Laurien Achaur
Aes Sedai
This month, the SOA Team is taking a look at how to help our dogs and cats live their best lives with a focus on pet health and nutrition! Laurien Achaur of the Yellow Ajah has a lot of info to share, so grab your favorite drink, have a sit, and prepare for a bit of reading - all for the love of your pet.
Introduction
Hey there, Tar Valon! I’m Laurien Achaur of the Yellow Ajah, and I’m excited to share some information with you all about a topic that has become very near and dear to my heart because of my day job - pet health and nutrition. Throughout June, I’ll be talking a bit about pet nutrition in general with a focus on cats and dogs as well as ways to make sure your house is as pet-safe as possible and how to help your dog or cat in emergencies. I need to make a very important disclaimer before diving in: I am not a veterinarian or certified pet nutritionist. Nothing I share with you this month should be considered a substitute for professional veterinary (or even better, professional pet nutritionist) help.
What I am is an employee of an independent pet food and supply store who has undergone nutrition and brand-specific training for the past two years. I continue to train and study as the knowledge base for pet nutrition grows and changes because I want to give the people who come into my work the most accurate and fact-founded information I possibly can. I’m a pet guardian just like them and just like you; I love my pets deeply and want to give them the best life possible because they enrich mine so very much. I just want to share what I know of how to do that with as many people as possible.
While I am confident in my knowledge and am always striving to increase and adjust it, I understand that my lack of official certification in anything may make some people dubious. I am not offended by this (and would probably react the same way in your position). However, I hope you will trust me to share what I know in good faith and cross-check it with trusted information sources if you feel inclined. I will provide links to reputable websites whenever possible because I do not expect anyone to simply take my word for it!
You may feel compelled to verify things I say with your vet, which is also understandable. Do keep in mind that when it comes to proper nutrition, most vets are not trained specifically in nutrition outside of a small portion of their curriculum. It’s akin to your family doctor or primary care physician - they are excellent when it comes to overall health and chronic conditions, but they are not nutritionists. Dedicated dieticians and nutritionists will be able to advise you about what to eat according to what may be going on with you, and the same is now true for pets; there are certified pet nutritionists out there (though they do have to become vets to practice).
Fortunately, accurate general pet nutrition info is available out there for public consumption. As with many things on the internet these days, it may take a bit of sleuthing to ensure it’s reliable (and not AI-generated; yikes). But it is there! Just be sure to do your due diligence for your pets’ sake.
I am certified in Pet CPR and First Aid through The Frontline Coalition, which I took a refresher course in at the beginning of this year. Hopefully, this fact will help you feel at ease with what I present in a later post.
And now, without further ado, let’s get into how to have the happiest, healthiest fur babies possible!
Pet Food 101: History, Biology, Brands, and Types
The realm of pet nutrition, especially for dogs and cats, has come quite a long way over the past few decades. Just as it has for us, the importance of gastrointestinal health and foods that satisfy biological needs rather than just filling a growling void has come into the spotlight as a major key to our pets’ overall well-being.
We’re all familiar with dry food (kibble) and wet food, but with raw, freeze-dried, air-dried, gently cooked, and dehydrated foods now on the scene, trying to understand why these options are around and which would be the best choice can become a bit overwhelming. It makes some people want to cling to their current longstanding choice all the more stubbornly. In contrast, others throw themselves headlong into researching and figuring out the best option, often getting bounced around between conflicting sources of information and opinions.
If you aren’t interested in going to either extreme, I may have some guidance for you! Let’s lay a good foundation by reviewing some basic canine and feline biology, food history, common brands, and food types.
Dogs and Cats, Living Together (With Humans)
All dogs (yes, even your Aunt Kathy’s floofy little Pomerianian) evolved from wolves, with the genetic split likely happening somewhere between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago (https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/do-all-dogs-come-from-wolves).
All domestic cats evolved from - and still share nearly identical DNA with - the North African/Southwest Asian Wildcat. It’s difficult to tell when exactly the bit of genetic split happened there for cats, so it’s easier to distinguish them by when domestication started happening, which some scientists estimate to have been around 12,000 years ago (https://nationalkitty.com/cat-ancestry-where-do-cats-come-from/).
While there’s still a fair amount of debate about how domestication happened, most theories these days hold that both dogs and cats likely self-domesticated (and cats are often considered only semi-domesticated). Wolves became attracted to hunter-gatherer encampments by food scraps and started getting closer and closer to stay fed, especially in colder climes. The hunters may have eventually decided that wolves would be good deterrents for other scavengers and started encouraging them to stick around.
As for cats, 12,000 years ago is when agricultural societies began to pop up along the Fertile Crescent (the upper Nile, eastern Mediterranean coast, and along the Euphrates). This was also where the above-mentioned Wildcat lived. Where there are stores of grain and other foodstuffs, there are mice, and the clever little Wildcat found this to be a very convenient and reliable source of food. Therefore, they decided to hang around.
Colons and Canines
Cats are obligate carnivores. “Obligate” means “by necessity;” they need meat (and only meat) to get all their nutrients. They are also meant to get most of their hydration from their food (prey). Their desert wildcat ancestors had very little water in their arid environment and evolved to get the moisture they needed from hunting. Their digestive tracts are short because they do not need the fermenting bacteria (and room for it to populate) that carb-eaters have (https://hare-today.com/feline-nutrition/answers/answers-what-exactly-is-an-obligate-carnivore). Their mouths are full of sharp, pointy teeth made for ripping into meat and chewing apart connective tissues.
While it may seem obvious to say that dogs are carnivores, there is actually an ongoing debate about the matter. Wolves are clearly carnivores; they hunt and eat large prey to survive. But dogs’ digestive tracts have evolved to be longer than those of wolves, and behind all their canines are some back teeth that are more like molars for crushing and grinding. They also have taste buds that can register “sweet,” which is something obligate carnivores don’t have (https://www.rover.com/blog/are-dogs-carnivores/). For the moment, it seems that dogs should be considered omnivores who need meat as their biggest portion.
So cats need strictly meat, and dogs can have meat, veggies and grains. Both used to hunt, and both still sometimes do. So when did we start feeding them things other than what they caught for themselves or our leftovers?
The Need for Convenience
The first dry pet foods appeared in the late 1800s and early 1900s - the predecessor of Milk-Bones, then Milk-Bones themselves and a similar option for cats. Then, in the 1920s, canned food made of leftover meat (usually horsemeat) and grains became popular. It remained the most cost-effective option for commercial pet food through the Great Depression until World War II came along.
Many canned food makers closed during World War II due to material rationing. This is when dry food - kibble - became popular; it didn’t require cans and provided a quick solution for households in which the husband was away at war and the wife was away working to support the war and didn’t have time to prepare food.
After World War II, consumption culture emerged. Everything got bigger and faster, and with the invention of extrusion to produce kibble in the 1950s, dry food took the top spot for popular pet food and has remained there ever since (https://www.catster.com/guides/history-of-commercial-pet-food/).
A Question of Quality
In more recent decades, especially with certain pet food brands dealing with multiple recalls (ie. Purina - https://www.petful.com/brands/purina-recall/) and some with lawsuits (like Hill’s - https://www.petage.com/dcm-related-...n-grain-free-dog-food-academic-veterinarians/), people have started to pause and question what exactly they are feeding their pets. When “meat meal” appears on a label, what meat is meant? Where does it come from? What is a “natural flavor?” What is contained in the “by-product” part of a “meat by-product?” Why does this dog food have corn gluten in it? Why is wheat on the ingredient list for that cat food?
The list of questions gets longer and longer, and more and more people are turning to more biologically appropriate food for their pets. The health benefits are undeniable - decrease in or elimination of scratching/allergies, shiny coat, increase in energy, better (and less stinky) stools, and the like. However, just as it’s more expensive for us to buy healthier foods, the same is unfortunately true for our pets. There is also still a great deal of resistance to switching to these foods, an astounding amount of which continues to be from some veterinarians. Still, change is steadily occurring on that front as well.
Brands Big and Small
What do Mars and Nestlé have in common?
Your first answer probably wouldn’t be pet food. Yet these candy-making giants currently hold the top two spots for largest pet food company in the US based on annual revenue according to petfoodindustry.com. They’re followed by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, which is owned by Colgate-Palmolive (the toothpaste and soap people), and J.M. Smucker (probably best known for jams and jellies and peanut butter and such). - https://www.petfoodindustry.com/new...275/10-top-usbased-pet-food-companies-in-2022
Mars owns nearly fifty pet food brands including Greenies, Iams, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Sheba, Temptations, and Whiskas. They recently acquired premium sister brands Acana and Orijen. Additionally, they own several veterinary services including the VCA and Banfield animal hospitals.
Nestlé owns Purina, which includes One, Pro Plan, Friskies, and Fancy Feast. J.M. Smucker owns Milk-Bone and Meow Mix as well as a few others.
Blue Buffalo, owned by General Mills, is an extremely popular brand among people who are trying to transition to healthier food.
Why have I taken the time to point out the mother companies for some of the most familiar pet food brands? It is because these companies are conglomerates, meaning they oversee many other brands in areas unrelated to pet food and health (such as human food, hygiene products, and cleansers). Their food meets the standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO - https://aafco.org), which dictates food standards and regulates what foods can be sold and where. However, the AAFCO standards do not state that ingredients must come from a specific source, nor that the type of meat in a pet food needs to be specified. Therefore, to look at the label on a bag of Mars or Nestlé-owned pet food is to see such ambiguous terms as poultry by-product and animal digest. Corn gluten, wheat, and soy are also common to see. Cats cannot digest or process these things, and for dogs, wheat and soy are some of the most common allergens, while corn gluten is a filler that lacks several important amino acids needed for proper nutrition (https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/corn-in-dog-food-what-you-need-to-know/).
My purpose is not necessarily to vilify these companies. Some good things have come out of them. However, I believe that understanding where they are rooted and considering the possible bottom line for conglomerates is important to think about when it comes to quality, transparency, and focus.
Times are hard for many of us. Big-name commercial pet food brands offer more affordable solutions so that we can keep our pets fed. But when we consider our pets’ physiology, biological needs, and quality of life, it may be worth reevaluating our budget to see if we can spend a little more on food with transparent ingredient sourcing that will keep them healthier for longer, just as we might with our own food when we know a diet change might do us some good in the long run.
Some excellent lesser-known brands deal with pet food and nothing else. They exceed AAFCO standards, with some priding themselves on human-grade food and/or meeting and exceeding European Union or Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) standards. Others go to great lengths to ensure their ingredients are ethically and sustainably sourced from both land and sea, and many have their own dedicated production and packing facilities.
Some, like Wellness or Weruva, can be found at big-box pet retailers like PetCo or PetSmart. Other brands deal only with independent retailers, so check out and support your local pet stores. Here are a few of my favorite brands for your consideration:
Open Farm - https://openfarmpet.com/en-us/
Earth Animal - https://earthanimal.com/
Farmina - https://www.farmina.com/us/
First Mate & Kasik’s - https://firstmate.com/
Petcurean (Go! Solutions, Now Fresh, Summit) - https://petcurean.com/en-us
Weruva - https://www.weruva.com/
Tiki Pets - https://tikipets.com/
Nulo - https://nulo.com/
Ziwi - https://us.ziwipets.com/
Feline/K9 Naturals - https://us.felinenatural.com/ and https://us.k9natural.com/
Stella & Chewy’s - https://www.stellaandchewys.com/
A Pup Above - https://apupabove.com/
Steve’s Real Food - https://stevesrealfood.com/
The Honest Kitchen - https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/
Types of Pet Food
Kibble/Dry food: The long-standing staple of the pet food industry, kibble is a type of dry pet food that is typically made of any combination of the following: dehydrated meat or meat meal, insect protein, grains, legumes, potato, vegetables, vitamins and minerals from synthetic or natural sources. Most kibble is still made through the process of extrusion, which involves mixing the ingredients in a large barrel with a corkscrew element. While the ingredients cook at a high temperature, the corkscrew turns and forces the mixture through a narrow opening, where it is cut into bite-sized pieces on the way out. It is often sprayed with a flavored coating afterward. Some premium kibble is baked instead of extruded and/or vacuum-infused with animal fat as a binding agent.
Wet food: Wet pet foods come in cans, Tetrapaks, pouches, or cups. They come in paté form (smooth), mousse (usually in pouches), shreds, stews, minces, whipped patés, or even combinations of textures. It is common to pack them in gravies, broths, aspic, or even simply water. They consist of meat or insect protein, carbohydrates (vegetables, grains, potato, or legumes in any combination), and vitamin/mineral packs from either natural or synthetic sources.
Raw food: This is exactly what it sounds like - raw muscle and organ meat (just like prey would be) and vegetables, usually put into nugget or patty form for easy serving. It is fortified with vitamins and minerals from either natural or synthetic sources to ensure proper nutrient balance. From both historical and biological standpoints, a raw diet is sometimes regarded as the most appropriate, especially for felines. While some people are concerned about bacteria and contaminants in raw food, it is important to remember that it is not much different than the meat we cook for ourselves, so the same precautions should be taken. This will decrease or eliminate the risk of issues just as it would for us. This 2019 study provides an in-depth look at some of these issues and links to other studies for those interested - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6849757/
Freeze-dried raw: This form of raw food is a convenient way to avoid handling moist raw meat and to allow easy maintenance of a raw diet while on the go. It’s also a bit more affordable than frozen raw. It’s a versatile sort of food that can be used as a complete meal, a topper for wet food, or treats. It can be reconstituted with water, bone broth, or raw goat’s milk (pets shouldn’t be given human-grade or lactose-in cow dairy) or given as-is, though rehydrating is highly recommended. A few companies have begun mixing freeze-dried raw into dry food to help get some raw food into pets’ diets and ease the transition away from kibble completely.
Air-dried food: There are a few companies that use this method of pet food preparation, which involves the gentle circulation of warm air around and through raw ingredients until dryness is achieved, creating a shelf-stable and nutritionally dense alternative to raw food that isn’t completely devoid of moisture.
Dehydrated food: In this form of food, all ingredients are desiccated and sometimes reduced to a meal or powder, though something of an oatmeal-like appearance is common as well. It can then be reconstituted with water or bone broth, the amount of which determines the consistency. While dehydrated food can be expensive up front, it can be quite cost-effective because it lasts a long time. A ten-pound box or bag of dehydrated food can yield up to forty pounds of reconstituted food.
Gently-cooked (sous-vide) food: An increasingly popular alternative to raw, gently-cooked food eliminates much of the worry about bacteria from raw meat that some people have. It is a combination of meat, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals cooked at a low temperature for an extended period, then frozen into patties for easy serving.
What’s the Best Option?
Now that we’ve been over some pet food history, biology, brands, and types, what do you think is the best pet food?
I am a big advocate of everything but kibble for all pets, especially raw food. Regardless of my opinions and what I’ve found to work for my own pets, however, the answer is: whatever works best for your pet(s) and keeps them happiest and healthiest. This is not always going to be the same as what is most comfortable for your wallet (it certainly isn't for mine). Finding a balance between the two can be a challenge, but I would say it's worth figuring out for the animals we love.
While there have been studies done comparing raw food to other commercial pet food, there are not many yet, given how recent the interest in taking a deep dive into pet nutrition is. Much of the evidence for the benefits of non-kibble or non-canned/wet diets is anecdotal - still valid and worth listening to, but not always scientifically quantifiable. (How annoyed would you be if you tried something and saw the evidence for yourself but were dismissed just because it’s your word and experience but not scientific study? Anecdotes have power, especially if they end up providing the motivation for scientific studies.)
I feed my cats wet food for breakfast and dinner and lightly reconstituted freeze-dried raw for lunch. They are happy, healthy boys with beautiful coats and excellent builds, and while I joke that they eat better than I do, that little extra investment is well worth it. You can get similar results with high-quality kibble with a bit of bone broth for your dog or by feeding your cat only wet food and nothing else. Just keep an open mind, be patient, give them options to try, and see what works.
Just like us, our pets are all unique with their own personalities, preferences, and health quirks. Just like us, many want variety while some don’t mind eating the same thing every day. While it’s becoming more accepted that kibble alone isn’t the best way to go, it’s also an acceptable option to turn to for those of us with busy lives that keep us away from our pets for most of the day. It’s more feasible and less problematic for dogs than for cats, but there are some very high-protein dry food options out there for cats that will suffice for a while if needed.
In a nutshell, dogs are more versatile than cats because they are carnivorous with omnivorous leanings. Cats, being obligate carnivores, must have an all-meat diet with few to no carbs to be their healthiest. Therefore, wet, raw, air-dried, gently-cooked, and reconstituted freeze-dried or dehydrated foods will work best for them.
Dogs can have all of the above plus kibble, though be sure to include a healthy dose of wet topping or soak their kibble in water, bone broth, or raw goat’s milk to ensure they don’t bloat from the kibble expanding in their stomach and get enough moisture. Also, be sure to check the ingredients. Make certain that the types of meat in the kibble are specified, not given the generic label of “meat meal” or “poultry” or the like, and are the first things on the ingredient label. Ensure that it doesn’t include “meat by-products” (filler made from the parts of an animal that wouldn’t normally be eaten), and stay away from the common allergens of wheat and soy and nutritionally-deficient fillers based on corn (corn gluten and cornstarch).
I could write a whole paper on this topic, but I’ll stop there for now and save some of the finer points for the dog and cat-specific posts I’ll be making later. Thanks for sticking with me through this intro! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask on this post or ping me in Discord or via DMs and I’ll answer what I can!
