan Savory. Savory was an ecologist. Winner of numerous prestigious prizes, he’s extremely critical of modern science.
Below is from an interview he gave:
“What is science? People coming out of the university with a master’s degree, or PHD, you take them into the field, and they literally don’t believe anything unless it’s a peer-reviewed paper.
That’s the only thing they accept.
And you say to them… Let’s observe, let’s think, let’s discuss…They don’t do it!
Only when it is in a peer-reviewed paper or not.
That’s their view of science. I think it’s pathetic.
Gone into universities as bright young people, they come out of them brain dead — not even knowing what science means.
They think it means peer-reviewed papers etc.
No! That’s academia!
And if a paper is peer-reviewed it means everybody thought the same, therefore, they approved it.
An unintended consequence is, when new knowledge emerges, new scientific insights, then can never ever be peer-reviewed.
So, we’re blocking all new advances in science — that are BIG advances.
If you look at the breakthrough in science, almost always they don’t come from the center of that profession, they come from the fringe.
The finest candle makers in the world couldn’t even think of electric lights. They don’t’ come from within, they often come from outside the bricks.
We’re going to kill ourselves because of stupidity.”
Propaganda is indifferent to truth and truthfulness, knowledge and understanding; it is a form of strategic communication that uses any means to accomplish its ends.
Propaganda is a form of communication aimed towards influencing the attitude of a population toward some cause or position.
You… and me… we’re being brainwashed by the kibble companies to convince us brown hard balls devoid of real whole food ingredients, sprayed with synthetic ingredients, made mostly from carbohydrates is what you should be feeding your dog for the rest of their lives.
Never mind that kibble is a relatively new invention and for thousands of years dogs lived and survived without it.
If you want to start feeding whole food you’re going to have to unlearn what the kibble companies are telling you.
People tell me they are scared to make a change.
Everywhere you look, you’re told Raw is Bad.
Your veterinarian will happily recommend you feed your dog kibble.
Everything you read will say feed your dog kibble.
And it’s all tied to the phrase “complete and balanced”. A regulatory phrase put in place by the same powers that own and control both the kibble and vet hospitals.
Ever ask yourself, why is it that a woman can give birth to a child and raise a child on food she makes herself (because her doctor trusts her) but we’re told by veterinarians we’re incapable of making our own “complete and balanced” food so we must feed ultra-processed factory-made dry food?
Instilling fear is part of the propaganda campaign.
If you want to start feeding whole food you’re going to have to unlearn fear and recognize when a kibble company or veterinarian is trying to control you with fear tactics.
If you want to feed your dog better you’re going to have to get involved in their health and learn how to think independently.
That means you’ll have to do the research to understand how to make a home-cooked meal or how to prep meals made from raw food.
It’s not that hard to make food for your dogs and I’m happy to share what I know but I also invite you to go down this rabbit hole on your own.
Need a reading plan?
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DISCLOSURE: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link, I may receive compensation. This compensation comes at no additional cost to you, and as always I only recommend products I have tried and trust. Maggielovesorbit, Ilovebostons is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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The books I recommend for anyone interested in raw food include:
There are many ways to feed your dog. I advocate that you feed raw, but if you cannot bring yourself to do that, then feed a gently home-cooked meal.
Once you’re in the supermarket shopping for ingredients, and in your own kitchen about to prep the meal, the two things I’d like to share is to focus on:
The biggest mistake I see in this department is people will feed one meat protein for months at a time. You want to add diversity so that your dog can benefit from the different nutrients in each of the food items out there.
Your raw food journey will be easier if you can buddy up and find someone to mentor you. Someone you can send photos and ask questions to who will support you every step of the way.
I also prefer this buddy and mentor doesn’t do the thinking for you. They will be there to be your sounding board and give your advice but they will not walk this journey for you.
A one-size approach is lazy. You will need to be vigilant in tracking how your own dog is doing.
Every dog’s microbiome will be unique and all recipes are starting points but you will have to adjust it according to the dog in front of you.
Your dog cannot speak for themselves. You have to advocate for them and ask the questions as well as do the research.
What may have worked for my own dog, may not work for yours.
The journey to nourish your dog with real food will take some time.
Be vigilant in keeping a health diary and monitor your dog’s health markers. Track the condition of their:
Ultimately, your dog’s health markers will give you a clear indication of whether or not you are on the right path.
Let your dog and their health determine what’s best for them.
Thank you for reading this far, dear friends. To your own dog’s health and happiness. Best of luck in your information-seeking journey.
Hello, my name is Hannah, and learning about Boston Terriers and canine nutrition has become my life’s work.
As a certified Canine Nutritionist, I turn to food to keep my dogs vibrant and healthy and prefer to raise them and myself naturally.
I started this blog because there isn’t enough space to write on our Instagram.
My mission is to equip Boston Terrier owners and dog owners alike with the knowledge I have so that your dog will live a longer life and better health.
I have two dogs Maggie and Orbit who have both suffered from allergies and yeast infections but are now healthy, thriving and symptom-free.
