WHY KIBBLE?

It's human nature to accept things as they are and as we have become accustomed to them. We have the capacity to question, scrutinize, and even pose outright resistance to norms we may disagree with. But that's an uncomfortable, and, at times, even dangerous thing to do. So we tend to set aside our questioning and cave to groupthink and "progress." To merely keep up with today's fast pace and efficiently survive and navigate modern life, we must drive automobiles, email, use cell phones...and eat and feed fast food.

Our companion animals are unintended victims of this hectic modern reality. Although they give us wonderful respite from all the commotion, we, with little time to think about our own nutrition and health, neglect theirs as well.

We may think we are discharging our duty by spending money. So we pay food manufacturers and doctors to take care of us as well as our pets. But when it comes to food and health, merely spending money is not the solution. Modern medicine and modern processed foods not properly designed are the nemesis, not the savior of health.

For over a half century, the answer to the pet nutrition question/problem has been kibble. It's relatively cheap, convenient, and stores well. What could be easier than pouring these so-called 100% complete nuggets into a bowl? Do that, and according to pet industry claims, the obligation to pet nutrition and health has been met. It's a nice notion that sits well with our preoccupied and lazy psyches. Too bad it's false.

From the beginning, kibble was not something that was engineered to be biologically appropriate for the animal, that is to say, something that bore a close resemblance to their natural diet. It was not, as should have been the case, form following from function (nutrition). Rather, the goal was to produce something that was efficient and profit-bearing for the manufacturer, as well as convenient and shelf stable for the pet caretaker.

Kibble has thus become ubiquitous - it occupies whole isles in grocery stores and the majority of any pet supermarket's stock. For most people who have a dog or cat, the question is not whether to feed kibble, but rather what kibble to feed (or perhaps only what kibble is on sale).

This is not, as some pet food advisors decry, because it is dry and a pet's natural diet is 70% water. After all, a water bowl solves that as does mixing the kibble with water.

Kibble can be a healthy addition to the diet. It offers the advantage over wet foods of permitting enrobing of fragile ingredients, like probiotics and enzymes, after the product has cooled. (By contrast, the entire contents of a canned food are high temperature cooked.)

Obviously kibble can be a sufficient food, since countless millions of pets have survived on it for the past seventy-five years. But to go beyond survival to optimal health, a well designed kibble needs to be rotated, varied, and augmented with fresh foods and appropriate supplements.

Video: Cover up, fella

This dog won't settle for a cold nap in his kennel...

Thought for the day: "Desire always rules as king over reality."

Word of the day: carnitine - noun: a compound that enhances fatty acid and energy metabolism. Carnitine helps to transport vital fatty acids to cell mitochondria, where they can be converted to energy. Carnitine plays an especially important role in cardiac function and health. About 80% of the energy used to fuel the heart comes in the form of fat, and sufficient carnitine helps to ensure that the heart receives the energy that it requires (in the form of fatty acids). Carnitine is also known for its anti-aging properties. In the course of aging, carnitine concentration in cells diminishes, affecting fatty acid metabolism in various tissues. Bones are adversely affected since they require continuous reconstructive and metabolic functions of osteoblasts for maintenance of bone mass. Carnitine supplementation is a good idea for companion animals of all life stages.