Geniuses of the Month
Expert comments on our posts
With more content comes more surface area for comments and feedback. Some are genuinely helpful, like those of you who asked for product subscriptions. Another customer who recommended us to her friends and family suggested organic options. (A lot of our raw ingredients are actually organic but we don’t list them as such because of the compliance issues.)
Another interesting thing we noticed recently is hate mail for our cookbook. Apparently people are finding our book in their local bookstores and giving us recipe by recipe critiques of how stupid it is, saying that dogs are “just animals”, whilst forgetting that humans are also animals…what would we do without all these geniuses?!
Olive oil is toxic!
This is a new low for the “toxic” police. A common trait of geniuses is not knowing how to use Google. Olive oil is one of the most well balanced oils for eating. Not only is in low in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, it’s high in monounsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid). The reason many influencers are wary of seed oils is because they are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can break down when exposed to oxygen and high heat. Olive oil is quite stable when cooked. Extra virgin olive oil is also high in polyphenols and other plant compounds.
These plant compounds can be considered as toxins to some. Plants can’t move, so they had to develop chemical defenses to protect themselves against insects. Mammals like dogs and humans can tolerate these chemicals in higher doses, and in many cases they are even beneficial. Polyphenols act as anti-oxidants that fight inflammation and metabolic disorder. Olive oil is very rich in these polyphenols. You can tell you’ve got polyphenol rich olive oil if you take a sip and it’s spicy!
Of course, like most things, olive oil should be consumed in moderation. The polyphenols can cause upset stomachs and be very high in calories. See our post on fats and oils for more.
You have to add kibble!
It’s been a while since we’ve been visited by the balance police, but it seems we are reaching a new audience. Unfortunately, most balance geniuses don’t really understand what balance means, let alone how to feed dogs. In case any of you know this genius you can let her know that adding a little kibble to an unbalanced meal WILL NOT make it magically balanced.
You already know what we think: 100% balanced meals are only necessary if you are eating the same thing on repeat daily, like a bowl of kibble. If you feed a variety of foods, many of the issues with nutrient deficiency go away. There are of course nutrients that are harder to get, like iodine, calcium and zinc to name a few, this is why we made All-Pups Seasonings. A spoonful of kibble just adds a little crap on top (mostly processed carbs and maybe some synthetic vitamins). If you want to read more about balance and home made diets, check out this post.
You owe me because I watch your content for free!
One thing that we have a tough time getting our heads around is the increasing entitlement that people have these days. Not only do they want to be entertained without paying, if you don’t give them more stuff you are somehow a bad person.
Even funnier, however, is the fact that the recipe is basically shown in the video. All you have to do is watch. If any of you know this lovely genius please feel free to jot down the ingredients for her. You can also share whatever recipes we have on this site, lest she think we are doing this to make her feel bad.
Dogs should eat like wolves!
This genius uses statistics to illustrate his point without understanding how genes actually work. Dogs are not wolves. This seems obvious, but because they are technically the same species, people get confused to what that actually means. The idea that a dog like Edith should eat like a wolf is ridiculous. Her little teeth would all fall out. Fortunately, this silliness seems to be subsiding, as raw and ancestral diets are trending down.
Though it’s true that dogs share between 98.9% and 99.9% of their DNA with wolves, humans share about 99% of our genes with chimps and about 90% of our genes with cats. Small differences in the genome can have huge effects on the behaviors, biology, and appearance of animals even within the same species. For example, some people can digest milk just fine, while others have explosive reactions to milk. Lactase, the enzyme that helps digests lactose, is coded for in just one gene or about 0.0000015% of the human genome. People who lack this gene (or lose its expression as adults) get gas, diarrhea and bloating.
Dogs have been with us for over 10,000 years. In that period, they have had 5 - 10 times more generations than people. (Dogs reach sexual maturity at 1 year and gestation is much faster as well.) We also selectively bred dogs for certain traits. Today, their digestive systems are more adapted to live with us than they are with wolves. The best evidence of this is that domestic dogs actually have enzymes to digest carbohydrates that wolves and dingos do not. (We wrote about this and carbs in The Dog’s Table.) Furthermore, wolves only live about 6 to 8 years in the wild while dogs can live into their 20s. Captive wolves can live into their teens. A wild diet and environment is not ideal for health and longevity.
That’s it for this week!
All the best,
Joelle and R.A.