5 Facts About Kibble
Here Are Five (maybe not so fun) Facts About Kibble
Like yours, millions of modern dogs are suffering from tremendous amounts of inflammation, damaged gut microbiomes, and compromised immune systems like you would not believe. Turns out, their food and medications are almost entirely to blame. Here's the quick version:
1. Kibble helped beat Hitler.
Kibble was born out of necessity during WWII when we needed any excess tin we could get, pet food cans included. Pet food manufacturers had to find a way to make pet food available in paper bags and boxes so they started with cereal and grain companies, taking their leftovers and creating pet food out of it. Cats went blind on the new, dry stuff, but dogs fared only slightly better, so the kibble industry called it a victory and now 94% of dog chow kibble daily.
2. Kibble provides only 10% of your dog’s body moisture.
Your dog’s meals are supposed to provide most of her needed moisture. Nearly all Kibble is made through a process of “extrusion.” Extrusion combines wet and dry ingredients, then uses a machine to subject these ingredients to extreme heat and pressure, removing beneficial vitamins, minerals, amino acids, micronutrients, and moisture pets need.With a lack of moisture in food, the body pulls moisture from kidneys, liver and bladder, taxing them into organ failure much sooner than a natural lifespan would hope for.
3. Yeast cells LOVE Kibble.
Yeast cells feed on sugar. Kibble (particularly kibbles with corn, rice and soy in the first few ingredients) breaks down to sugar molecules in your dog’s gut. Allowing excess yeast, or “candida," to live its very best, and very longest, life. As candida thrives, it develops an exoskeleton made of chitin - the same thing a cockroach is made of. These yeast cells can then grow hairy, root-like projections called rhizoids, which burrow their way into the intestinal wall and out the stomach lining.
4. Not all kibbles are bad.
Kibble is not an enemy, but a widespread lack of available knowledge is. There are many great ways to feed your dog a bio-available diet, including via kibble. There are kibbles which work very well with your dog’s natural biome. Kibbles that use fewer carbohydrates, MUCH less heat, and more meat can help to starve the yeast cells parading around in your dog’s microbiome.
5. Kibble has accomplices.
Unfortunately, it's not just kibble. Canned foods, refrigerated food, homemade diets, dog treats, and many other things can contain ingredients that lead to gut imbalances and yeast overgrowth. We've spent some time gathering and creating a list of the worst culprits. Before allowing your dog to eat anything, check for these "no no's." Their gut and your bank account will thank you.
A Conflict We Find Interesting
It's very interesting to note that many US vet practices are owned or supplemented by dog kibble companies. After all, it makes perfect sense: stocking the vet's shelves with the "healthy kibble" that patients can trust makes for pretty well-spent advertising dollars. But is there a conflict of interest there?
We'll leave that for you to decide.