Why do people feed their dogs kibble?

I don't understand why people feed their dogs kibble, as most cheap brands are filled to the brim with grains which dogs get little to no nutrition from and don't even need to eat grains. There is little meat in most brands, as majority of dog food brands use fillers such as pea protein and legumes and lentils to try to make up for the little meat protein content which a recent article has linked lentils and legumes to taurine deficiency and heart failure in dogs due to it blocking taurine absorption. Not to mention the "meat" in dog foods are often either cooked which renders the meat with less nutrition for the dog to absorb, or the meat is labeled as "meat meal" which is just a dry powder of crushed up various meats or "meat by-products." There's hardly any moisture in dry food as well which can dehydrate dogs and cause them to drink more water when if feeding them meat they don't have to drink as much water because of the moisture content.

If you really loved your dog, you wouldn't be feeding it poison and putting your dogs health at risk. Dogs are facultative carnivores, they need raw meat, offal and bones. Dogs in the wild don't graze down on grains or have ovens set up to cook their food, they eat it whole and raw which is optimally the most healthiest diet as long as you're doing it right.

Voting Results
50% Normal
Based on 2 votes (1 yes)
Help us keep this site organized and clean. Thanks!
[ Report Post ]
Comments ( 17 )
  • curious-bunny

    Alot of my friends won't feed tgere pets kibble unless it's an emergency.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • charli.m

    Dogs are also not wild animals. They're not wolves.

    https://www.petcircle.com.au/product/black-hawk-fish-and-potato-adult/dpb0160

    I fed my dog that. She had beef allergies. She also got bones, wet food too. I made her wet food for a while (chicken breast, fish oil, pumpkin, peas, sweet potato) but the dumb butt preferred the canned slop.

    I've heard exclusively raw diets aren't great for dogs, precisely because they are domesicated animals and as such they have adapted.

    My Beefy's diet was approved by three vets from two separate practices.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • Dogs are facultative carnivores and originated from wolves, they are not wolves but they have the exact same digestive system and enzymes. What do they eat if they are stray or feral and have no owner?

      They may be domesticated but their ways of process and absorbing nutrients from certain food hasn't changed. The only minimal change is that dogs are able to tolerate plant matter slightly better than their ancestors, but they still cannot break down and digest cellulouse which is the reason why you must crush, grind or slightly steam vegetables before giving it to them otherwise they cannot break it down themselves.

      Veterinarians also are not nutritionists and often no little to nothing about dog food and whether it's good or not. Vets only get 23 hours of learning about dog nutrition and that's it.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
        -
      • nikkiclaire

        Most dogs have trouble with raw meat, at least all of mine have.

        I feed my dogs dried food and some veggies and I have had them live to a ripe old age, 14, 15 etc.

        If they have no nutrition, like you're claiming, how is that possible?

        Comment Hidden ( show )
          -
        • What kind of trouble have they had? Upset stomach/allergy reaction?

          People smoke and drink and some still live to very old ages and are perfectly healthy.

          Grains have no nutrition which is contained in the majority of dog food products, the cheaper brands usually being the highest with the most grains as it's a cheap filler and less expensive than just filling their product with meat. Notice how the cheap brands also use the most cheapest vegetables? Peas, potatoes, carrots, etc. you'd never find kelp, spinach, kale, blueberries in a poor brand filled with grains. Dogs have no need for grains and can easily live without them, I don't understand why a lot of brands fill in such a high content of grains when dogs don't even need them.

          Comment Hidden ( show )
            -
          • nikkiclaire

            I do give them carrots and apples for treats which they love.

            Comment Hidden ( show )
          • nikkiclaire

            They usually vomit it up because it's too rich. Even starting them from an early age.

            Grains have nutritional value, I don't know where you get that. It's also calories.

            Comment Hidden ( show )
              -
            • What kind of meat were you feeding them? Generally white meat like chicken should be the first thing to wean them on and if they're okay with that you go onto red meats and organs which are richer.

              Grains have very little nutrition that a dog can use or absorb, dogs do not even need to eat it or need it to live a healthy life which should be an indicator on how useless grains are to a dog. The only real use I see for it is to just make dogs feel fuller.

              Comment Hidden ( show )
      • charli.m

        What do they eat? In a city? Probably food from the trash. Few wild animals if they could catch em.

        May I ask your training in dog nutrition?

        Comment Hidden ( show )
          -
        • I don't train in dog nutrition myself, but I've talked to many actual canine nutritionists (not vets) who know there stuff and canine anatomy and digestion. That's right, wild animals, raw meat, skin, bones, fur and all. Just like a wolf.

          As long as you're doing a raw meat diet correctly (not throwing meat scraps or feeding your dog raw chicken drumsticks all its' life because that can seriously fuck it's health up if all you're feeding is that) a raw meat diet meets all nutritional requirements a dog needs. Dogs do not need carbohydrates from grains or vegetables, they rely on fat for energy intake, not carbs like us humans. It's the reason why all these dog foods high in plant protein and not meat protein are killing dogs by DCM and taurine deficiency. Grains aren't necessarily bad but dogs literally have no use for them and gain hardly any actual nutrition from them.

          As long as you're feeding your dog at least three different meat proteins (with one at least being a red meat) and fish such as mackerel or sardines for omega oils, egg shells and bones for calcium, muscle meat for phosphorous, organs that are rich in multiple vitamins such as zinc, B12, B-complex vitamins, vitamin A, D, E, K, etc. as well as adding any other meat product that may need supplemented such as green lipped mussels for glucosamine (especially needed for large dogs for bone growth) kelp, chia seeds, etc. with a small side of vegetables and fruit as an optional choice for more fiber in the diet.

          Comment Hidden ( show )
            -
          • nikkiclaire

            No one actually knows how long domesticated dogs have been around. They are not like a wolf and 1000's of years of breeding has certainly changed digestive system.

            Comment Hidden ( show )
              -
            • Their digestive system and digestive tract are still exactly the same as a wolves. Both still have the same jaw structure, enzymes in their mouth, short, acidic digestive system, no amylase in their saliva which means they cannot break down plant carbs (which is the reason why you must puree, steam or crush vegetables before giving it to them otherwise they will not digest it)

              The only subtle difference is in genes which does not effect the anatomy of their organs and intestines. Dogs have 30 copies for amaylase in their intestines while wolves only have two, while both have the same copy of a gene called MGAM however dogs have a longer version of the gene.

              Besides that though their anatomy has never changed or developed into something different, both a wolves and dogs digestive tract are exactly the same; the same intestinal length, the same acidity in the stomach, the same enzymes for breaking down specific foods, etc.

              Comment Hidden ( show )
          • charli.m

            You glossed over that they'll still eat human scraps from trash as strays.

            That sounds mostly sensible to me, but I personally haven't heard enough to convince me that kibble as a partial diet isn't acceptable. I know it's only anecdotal, but my dog lived a healthy, long life despite an auto immune disease and food allergies, which improved upon cutting out allergens as the only diet change. Every other dog I know who eats kibble is very healthy and well cared for.

            Two of my friends havr vegan dogs. I think THAT is nutritionally concerning, but they are thriving, particularly the one dog who has about 50 allergies. I don't think dogs are made for that, but these dogs are really healthy and happy.

            One of them does like to catch and eat spicy flies, though. Somehow, she's never been stung. It's the weirdest thing.

            Comment Hidden ( show )
              -
            • Yes, though an animal would eat anything to sustain itself if it's the only thing it can find in the area, a dog would probably try to live on vegetables if that's all it could find although it wouldn't do it's health any good.

              Usually with kibble and raw I like to weigh out both the risks and benefits. With raw meat the only real threat is getting yourself sick only if you don't follow common hygiene practices when handling meat, and if your dog has a weak immune system then they can be susceptible to bacteria such as salmonella and e.coli, although you shouldn't be feeding your dog a raw meat diet if they do have a weak immune system and can't properly digest the bacteria normally. With kibble many brands have been recalled for causing deaths in dogs or life threatening harm such as seizures, diseases, leaving a dog crippled, blind, etc. not to mention a lot of kibble brands have been recalled over finding dangerous things in the kibble such as metal bits or something in there that shouldn't be that caused a death of a dog or sickness.

              Yes meat can be contaminated and recalled, but I find kibble brands being recalled more often than the meat I buy for my dogs. Just in the last month advance dermocare food has been recalled over a megaoesophagus outbreak, I feel sorry for the owners who have lost their dogs to it. I've been feeding my dog raw over a year and have never had a recall on the meat or vegetables I've been feeding him.

              An entirely plant based diet for either a cat or dog is not ok at all unless absolutely medically necessary, I don't agree with it as most of these "vegan dog" food brands are loaded with lentils and legumes and pea protein which are linked to DCM in dogs. Legumes and lentils block taurine absorption, so the taurine the dog would be getting would be very limited and eventually cause death by heart failure. I definitely don't believe in giving cats plant based because they cannot absorb synthetic taurine, they need it from animals.

              You say their thriving, but do your friends get monthly blood checks, urine samples, etc. from those dogs to see what's going on all inside them? Plant based diets often cause organ failure and it's reportedly common for cats to develop urinary tract problems and stones/blood on plant based diets due to urinary alkalinization and too much magnesium.

              Here are some articles if you want to have a read about raw diets and studies which I find interesting if you want to have a look -
              http://rawfed.com/myths/research.html
              https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3003575/

              Comment Hidden ( show )