The Newest Dog Food

by Sandy Phillips

There always seems to be a new dog foods entering the market. The trend is now toward small-batch foods for many dog owners and even prepared fresh diets delivered right to your door. However, we noticed a new entry into the market by a company called "Side by Side." What's interesting about them? They are positioning their food from an Eastern

Food Therapy perspective, addressing the Yin & Yang of your dog's health. Side by Side notes that 1 in 2 dogs will get Cancer, 53% are obese, and that dogs can live twice as long by getting back to basics with nutrition.

According to research at Purdue

College of Veterinary Medicine, they are right. Over 50 years of scientific data on dog food and canine health conditions tells us that there is indeed a link between obesity in dogs, cancers, and diet. Of course, all cancers are not diet-related. Some have environmental sources, some dogs have a genetic predisposition, etc...but there is solid evidence, in multiple studies, that a poor diet opens the door for serious health conditions to develop; in humans too! Using Eastern Food Therapy, the company seeks to address characteristics in our dogs we have not noted before, calling attention to perspectives used in Chinese Medicine. For example, there is a short quiz on their website to determine if your dog should be eating "cooling" or "warming" foods based on physical observations. I.e., does your dog seek warm areas (even in the warmer months)? Does your dog have seasonal allergies, a red or pale-colored tongue? In Chinese Medicine, the tongue's color is linked to blood and circulation health, the color and clarity of the eyes, linked to the liver and gallbladder. If these are out of balance, then perhaps the appropriate food, warming or cooling, will return harmony to the body. Of course, they offer a "neutral" food to maintain homeostasis, keeping an already healthy body in superior condition. While the company itself caught our attention; high-quality whole foods, no GMO's, fillers, no synthetic vitamins, and more, the purpose of this article is to note that dog food is entering a new dimension.

“53 percent of dogs will die from cancer.”

This type of food is so very far from the swill in the grocery stores today. The dog chow of 40 years ago on the grocery store shelf is not remotely the bag of by-products that occupies the same shelf space today. With prepared diets available, delivered right to your door, and now diets based on Chinese Medicine more than 1000 years old, our dogs don't have to eat junk anymore. Together with regular exercise and annual veterinary check-ups, feeding quality food can allow our dogs to live full, healthy lives with few health challenges. There will be less obesity and diabetes; fewer dogs will go blind as they age; I could go on here. The last year has brought our health to the forefront, as we have washed hands much, much more and many of us spent more time with our dogs. Their part in our lives and mental health should be crystal clear and motivate us to strive to provide them with the healthiest life possible, and it all starts with their diet. I know you can argue with me that these diets are expensive and many are. So it is the treatment for years of diabetes and other serious health conditions. The upside to a quality diet is that your dog is healthy and not constantly battling an ongoing health problem in discomfort. While we think Side by Side is worth a closer look for your dog, there are still many high-quality foods, and I would strongly suggest that you visit a local boutique pet store and explore the higher quality options. Staff at Concord Pet are great resources for you. Many have extensive dog food training across a wide variety of brands; they aren't just pushing the one or two brands they sell, and can offer you suggestions within your budget from the wide variety of brands they stock. Make the transition slowly to avoid stomach upset. Feed 1/2 old food and 1/2 new food, moving towards the complete switch over the course of a week. To support the digestive track during the transition, it can be a good idea to add a little canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) during the change to high-quality food.

Healthy diet = healthy dog.