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For most of our history with dogs, we humans haven't given a lot of thought to the quality of food we feed them. But with our own increased awareness of how food affects human health, finding a healthy diet for dogs has become a topic of much concern. After all, just like humans, dogs are increasingly suffering from allergies, digestive problems and obesity — all of which can be related directly to food. So should we feed them premium dog food or the cheap stuff from the warehouse market? Cooked or raw? Kibble or canned? Vegetarian or all-meat?

There are a whole lot of people with opinions on the subject, and while there may not be one best answer, we know certain things based on both scientific evidence and common sense. First and foremost, dogs are carnivores. If you doubt the volumes of scientific research, just look in a dog's mouth — its sharp teeth and strong jaws are designed for ripping meat and breaking bones. At a most basic level, this means dogs need meat and something hard to chew on (such as dry kibble, bones and hard chew toys) in order to be healthy and happy.

The large dog-food manufacturers would like us to believe that our dogs need a highly varied omnivorous diet, just as humans do (after all, they have lots of processed-food by-products to sell). Even though dogs are fairly adaptable to whatever food is available to them, they still have the digestive systems of their carnivorous wolf ancestors. So the highly processed, grain-filled dog foods we find at the market, and even some of the premium ones we buy from the vet, may be doing them more harm than good.

"When it comes to dogs, I believe 70 percent of all disease can be prevented by changing their diets," says Pema Choepel Mallu, D.V.M., a holistic veterinarian for Tara's Babies Animal Welfare, a rescue sanctuary for dogs, cats and exotic birds with locations in Arizona and Maryland (www.tarasbabies.org). Dr. Pema, who is also a Buddhist nun, has been a veterinarian for 30 years and has spent nearly 20 of those years combining acupuncture with allopathic and herbal medicine. Dr. Pema recommends that the bulk of a dog's diet be raw meat with vegetables and fruits, and no grains. She believes that many of the chronic "-itis" afflictions in dogs are due to inflammation in the gut, which is often caused by the foods we feed them.

Dogs lack the enzymes in their saliva and digestive tract to break down the carbohydrates and fiber in grains. As grains pass through the intestines, they irritate the lining, causing mucus to form and eventually disturbing the natural balance of normal flora bacteria and allowing the growth of pathogenic, disease-causing bacteria and fungus. This inflammation can lead to skin and digestive disorders, allergies, ear infections and other problems.

If you want to put your dog back on a healthy, meat-based diet, the best way is to purchase raw meat from a local butcher or specialty-dog-food retailer. That said, many of us don't have the time or inclination to consistently prepare a fresh-meat diet. Most commercially prepared dog foods contain wheat, corn and other grains, but grain-free, meat-based dog foods are increasingly available and provide a much healthier alternative, particularly for dogs who suffer from allergies and other inflammation-related ailments. It's even easier to find wheat-free and corn-free foods, but many of these still contain grains such as barley and oats. White rice is the easiest grain for dogs to digest.

Another important thing to be aware of in commercially prepared dog foods — even some of the so-called premium dog foods — is chemical preservatives and additives. While the jury is still out on the safety of many of these chemicals in animal foods, their use should be approached with some concern. BHA, one of the most commonly used preservatives, has been listed by the state of California as a known carcinogen. Both BHA and BHT are banned in some European Union countries, while they are allowed in specified quantities for use here in the U.S. in both human and animal foods.

Another controversial and frequently used additive in dog food is ethoxyquin (often listed as "ETO" or "E" on packaging). While the scientific community has evaluated many different uses of this chemical, studies on its use as a preservative in food for livestock and pets (on which the FDA's allowable levels have been based) have primarily been conducted by Monsanto, a chemical and biotech giant. Independent studies are few, but at least one rodent study indicates various problems including tumors and cancers. There are a number of ongoing studies to find out whether or not ethoxyquin is safe. Consider using more natural preservatives (see below) or at least avoiding ethoxyquin until these studies are completed.

The effects of feeding these chemicals to dogs every day are not fully known, but many veterinarians and breeders say they've noticed an increase in chronic illness and shorter lifespans coinciding with their increased use, since their introduction in the 1980s. Ironically, it was the advent of premium dog foods, which have higher fat content and thus faster rates of spoilage, that prompted the industry's increased use of preservatives. Naturally preserved foods have a shorter shelf life, but that usually means the packaged food you are buying for your dog is fresher. Look for foods preserved naturally with Vitamins C and E (mixed tocopherols) and oils of rosemary, clove or other spices, and always check the freshness date on the package.

Changing a dog's diet can make a profound difference. Since switching our older dog to a grain-free, naturally preserved diet nearly a year ago, the transformation has been dramatic. He no longer suffers from what was a lifelong affliction with allergies, skin problems and recurrent ear infections. His coat is shinier, his eyes are bright, he has more energy and he even smells good. Now that's a change we all can live with.

Note: Since this article was written, concern over the safety of pet food has reached an all-time high with the massive recall of contaminated dog and cat foods. Latest reports at the time of printing indicate that wheat gluten contaminated with melamine may be the culprit; however, the FDA has not ruled out that other contaminants may be involved. The list of recalled foods has been expanded several times and consumers are urged to check the recall lists regularly at the American Veterinary Medical Association website: www.avma.org.

Dog Food Recommendations

The following grain-free foods are meat-based, with specially selected vegetables and fruits added for easy digestion. Most of these manufacturers also offer foods for companion animals. These foods are all available at natural-pet-food stores and online retailers nationwide, and each website provides store locators.

• Innova EVO includes both dry kibble (in both small and large bites) and canned food: 800-532-7261 or www.naturapet.com.
• Nature's Variety Prairie Raw Instinct, a dry kibble, has a freeze-dried, raw-diet "bio-coating" with microbials to assist in nutrient absorption. They also offer canned, raw frozen and freeze-dried diets: www.naturesvariety.com.
• Nature's Logic dry kibble and canned foods are made with meat, vegetables, fruits, enzymes and probiotics to aid in digestion. Available from natural-pet-food retailers nationwide: 402-475-7663 or www.natureslogic.com.
• Merrick Thanksgiving Day Dinner and Grammy's Pot Pie are canned foods made with human-grade ingredients (they look like human food); while they aren't raw, they include easy-to-digest turkey- and chicken-meat protein: 800-664-7387 or www.merrickpetcare.com.
• Wellness 95% Chicken is entirely grain-free. While their Turkey & Sweet Potato and Chicken & Sweet Potato varieties contain some barley, they still offer a decent canned-food alternative to raw meat: 800-225-0904 or www.oldmotherhubbard.com.

Jennifer Allen Newton is a freelance writer and consultant living in southern Oregon with her artist husband, Jamie, and two scruffy dogs, Baxter and Kirby. Jennifer also publishes "Scruffy Dogs," a blog about life with dogs: www.scruffydogs.blogspot.com.

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