I am a strong proponent of home-cooked meals for dogs for a multitude of reasons. Home-prepared food is not only healthier, it is also less expensive than pet food purchased in the supermarket or online and relatively easy to make and prepare in bulk. Humans and dogs have co-evolved alongside each other for many millennia, and as a result, dogs eat many of the foods that we eat, with some notable exceptions: no alliums (onions, garlic, shallots, etc.), no grapes or raisins, and no dark chocolate or cocoa. These exceptions contain toxins that can be harmful to your pet in significant amounts and can cause a great deal of internal pain, discomfort, and in some severe cases, death. Because dogs can eat many of the foods that humans eat, it is very easy to find cheap options for your pet at your normal grocery store.
I also understand that sometimes life can get hectic, and meal prepping can feel like a herculean task, which is why I have created a list of ready-made pet food that I believe you can feel comfortable feeding to your pet. Everything on this list is canned wet food that is not only okay for your pets to consume but also tasty and enjoyable. This list is available to all my clients and can be shared during your appointment.
I strongly advise my clients to stay away from kibbled food or any other highly processed pet food. Although dogs can be tolerant of many different carbohydrates, ultra-processed pet food such as kibble is universally unhealthy. Kibbled food is an invention of the 20th century and is, in my opinion, the single worst development for the short and long-term health of both dogs and cats. This includes “prescription” kibbles and other dry foods. Kibbled food is the most processed food on the planet; it sits in a bag at room temperature for extended periods of time and is never refrigerated despite containing animal products. Sometimes, kibbled foods can be exposed at room temperature for upwards of a year. Kibble is not a healthy form of nutrition; fresh is always best.
Kibbled food is also loaded with toxic forever chemicals, as well as a carcinogen known as Maillard product. When I was an undergraduate student studying animal nutrition at Cornell University in the early 1980s, we learned about Maillard product being a carcinogen that is damaging to pet health. If this information has been known for several decades, why have we not attempted to eliminate it from processed foods?
In my experience, more than 85% of my patients who I see upon a first visit and who eat some form of kibbled food have moderate to severe allergies and puppies and kittens who are fed kibbled food soon after weaning when their immune systems are still learning how to properly function are exposed to increased risk for allergies, autoimmune diseases, and other potential health complications. It is my belief that by damaging young animals’ immune systems with the toxic forever chemicals, endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens that are present in kibbled food, we are exposing our pets to immune breakdowns that can manifest as allergies, autoimmune issues, and even cancer.
During a consultation with A House Call Vet, we will give you a list of appropriate foods for cats, including treats. A House Call Vet does not have any partnerships or financial stake in the brands we recommend, and we are not paid to promote these brands in any way. The prescription foods that we recommend are done so with the experience that these prescription foods are palatable enough for animals to help them to start eating again.