The World of Dog Food

The History of Dog Food

Dogs have been companions to humans for thousands of years, sharing our leftovers and scavenging our waste. Modern dogs continue to exhibit similar dietary behaviors, with even well-fed pets sometimes unable to resist their scavenging instincts. Dogs are omnivorous, opportunistic scavengers with a preference for animal-derived tissues, which has implications for the food choices we make for them.

The commercial production of dog food is often attributed to James Spratt, who developed baked biscuits for dogs in the 1860s. However, there is evidence that humans were developing specific diets for dogs long before this. These early dog foods were not produced on the same scale as modern commercial dog food and were not backed by nutritional science, but they represent a gradual evolution in the world of dog food and highlight the importance of the human-dog bond in its development.

Today, dog owners have the option of feeding their pets commercially available dog food or preparing their meals at home. While there has been a growing interest in alternative diets such as raw, cold-pressed, and home-cooked food, the majority of dogs are still fed commercially produced dog food. The dog food market is a global, multi-billion dollar industry that continues to grow. With the increasing pet dog population, there is a significant demand for safe, nutritious, and palatable dog food. However, concerns about health, environmental sustainability, processing, and nutritional suitability have led many caregivers to explore other food options for their dogs.

Our dogs have a range of food options available.

The Food and Feed Industries – What Do They Mean for Our Dogs’ Food?

Animal and human nutrition are closely related. The commercial animal nutrition industry is concerned with nourishing both animals and humans, as many animals are raised for their meat, milk, or other products for human consumption. The feed industry focuses on feeding animals, while the food industry focuses on human nutrition. The feed industry is influenced by consumer demands for the food industry, with a focus on cost, nutrition, health, and animal welfare. As a result, the feed and food industries are closely aligned. When it comes to companion animal nutrition, the term ‘pet food’ is commonly used instead of ‘feed,’ reflecting the humanization of the human-dog relationship.

By-products from the food industry are often used in animal feed while complying with regulations governing what can and cannot be fed to animals. Animals raised for human consumption or producing substances for human consumption are subject to strict regulations regarding the raw feed ingredients and additives that can be included in their diets. These regulations ensure the safety and integrity of the human food chain but also affect the nutrition of other animals, such as dogs, that are not intended for human consumption.

Both industries benefit from advances in knowledge and technology. Dog food, whether as a main dietary component or as treats, is sourced from the feed and food industries unless the ingredients are produced by the owner. Many large commercial dog food manufacturers are owned by parent companies with interests in the human food industry. This is not surprising given that waste or leftover products from the food industry have historically been repurposed for use in companion animal diets. For example, parts of slaughtered animals that are not typically desirable for human consumption due to cultural or personal preferences may be used in dog and cat food, which makes economic and environmental sense.

The Evolution of Dog Food

Dogs have been fed specifically prepared diets for much longer than the existence of the commercial dog food market. However, significant commercial production of dog food began in the early 1900s with the introduction of biscuits and tinned food. Tinned dog food was popular until the 1940s when war rationing led to an increase in the popularity of dry dog food. After rationing ended, tinned food regained popularity, but the development of extrusion technology in the 1950s made dry dog food a common and popular choice.

In recent years, the variety of dog food available has expanded significantly. From budget to premium brands and raw to home-prepared options, the choices are as diverse as individual dogs and their caregivers. Some of these new options are the result of nutritional and technological innovations and increased demand from discerning dog owners. Understanding the differences between food types and their pros and cons can help inform your decision-making. Ultimately, your first decision is whether to choose commercial, home-prepared, or a combination of both for your dog’s diet.

Commercial vs. Caregiver-Prepared Dog-Food – How to Decide?

Whether you choose to purchase commercially available dog food or prepare your own, it is important to ensure that the food is nutritionally adequate and meets your dog’s nutritional needs. Factors such as storage and preparation can affect nutrient levels and bioavailability and should be taken into consideration. Commercial manufacturers ensure nutritional adequacy through formulation and end-product analysis. Home-prepared diets often rely on data tables and other resources to create nutritionally complete meals.

Common dog food choices include wet or dry, although there is a huge range of different ways to provide nutrition to our dogs.

Commercial Dog-Foods

For many dog owners, the convenience and affordability of commercially produced dog food is appealing. The tight regulation of commercial animal food production also provides a degree of confidence in the nutritional adequacy and safety of the food. However, there are also disadvantages to commercially produced dog food. Nutritional individuality can be difficult to achieve, and some situations may require a more tailored approach. While food and ingredient safety is regulated, mistakes and accidents can occur. Foreign objects can bypass quality control processes, nutrient levels can be too high or too low, and contamination with potentially harmful organisms such as Salmonella is possible for all types of dog food.

Most dog food companies have robust quality control and assurance processes in place to detect and address potential problems through recalls and customer alerts. However, not all companies are equally diligent, and a lack of recall history does not necessarily indicate quality. There have been numerous cases globally of significant recalls, contamination concerns, and problems with ingredients and formulation affecting all types of commercial dog food. It is important to consider the incidence of these events in relation to the size of the global dog food industry and the number of dogs fed without incident.

One practical approach that many dog owners take is to rotate commercial diets from different manufacturers that meet their dog’s nutritional needs. It is also possible to mix different types of food and combine commercial and home-prepared options or add toppers and additional ingredients if there are concerns about excessive use of processed food or reliance on a single source. The key is to ensure that the diet is balanced and meets the dog’s nutrient requirements.

Extruded Dog-Food

Most dry dog food is extruded and commonly referred to as kibble. Extrusion was a significant development in the dog food industry as it allowed for the mass production of convenient, cost-effective food that could be stored for extended periods without significant deterioration in nutrition or quality. The extrusion process involves mixing ingredients together and cooking the mixture in specialized machinery that forces it through a pressure cooker. The process is similar to baking bread and produces small biscuits that can be coated with fat to enhance palatability and nutritional value.

An example of a dry, kibble dog food, uniform in shape and size.

A wide variety of extruded dog foods are now available to meet the nutritional needs of dogs at different life stages, health conditions, and activity levels. The quality of extruded products varies in terms of the ingredients used, level of processing, and quality control. Traditionally, extruded products used meat meals as a key ingredient and grains for their nutritional and functional processing roles, with the carbohydrate content aiding in the formation of the kibble. Modern extruders can use fresh meat and operate at lower temperatures while being less reliant on grains or rice for carbohydrates. This has allowed for the inclusion of a wider range of ingredients and improved the digestibility and quality of the end product. A growing trend in dog food is the development of grain-free, dry, extruded foods that use alternative carbohydrate sources such as potatoes or sweet potatoes instead of traditional grains.

How Does Processing Affect the Nutritional Value of Dog Food?

One concern about extruded dog food is that high-temperature processing can result in a loss of nutritional value due to nutrient destruction. Many processed foods, including extruded kibble, add vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients to replace those lost during processing and to account for degradation during storage. All foods degrade over time, and a balance must be struck between processing/cooking for safety and improved digestibility. Preservatives, both natural and artificial, are commonly used in dog food and its raw ingredients to ensure nutritional stability over time. While there is often concern about the use of artificial preservatives such as BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), they are useful in minimizing food deterioration and maintaining nutritional quality during storage. Many companies now use natural preservatives such as rosemary extract or vitamin E instead.

What About the Nutritional Value of Commercial Dog-Food?

The production of companion animal food is subject to strict regulation in terms of nutrition, but the specific legislation and regulatory bodies vary by location and jurisdiction. This applies to production, ingredient sourcing, marketing, and labeling, among other factors. This book takes a general approach and where specifics are mentioned, they are based on a UK/European perspective. Readers in other locations are advised to confirm the local regulatory and legislative frameworks that apply. If you prepare your dog’s food at home, fewer regulations apply beyond those governing the sourcing and supply of raw ingredients.

The nutritional value of commercial dog food is often a topic of debate and can vary depending on the type of food, quality of ingredients, and level of processing. A balance must be struck between processing to liberate nutrients and support digestibility while acknowledging that some ingredients may be negatively impacted.

Processing and cooking at high temperatures can produce compounds that may have negative health effects. These compounds include advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), which are associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation when consumed in high levels. AGEs form as a result of chemical reactions between sugars and proteins during cooking through a process known as the Maillard reaction. These compounds give browned food its distinctive taste and smell. Animal-derived products are also high in AGEs, and new ones can form during cooking, making highly processed dog food a significant potential source of these compounds. While AGEs also form as a result of normal metabolic processes in the body, excessive levels can cause problems. There is growing awareness of the long-term impacts of consuming processed foods, and this must be balanced against other factors. Reducing the amount of highly processed food consumed can limit exposure to AGEs in both human and canine nutrition.

The browning of bread when making toast is the result of the Maillard reaction.

Raw or fresh diets have fewer concerns with processing issues, but some nutrients may be less bioavailable than in processed foods. Poor formulation can result in nutritional inadequacy. There is also a risk of microbial contamination, including from antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in some raw dog foods. Careful hygiene must be maintained during storage, preparation, and feeding to minimize this risk to both dogs and people. However, incorporating fresh foods into your dog’s diet as treats or meal toppers can be beneficial even if you typically feed processed meals.

Dry, Wet or Raw Dog-Food?

Dog food can be broadly classified into dry (kibble/biscuit), wet (tinned or other packaging), and raw. Other options include semi-moist, cooked, dehydrated, and freeze-dried diets. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Convenience and cost are major factors for many dog owners, as well as providing adequate nutrition.

Dry food is convenient, has a reasonable shelf life, is easy to source and store, and is palatable and nutritionally adequate for many dogs. Wet or semi-moist foods are often highly palatable and can help support water intake in some dogs but have a shorter shelf life once opened. Raw diets can also support fluid intake and are highly palatable to many dogs but may be limited by convenience and storage considerations for the caregiver. The cost, preparation, and planning involved in feeding a raw or fresh diet can be a significant limitation for some.

Commercial wet dog-food comes in different forms – tinned is traditional but other options such as cartons are increasingly being seen.

Unfortunately, the debate surrounding dry versus raw feeding in the dog-food industry has become highly polarized. Much of the discussion is based on opinions and comments rather than evidence and facts. Despite individual nutritional needs, there is a lack of strong evidence to definitively state that one diet type is superior to another. The numerous variables present in dogs, including activity level, health status, breed, type, size, and living situation, make it difficult to make a blanket statement about the superiority of one diet over another. It is important to consider the complexities of dog nutrition and feeding when making decisions for our own pets.

Some examples of the range of dog food types available and their characteristics

Can I Prepare My Dog’s Food at Home?

Home-preparation, cooking, fresh feeding, and DIY raw feeding are all options for preparing your own dog’s food. For many caregivers, this is an important aspect of caring for their dog and there is satisfaction in selecting, preparing, and presenting food. Home-prepared food can reduce food-miles and support the use of locally produced and seasonal ingredients. For some, it is an important lifestyle and consumer choice, while for others it may help address dietary or health issues in their dog. Home-preparation is a valid option, but diets must be carefully formulated as many are nutritionally inadequate. Supplementation is often necessary to balance any nutrient shortfalls. Recipes should be developed to meet nutrient requirements and several programs are available to assist with this process and allow for dynamic responses to different nutritional needs.

Home-preparation can also be combined with more conventional dietary options by using toppers on commercial dog foods. These toppers should make up no more than 10-20% of your dog’s daily calorie intake to avoid significant nutritional imbalances and can consist of fresh or cooked ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and fruit. For many caregivers who want to balance convenience with fresh feeding, this is a good compromise that both dogs and their caregivers can enjoy and benefit from. It is also worth noting that it is perfectly acceptable to feed raw, kibble, and other mixed ingredients together, contrary to popular belief. Healthy dogs are capable of digesting mixed material with no ill effects. If you wish to feed a mixed-ingredient diet and enjoy the convenience of dry food while adding extras and maintaining nutritional balance, you can do so. This is a good option for anyone looking to reduce their reliance on processed dog food.

Dogs can digest mixed ingredients. For example, raw and kibble can be mixed and fed together safely.

Every dog is unique – their nutrition should be too.

What Type of Dog Food is Best? It Depends!

Since every caregiver and dog’s situation is unique, there is no single best way to feed or best food to feed. This is why there is such a wide range of types, brands, varieties, and options available. However, it can sometimes be confusing to determine what a particular food provides and the costs and benefits of different options.

A food labeled as ‘complete’ will provide all the required energy and nutrients to your dog if fed at the recommended levels. The term ‘complete’ when used on labeling or supporting material is a legal term indicating that the essential nutrient requirements will be met by that single diet. A ‘complementary’ food, on the other hand, is intended to be fed in combination with other ingredients or foods, such as mixer biscuits or some treats. On its own, a complementary food will not supply all nutrients at the correct levels to support your dog’s day-to-day life and activity.

What Food Provides to the Dog (and Caregiver)

When feeding our dogs, it is important to remember that we are responsible for their entire dietary intake, with the exception of items they may scavenge or acquire on their own. This is in contrast to species such as horses and rabbits, which are fed a range of feed material in addition to having access to grazing. These species have a significant portion of their diet that is plant-based and effectively free choice, and their mixed dietary intake must be considered when formulating their diets.

For our dogs, however, they are rarely permitted free access to a variety of feed ingredients or even food itself. For some dogs, such as Labradors, free access to any food would not be a sensible idea.

In the diverse world of dog food, it is essential to ensure that our dogs receive a nutritionally adequate and balanced diet. We have a responsibility to meet their nutritional needs and there are several ways to do this. Good decision-making and understanding the relative costs and benefits of different approaches can help us make choices that suit both our dogs and ourselves.

Summary

• Humans have been producing specific diets for dogs since the beginning of our relationship with them.
• Commercial production of dog food began in the early 1900s and has evolved since then.
• There is a wide range of types, forms, and options of dog food available, each with its own relative merits in terms of convenience, cost, nutritional value, and acceptability to our dogs.
• Caregivers have two main choices for providing their dog’s nutrition: commercially produced dog food or home-diet preparation. It is also possible to combine the two if desired.
• Regardless of the diet type chosen, it should be formulated to account for nutritional requirements and nutrient balance due to the impacts of processing, storage, or bioavailability.