Part 2: Commercial Dog Foods for Urban Dogs

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Part 2: Commercial Dog Foods for Urban DogsDespite recommendations for wholesome canine suppers of vegetables,whole grains and fresh meats, consumer interest in controlling the"inner nature" of dogs persisted. The notion of a mass-produced, machineprocessed pet food - inexpensive, easy to serve and touted as superiorto home cooking - was increasingly appealing to busy urban consumers andcommercial pet food became part of the new status associated with being"modern."In the mid 1800s, a young entrepreneur named James Spratt journeyed fromCincinnati, Ohio, to London to sell lightning conductors. On his arrivalhe was surprised to see vast hordes of homeless dogs lurking quaysidegobbling moldy, discarded hardtack (biscuits) thrown onto the piers bythe sailors. Shortly afterward, he turned his attention to creating thefirst commercially produced biscuit expressly for dogs, unveiled in 1860as Spratt's Patent Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes. A baked mixture of wheat,beet root, and vegetables bound together with beef blood, Spratt's cakeswere touted as a superior way to feed pets.Within a few years other prepackaged foods appeared often employingmarketing techniques first used for patent medicines. Their biscuits,breads and cakes not only gave a sheen to the dog's coat, but couldprevent everything from tapeworms to distemper - claims bolstered by thepaid endorsements of veterinarians such as Dr. A.C. Daniels, whowillingly affixed his good name to a "Medicated Dog Bread" which unlikethe competition was "free from cheapening ingredients such as talcpowder and mill sweepings." Pioneering pet-food makers tried todiscourage consumers from supplementing their products with otherfoodstuffs. Fresh beef, Spratt claimed, could "overheat the dog'sblood," and even the most wholesome 'table scraps will break down hisdigestive powers [making] him prematurely old and fat." Meat was anecessary part of the dog's daily meal, the company agreed, but shouldbe in a form best suited to the requirements of his present existence",namely Spratt's biscuits. Playing on doting pet owners' worries thatcommercially made biscuits contained inferior ingredients, Medicated DogBread spokesman Daniels claimed that other biscuits might result in'constipation, indigestion and skin ills," but his product was made withonly "the best winter wheat, rice meal and fresh meat."Still, there was continued concern that an overly processed diet mightnot be good for a dog's mental or physical health."To live on dogbiscuits alone would be a very dull diet," said British author E.MAitkens. "A finely grated carrot or a little chopped raw cabbage andother greens will be hungrily eaten if mixed well with meat and broth inwhich plenty of vegetables have been cooked." And veterinarian Dr.Raymond Garbutt, one of the first to use X-ray technology to diagnosecanine maladies, reported that he was seeing a growing number of dogssuffering from the piles, which he attributed to the feeding of "toomany constipating foods," particularly dry kibble.Between 1890 and 1945, the manufacture and sale of pet foods continuedto increase despite such criticisms, as consumers became more possessiveof their leisure time, opting to spend it on anything but "slaving overa hot stove" for their dogs.Seen by many as an ideal entrepreneurialbusiness opportunity - utilizing raw materials nobody else wanted(mostly inedible meats and grains) to produce a product eagerly soughtby a growing population of dog owners with increasing disposable incomes- several new dog food companies were founded, many of them still inexistence today. Others began as outgrowths of financially strappedcompanies looking for ways to turn a profit from the large quantities ofwaste materials produced by their granaries and slaughterhouses.After World War II, the burgeoning success of commercial dog food waspart of a sweeping societal trend toward modern conveniences that wouldimprove the overall standard of living and maximize the consumer'sleisure time. Women embraced anything that would free them from thekitchen or ease their household chores. Like drive-through restaurantsand frozen entrees, prepackaged dog food was just one more culinaryadvantage.Beginning in the 1950s, companies switched their promotional strategiesto emphasize the convenience of canned and bagged foods. 'Feeding a dogis simple today," declared a Kasco dog food company advertisement. "Itis unnecessary to cook special foods, measure this and that - why botherwhen it takes less than a minute to prepare a Kasco meal for your dog?"Calo dog food played on a similar theme, promising to do 'away with allthe fuss and bother in preparing food for your dog." Ken-L Rationbragged about the lightning speed with which their dog food could beserved and cleaned up, since it did not "stick to the feeding bowl [andis] easier than ever to mix. Ken-L Meal absorbs water almost instantly."By 1961, Gaines was advertising "dog food that makes its own gravy," injust sixty seconds.As the pet food market became increasingly lucrative through the 1960s,it caught the eye of American industrial giants looking to diversify.Quaker Oats, Ralston-Purina and other breakfast food conglomerates beganproducing grain-based kibbles and biscuits and meat-packers such asArmour and Swift marketed the first canned dog foods with a meat base.(During this time too, questions about the safety of cigarettes firstprompted tobacco companies to diversify their holdings and pet food wasone of the more popular investments) Competition among these industrial"big boys" brought new, stylishly packaged products and eye-poppingpromotional campaigns created by Madison Ave hotshots, which torpedoedsmaller, independent companies like Spratt's as well as most regional"mom and pop" pet foods.But too many dog owners persisted in supplementing commercial dog foodwith table scraps, so companies retooled their marketing strategies.Advertisements ceased to even acknowledge the idea of home cooking fordogs and put an increasingly derogatory twist on "scraps", whilecommercial foods were powerhouses of proteins, minerals and vitamins. Ata 1964 meeting of the Pet Food Instititute (PFI) a Washington-basedlobbying association representing American companies, George Pugh, anexecutive of Swift and Company (makers of Pard dog food) describedongoing efforts to discourage the feeding of anything but commercial dogfood. Thanks to PFI press releases, he reported to industry colleagues"we got stuff in one thousand daily and weekly papers." PFI staff also"assisted" Good Housekeeping, Redbook and fourteen other popularmagazines in the preparation of feature articles about dog care, whichincidentally advocated commercial pet food to the exclusion ofeverything else. And a script prepared and distributed by PFI, warningof the dangers of table scraps, got airtime on ninety-one radio stationsthroughout the country.For the next decade the industry's primary goal was to convinceconsumers that dogs were carnivores, pure and simple, and so required adiet of meat such as only they could provide. In 1967, televisionadvertising for the industry totaled fifty million dollars, most of itspent on "beef wars" in which each company claimed that their productcontained the most. "Feed more than just HALF A DOG!" one company urged,implying that the more beef a dog gets, the happier and peppier it is.Alpo hired television's Bonanza star Lorne Greene to hold up a perfectlymarbled sirloin steak before the camera and exhort the virtues of purebeef dinners for dogs. To spur sales of new products, companiessupplemented television campaigns with special promotions costinghundreds of thousands of dollars. To introduce a semimoist food packagedin the shape of hamburger patties, kept perpetually soft with a generousdose of ordinary corn syrup, one company gave away almost half a milliondollars worth of free samples- approximately one million pounds of theproduct. Another special promotion backfired on Ralston-Purina, which inthe mid-sixties tested consumer interest in a new Bonanza Dog Meal inWitchita and Kansas City. Ads claimed the product was "preferred intaste tests to six-to-one over the largest selling dog meal"; only afterthe promotion was underway did company executives learn that the biggestselling dog meal in the test area was Purina Dog Chow, their ownproduct.Sales continued to rocket and by 1975 there were more than 1,500 makersof dog food, as compared to only 200 forty years earlier. Consumersembraced pre-packaged dog food, spending seven hundred million dollarson canned and dry products. As America's pet population climbed throughthe seventies, signaling a growing emotional attachment to dogs,industry analysts correctly predicted a trend in "humanized" pet foods,molded and packaged like those for humans. Company budgets for colortelevision commercials quadrupled, while promotions shifted from sermonson sound nutrition to visual appeal. Novelty was the industry buzzwordand the race was on to concoct ever more entertaining types of pet food.Sitting in their living rooms, consumers were treated to an enticing,colorful banquet of "hamburger" patties with grill marks and a mockcheese garnish, or stews, meatballs and gravy-covered filets tenderenough to cut with a fork - but for pets.Stampeding Lilliputian chuck wagons careened across floors of TVkitchens, leading frantic, wild-eyed dogs to steaming bowls of moist,meaty chunks swimming in rich brown broth. ( Geez I'm getting hungryhere) Even dry dog food took on a festive air, with kibble in everycolor of the rainbow, just like kid's cereal.(oh yuck, maybe not afterall) Free brochures on housebreaking or training the family dog toperform simple tricks were used to hawk new lines of pet treats in theshape of little fish, eggs, and milk bottles in "six gay colors," with aslogan that flew in the face of earlier industry advice againstin-between-meal snacks: "Whatever else your dog eats during the day, heneeds treats too!" The industry also dabbled in some far-out advertisingploys during this time, such as the high frequency whistle known as theBowser Rouser. On hearing the whistle, the family dog would supposedlyrun to the television set, barking and jumping, to convince his ownerthat he wanted that particular brand of food.By 1980, growing consumer worries about artificial additives in theirown diet convinced many companies to tone down outlandish marketingploys and return to advertisements that stressed the nutritional valueof their products. To counter accusations that pet foods containedharmful additives, the industry cast itself as a "scientist" rather thana recycler, dedicated to the never-ending search for the perfectlyformulated dog food. The PFI acknowledged that "pet health officialsincreasingly voiced a need for more information andverification...concerning nutritional claims for pet foods," so theorganization announced a "self-enforcement program" to provide pethealth professionals and pet owners with added assurance of qualitynutrition in their pet foods. By 1991, sales of pet food had topped outat over eight billion dollars. Canned and kibbled fare occupied moresupermarket shelf space than breakfast cereal or baby food. A wholegeneration of consumers now could not recall a time when pets ateanything but commercial dog food, and the campaign to discouragealternative food sources had been so successful that some consumers werefearful of feeding their dogs even a piece of soda cracker.Lorne Greene notwithstanding, veterinarians and pet food spokesmanproclaimed, thanks to industry-sponsored research, that they haddiscovered dogs actually were omnivores, thereby requiring a diet withwhole grains (and vegetables) instead of pure meat. One companyrecently ran a magazine advertisement featuring a raw, well-marbledT-bone steak under the caption, "It's about as natural as feeding cheesepuffs," before launching into a diatribe on the all-natural ingredientsin their product. Cornucopias of fresh fish, lamb, chicken, turkey,brown rice, golden ears of corn, carrots, brown eggs, garlic and freshlypicked parsley still covered with dew are featured in other ads - againtempting to appeal to the changed palates of pet owners, who now clamorfor organic produce and free-range poultry.In fact, the industry walks a fine line when it makes such announcementsabout dog nutrition. Fearing that all the talk of farm fresh ingredientsmight spur consumers to take their skillets in hand and resume cookingfor their pets, dog food companies make a point of emphasizing thatcanine nutrition is a science best left to qualified experts - namelythem (or research projects sponsored by them). Ads for "super premium"and "prescription" dog foods incorporate actors or models wearinggoggles and white lab coats, shown holding clipboards as they measureout healthy-looking ingredients amid a clinical forest of test tubes,computers and diagnostic equipment. Echoing Victorian bowel obsessions,companies eagerly point to the superiority of their products asindicated by the small, dark, firm feces they yeild. Hypnotized by theprospect of dog foods so scientifically advanced they could sustainastronauts on prolonged space missions, consumers are torn betweenintimidation and awe. Terms such as "chelated minerals,metabolizableenergy," and "amino acid profile" combine to both intrigue and confuseeven the most savvy consumers, who are left to puzzle over ingredientlists and nutritional charts on dog food packages.But when pets are treated like children or spouses, convenience ceasesto be the driving force for buying commercial dog food. In fact, manyconsumers now would be offended at the suggestion that they buyprepackaged pet food simply because it is quick and easy. And becausethey pride themselves in buying only the best for their dogs, theysometimes are attracted to products that actually are inconvenient topurchase. Cable TV "infomercials" touting new brands of pet food selllike wildfire, even though the product is available only by phone, andgreat quantities must be ordered each time. Other products are availableonly from select distributors. Hill's originally made its Science Dietavailable exclusively through veterinarians, an ingenious marketingstrategy that grabbed the attention of millions of yuppie consumersseeking reassurance that they were providing their pets the bestnutrition money could buy and moving Hill's to the forefront ofsuperpremium foods in the early nineties. Such foods may cost triple theamount of grocery store brands, but higher sticker price is just anotherincentive to buy when a dog owner reasons that the more it costs, thebetter a food must be.Until recently, people who opted to cook for their dogs instead ofpurchasing commercial foods were looked on as "counterculture" petowners, well intentioned but ill-informed. But now that natural foodshave become a part of the baby-boomer culture, that attitude ischanging. Many consumers now believe that responsibility for one'shealth begins at home, with the foods one chooses to eat. These peopletry to purchase groceries in chemically unadulterated and minimallyprocessed forms whenever possible-and they're starting to believe thesame dietary principles should be applied to their pets.Since it's debutin the mid-eighties. Dr.Pitcarin's Complete Guide to Natural Health ForDogs and Cats(1982) has been widely regarded as a pioneering work byconsumers desiring a less-processed diet for their pets, patterned afterthe ones they follow themselves. "Much of the supposed protein incommercial food actually cannot be digested by dogs," Pitcarin says,"and the heating involved in the canning process destroys much of theoriginal food value. The truth is that most pet foods on the market dolittle more than just sustain life." Addressing the pet food industry'sage-old commandment against feeding table scraps, Pitcarin admits thiscould be harmful "if a person just scraped leftover cookies, whitebread, gravy and canned spinach into a pet's bowl," foods from whichmost of the nutritional value has been destroyed by overprocessing. Buthe also is quick to point out that "generation after generation ofhealthy animals thrived on the scraps and extras of the whole naturalfoods of our ancestors."Pitcarins recommends canine dinners of raw or lightly steamedvegetables, legumes, nuts, raw meats,eggs and cottage cheese, along withbreakfasts of hot oatmeal, whole milk and a touch of honey. Cost-wise,the recipes are competitive with many grocery store brands of pet food,and batches sufficient for one or two weeks can be made in advance, thenrefigerated or frozen in single servings.Since the publication ofPitcarin's book, federal agencies and book publishers have responded toconsumers desiring to educate themselves in the field of pet food.'Nutrition Requirements for Dogs', published by the National ResearchCouncil, reports the latest in scientific studies on canine nutritionalrequirements. And Adele Publications (not affiliated with any dog foodmanufacturer) offers 'Canine Nutrition and Choosing the Best Food forYour Breed of Dog', which asserts that different breeds have differentnutritional needs.As with canine beauty culture, feeding strategies may reflect a dog'ssocial rank within its adoptive human family. The more 'human' positionthe animal occupies, fulfilling the role of a child or spouse, the moreinclined pet parents are to supply the animal with a completely humandiet. "My pet shares all aspects of my life, and food is no exception,"explained the owner of Skeeter, a former shelter dog. She and her'canine child' share dinners of poached fish, home-baked breads, Frenchcheeses and organic produce, including tomatoes, asparagus and oranges."Skeeter has eaten nothing but human food - no junk food- for sevenyears now. His teeth are white and his breath smells better than mine."For many people, the more involved and time-consuming the dog feedingritual becomes, the more emotionally gratifying it is. Retired moviestar Doris Day hired six house keepers to care for her extended familyof dogs and spends hundreds of dollars weekly on their food. Her Carmel,California home includes a kitchen set aside exclusively for cooking petfood. For breakfast, she and her staff bake (gourmet) turkey loaves withgarlic, onion and eggs each day, periodically alternating with debonedchicken and plenty of fresh vegetables, whipped potatoes, brown rice andpasta. At night, the animals often enjoy a light supper of cornflakes inmilk or low fat cottage cheese.Of ten thousand American pet-owning households surveyed in 1993 by BarrySinrod, author of 'Do You Do It When You're Pets in The Room?', almost50 percent gave their dogs a steady diet of "human food", suggesting theinstinct to share food still runs deep in the human psyche, despitefifty years of industry sponsored "education." Convinced that their petsalso detest monotonous meals, many are choosing to compromise ondisciplined diets of scientifically formulated kibble with a vast arrayof interesting culinary indulgences. Owners report that their dogs enjoycorn on the cob, peaches, apples and tomatoes, not to mentionfresh-roasted turkey or a bit of steak. Some sympathetic dog owners alsoadmitted to the occasional sinful canine indulgences such ashome-delivery pepperoni pizza or a spin through the drive-through atMcDonald's for a box of fries and a soft ice cream sundae, sometimes incelebration of the animal's birthday.Pitcarin agrees that variety in an animal's diet is good emotionally aswell as physically. He puts it in human terms: "Think about eating [thesame thing] for the rest of your life. Certainly you'd refuse such adiet, even if there were a 'health food variety. Before long most of uswould be climbing the walls looking for a salad or some fresh fruit -anything relatively whole and fresh! Or just different!" In fact,regimented diets of processed food almost from birth have left some dogsat a loss as to what to do when handed a bit of bread, a vegetable, oreven a bone. To deprive canines - among the most intelligent andinquisitive of creatures - the experience of eating unprocessed foods isnot only a denial of their animal nature but of their need for newlearning experiences.Though largely ignored by social historians, what we humans feed ourdogs from cabbage to kibble, constitutes a kind of diary of theincreasingly important role canines have played in our lives, not tomention the dog's ability to adapt and thrive in changing environments.Historically, the things we feed our companion animals have reflectedthe phychological needs of humans, particularly the desire to conquerthe "inner nature" of both man and beast. Then processed foods forhumans and pets caught on as a result of Western society's post-WorldWar II drive for convenience and more leisure time, both of whichquickly became identified with being "modern" and more importantly,affluent.Now nostalgia for a simpler time, when humans and dogs shared the samebeds and breakfasts, has prompted a return to home cooking and naturalfoods (and BARF!). And the hallmark of a prosperous, leisurely life ishow much time one can afford to spend tending to the needs of pets - nothow little. Today, food continues to serve as both a literal andsymbolic "tie that binds" our companion animals, making them dependenton us for survival. But it also is the foundation of a more complex andloving relationship between people and their pets. As we near thebeginning of the twenty-first century, human and canine feedingstrategies appear to have come full circle, perhaps symbolizing ouryearning for a more intimate relationship with the natural world.JanetGSDBuster