Show Notes at Keith Snow.com

As with most things these days, pet food is in short supply and many retailers have large gaps in their offerings.  Pet food is yet one more way we have outsourced everything only to lose control and become vulnerable to these shortages. I found this in a simple search:

Many supermarkets, unable to find substitutes, are leaving pet-food shelves empty. Pet-food manufacturers, struggling to secure ingredients and expand production, have signaled that shortages could persist. J.M. Smucker Co. notified retailers in November that it would limit shipments of some pet-food products through January 2023, citing transportation challenges with the supply of wet food — which typically uses imported ingredients.

I know I can make food that my dog loves, but is it nutritious? I am not a pet nutrition expert but I feel pretty confident I can easily get my dog the nutrition he needs with some simple additives or supplements.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive research exercise on feeding pets so I will tell you what I do, some supplements you may want to try.

Let's stick to dogs in this conversation, my dog HATES even the most expensive kibble, $40-65 dollar bags and he wants nothing to do with them. Will he eat it before starving? Yes!

Would he also gladly eat a whole raw chicken? Yes! Which do you think is more nutritious; extruded kibble or a raw chicken with bones, skin flesh etc?

 I bet you said the raw chicken and that makes sense given the fact that dogs are carnivores, or are they omnivores? Hmmm

 The term "opportunivore" may best describe the dog's natural desire to eat whatever is available — plants as well as animals. Strict or true carnivores, such as cats, have a higher nutritional requirement for taurine (an amino acid), arachidonic acid (a fatty acid), and certain vitamins (niacin, pyridoxine, vitamin A), which are readily available in animal protein and fat sources. Omnivores, such as dogs and people, don't have higher requirements for taurine and certain vitamins and can create their own arachidonic acid from vegetable oils.

Omnivore Traits

• Dogs have teeth (molars) with relatively flat surfaces designed to grind up bones as well as fibrous plant material.

• Dogs can digest almost 100% of the carbohydrates they consume.2

• Dogs have a small intestine that occupies about 23 percent of the total gastrointestinal volume, which is consistent with other omnivores; the small intestine of cats occupies only 15 percent.3,4

• Dogs can create vitamin A from betacarotene found in plant

Most dog food kibble is basically cheap corn, soy and other grains or legumes, coated in fat and sprayed with protein “meal” ground chicken, turkey, pork, salmon, beef. Etc.

But is still is a rather low-quality food that oftentimes shortens the lifespan of dogs and cats, can make them sick, cause allergies, cancer, and much more.

What dog food is killing dogs? See This:

In January, Hill’s Pet Nutrition announced that it was recalling several kinds of Prescription Diet and Science Diet canned dog food. Allegedly, these foods contained too much vitamin D, which was causing some dogs to become sick. In severe cases, some customers said their dogs died from eating the affected food. Unfortunately, the problem has not abated. CBS News reports that Hill’s Pet Nutrition has expanded the recall to 85 total lots of 33 different kinds of canned dog food.

As you can see the so-called pet food experts have been sued repeatedly for killing or sickening many different pets.

So my point is can we make our own pet food? Cats..I'm not sure, but I know my dog loves his homemade dog food.

With real meat, clean carbs, fresh vegetables, and healthy fats I am pretty sure I can keep him alive and well.

Worst case scenario I could buy some supplements to add to the food to make sure there are no deficiencies which would help me sleep better at night.

Bottom line, we love our pets, and just as our own food security, we are responsible for theirs too, so why not learn to be free of the system.

$50 for 30 lbs of grains sprayed with crap meat is a rip-off, no question.

Resources for this episode:

https://dinovite.com/dinovite-for-large-dogs/

https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/behavior-appearance/are-dogs-carnivores-or-omnivores

https://www.actionnews5.com/2022/01/15/pet-food-short-supply-across-us/

https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/pet-stores-and-owners-feeling-impact-of-pet-food-shortage/

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/pet-food-shortage-pet-stores-feeling-effects-of-supply-chain-problem-increased-pet-ownership/2840372/

https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-dog-eat-dog-economy-pet-food-shortage-hits-united-states

https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/pet/what-dog-food-is-killing-dogs/

Enjoying the content? Please support The Show!