Kibble Deep Dive
And how to incorporate some fresh foods.
What do we think about kibble?
Hi friend, we hope you’re having a sweet summer! If you are a regular viewer and reader of our content, you might assume that we hate kibble. All our meals are made from fresh foods, don’t use synthetic vitamins or minerals, and never contain animal byproducts or additives. We also aim for 20% carbohydrates or less in our recipes for most dogs. Kibble is between 40-70% carbohydrate, uses questionable ingredients, and makes up for lost nutrients with synthetics.
Though we think kibble is far from ideal, we are practical and understand why people choose to feed it to their pets. We’ve fed kibble to pets in the past, and have friends and family that still do. If you feed with a lot of intention, most pets can still live reasonably well an have a decent life expectancy. Today we cover how we might feed kibble if we had no other choice. Before that here is a summer dessert recipe to try with your pup and one you may have missed:
Dogs are facultative carnivores
Most biologists consider dogs to be facultative carnivores, similar to bears and raccoons. Facultative carnivores prefer animal based diets, but can digest a variety of plants. Obligate carnivores like cats, some snakes and birds of prey must eat meat to survive. Omnivores are right in the middle and can thrive on a variety of foods.
The challenge (also advantage) with opportunistic omnivores, strict omnivores and facultative carnivores is that there is no clear line between them. Even different dog breeds have varying ability to digest carbohydrate. So while many dogs can and do digest carbohydrate well, some breeds and individuals are unable to thrive on high carbohydrate diets and should avoid kibble all together.
What exactly is kibble?
Most dry dog food is made by a process called extrusion, and is commonly called kibble. Extrusion was invented in the late 1800s to make sausage, and it’s a really simple process. Food is ground and mixed, usually into a coarse flour. The flour is then turned into a dough with supplements, additives and preservatives. The dough is then cooked, pressurized and squeezed through a shaped opening. Tons of processed foods are made this way including pasta, candies, and breakfast cereals.
Kibble is a highly processed food. The raw ingredients are often processed before extrusion, and because pressure and high heat can degrade some nutrients, manufacturers must add extra into the dough (called overages) or add them to the product after extrusion. The process kills pathogens, too. This means that dead, diseased and euthanized animals are deemed an acceptable ingredient (and legally allowed) in pet foods. However, it’s not just killing the bacteria that we need to worry about when it comes to these ingredients. Mycotoxins, produced by molds, do not break down during extrusion. They are known to cause liver damage, suppress immunity, and are linked with cancer.
Premium and grain free lines appear to have fewer toxins
Although the FDA sets limits for toxins in pet foods, they are generally 5-times or more higher than human limits. Also, because the FDA is short on resources, the responsibility of enforcement is left to the manufacturers. Imagine if speed limit enforcement was left to drivers…
The result is food products that are not fit for human consumption are repurposed for animal feeds, including pet foods. Furthermore, because of the lack of oversight, the quality of ingredients and actual levels of toxins can be far higher than technically allowed. According to multiple studies there is a wide variance between brands and certain mixes.
Premium foods are associated with lower levels of toxins, as are grain-free formulations. According to a 2015 study, corn was most highly associated with increased mycotoxins.
How to tell if your dog digests carbs well
Dogs evolved in nutrient poor environments and adapted to survive on a wide variety of foods. Furthermore, since dogs have been domesticated for over 10,000 years, people have bred certain traits into their pets, including the ability to digest carbohydrates. However, these traits are not evenly distributed among breeds.
If your dog is eating kibble, has normal bowel movements and is generally healthy, they are likely tolerant of carbs. However, if they are prone to loose stools or diarrhea, have chronic skin issues, flatulence or bloating, it’s possible that they are intolerant of carbs.
Unfortunately, there is no simple way (nor incentive) for vets to diagnose carbohydrate intolerance. Elimination diets are still the gold standard. Simply reduce carbohydrates slowly over a few weeks and see if symptoms improve. If your dog’s stools are healthier and their issues begin to resolve after removing carbs, then it’s possible that they have reduced tolerance to carbohydrates.
If we had to feed kibble, we would do it like this
Once you’ve decided on the brand and formulation to limit the amount of toxins, start feeding towards the lower end of caloric requirements. It’s important to keep your dogs very lean while feeding kibble because carbohydrates are directly metabolized into glucose. Excessive glucose puts strain on the pancreas and leads to diabetes and cancer.
Also, because cavities are highly correlated with carbohydrate consumption, oral hygiene is very important. We recommend daily brushing if possible and annual dental cleaning. Greenies, though marketed as a dental product are made with wheat flour. Check the ingredients in all the dental chew products you see on shelves. They are no substitution for simply brushing your dog’s teeth. We find adding a small amount of coconut oil to the brush makes the process more enjoyable for Cedric and Edith.
Feeding once per day or having a short feeding window, where all meals are fed between 4-6 hours, is a simple way to feed less. If your dog is lean and only being fed once per day, they will likely act hungry. Despite their adorable faces and persistent begging, staying strong will ensure that their latter years are less prone to chronic disease.
What kind of treats or whole foods to supplement
When feeding kibble avoid additional carbohydrate heavy foods. Biscuits, carb-based dental chews, sweetened whipped cream and similar things add unneeded carbohydrates. (Dogs actually have zero carbohydrate requirements.) Instead you can feed a variety of whole foods. Low lactose cheeses like cheddar and Monterey Jack make great treats in limited amounts. Canned sardines in water are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Eggs are simple and super nutrient dense. Freeze dried meats are great in moderation. Limit additional beef liver while feeding kibble as it’s high in copper and zinc, which are easy to overdo, since kibble already accounts for those nutrients.
Similar to beef liver, multivitamins are generally unnecessary and in some situations can be harmful. Kibble is formulated with every essential micronutrient needed for a dog. (Despite the macronutrient balance being suboptimal.) As mentioned above they usually contain overages of these micronutrients to ensure amounts meet AAFCO standards throughout their very long shelf life. Adding additional multivitamins can lead to excess which can sometimes cause toxicity.
We highly recommend omega-3 fatty acids in the form of high-quality fish oil or krill oil. This is doubly important for dogs fed kibble, because seed oils, which are high in omega-6, are a cheap way to increase fat content in kibble and processed foods. High omega-6 to omega-3 ratios are associated with increased inflammation and worse immune function. Modern diets have omega-6 to omega-3 ratios that are as high as 15:1, where the research suggests 1:1 is best. Feeding fish or krill oil is the easiest way to lower this ratio.
Finally, mushrooms, psyllium husk and kefir are great addition for any pup diet. Adaptogen mushrooms like Reishi, Lion’s Mane and Shitake (See Brain Food) are associated with diverse biological effects from nerve regeneration to improving immune function. Psyllium husks (see Pupto Barko, which also includes slippery elm, and a probiotic) helps to settle upset tummies. Just note to always serve psyllium husks with water. Unsweetened kefir is both yummy, low in lactose, and contains a variety of probiotics. Compared to yogurt, kefir has a greater diversity of microorganisms including both bacteria and yeast, while yogurt is typically limited to a few strains of bacteria.
Conclusion
Though we believe in fresh food and will never feed another of our own pets kibble, we know it’s the only choice for many. Your dog can survive on kibble. They may even live a long time on it, with some extra help from you. However, it takes some work to keep them healthy. Keeping dogs lean, brushing their teeth, and supplementing with whole foods will help your dog lead a full and healthy life, while limiting their risk of chronic disease, painful procedures, and reducing the costs of care in their latter years.
That’s it for this week.
All the best,
Joelle & R.A.