As Dr. Juliet Decaestecker writes in her book, “50 years from today, the cancer rate was 1 in 100 dogs.  Today, according to studies, dogs have the highest rate of cancer occurring in any mammal on our planet …. This year, i.e. 2019, the numbers say that 1 in 1.65 dogs will succumb to cancer.”1  This 50-year period coincides with the rise of dry food diets being developed, manufactured and fed to dogs as it has become the convenient normalcy in households today. 

Kibble creates tartar, plaque and bad bacteria build-up between teeth that can lead to a slew of dental and gut issues. Imagine your dentist telling you to eat hard cookies everyday to clean your teeth…You would most likely change your dentist.

Feeding a high protein diet means nothing if the body cannot digest it.  Many brands of kibble get most of its protein from fillers like corn or beans that have a low biological value of about 34, compared to a raw egg that has a value of 100 or raw beef that has a biological value of 78.

Kibble is so processed that it lacks digestive enzymes, forcing your pet’s pancreas to create them instead. Unfortunately,  our pets have a limited capability of producing these enzymes which is why our dogs and cats start to see health issues around 6-8 years of age when they can no longer produce them and, therefore, no longer absorb vital nutrients.

Carbs usually make up 25-45% of kibble, sometimes more.  Carbohydrate based diets cause inflammation in the body leading to obesity, diabetes and cancer. ”Dogs and cats do not have an absolute dietary requirement for carbohydrates...” 2

Artificial vitamins and real vitamins are very different.  Like humans, pets cannot absorb synthetic vitamins as easily as vitamins from real, whole, fresh foods.

Most kibble is made with animal protein that can even sometimes include 4D Livestock (dead, downed, diseased, or destroyed), euthanized animals, roadkill or Grocer and restaurant waste.  I prefer to feed my pets whole, fresh foods with no by-products. 

When kibble contains an abundance of Omega-6 fatty acids and and an insufficient amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, it leads to inflammation in the body. Omega 3’s are essential for brain development, healthy skin and coat, coordination, sight and hearing, and much  more. They are also unstable and almost impossible for kibble manufacturers to safely put in dry food without them spoiling.  This is why I feed my dogs a raw diet that has balanced fats in stable conditions.

The ancestral diet of canines consisted mostly of prey animals that were about 70% water.  Historically, our pets have obtained most of their moisture from their food.  Kibble contains less than 10% moisture. This puts your dog or cat at risk of continual dehydration because they don’t have the strong thirst drive like we have. Dehydration can negatively impact every organ in the body.  It’s specifically taxing on the kidney and heart.

Kibble that is cooked at high temperatures (230-350 degrees) can create carcinogens such as heterocyclic amines. Artificial preservatives such as BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin have also been linked to cancer.  I prefer my pets’ food to be free of carcinogens and artificial preservatives.

These are toxic compounds produced by fungus found in grains, peanuts, peas and legumes.  They cause immune suppression, parasite infestations, liver damage, reduced growth rate, cancer, and even death.  More alarming is that a study found that out of 8 pet foods tested, all 8 tested positive for mycotoxins. 3