What we eat can affect everything from our weight and general health to our mood, sleep and brain function. But what about man’s best friend? It is true that what a dog eats can also have a significant impact on their health – with fresh, home-cooked food containing a diverse range of nutrients being the key. So rather than grabbing any old can of dog food from the supermarket shelf, why not take a closer look at what you are feeding your four-legged friend?
Whether your dog is already suffering, or you’re taking a preventative approach, The Canine Nutritionist, Gerald Pepin, has all the answers you seek. As one of the very few qualified dog nutritionists in the UK, Gerald offers insights that others can’t, and his in-depth consultations look past the dog’s symptoms and at your beloved pooch as a whole – uncovering their unique nutritional needs. We spoke to Gerald in much more detail regarding the benefits of analysing your dog’s diet, how
owners can make positive yet affordable changes, and his take on the topic of plant-based dog food.
Can you tell us more about the overarching benefits of taking a closer look at your dog’s diet?
There’s an ancient Chinese proverb which says that good food is the best medicine, and if we want to remain healthy, we have to first and foremost eat a healthy diet. This same philosophy applies to man’s best friend. We share much of our DNA and have broadly similar digestive systems to dogs. It’s precisely because of this that dogs were used in 20th century studies to help determine human nutritional requirements. We only know as much as we do about our own dietary requirements because of dogs! We know that we and they have the best chance of remaining healthy if we eat a varied, minimally processed, fresh food diet. It goes against all the laws of nature that we feed dogs the same thing, day in, day out, and expect them to remain healthy.
You’re one of the very few qualified canine nutritionists in the UK. How does your advice vary from what a veterinarian could offer?
It is not widely understood that vets have limited training in nutrition – all of which is provided by employees of commercial pet food companies.
While we both have the dog’s best interests at heart, the approach of the dog nutritionist is entirely different to the vet. A vet treats symptoms with medication which invariably creates side-effects that cause a different set of symptoms which then have to be treated with yet further medication.
A canine nutritionist on the other hand treats the whole dog, not just the symptoms. We understand the healing power of food and heal from the inside out. It’s been estimated that 80% of canine health problems can be cured or improved simply via food alone – with nothing more than an improved diet. To the canine nutritionist it seems logical to do the least harmful, least invasive thing first. Improve the dog’s diet before you consider prescribing medication.
There has been an emergence of organic and gourmet dog foods on the market in recent years, but it’s often markedly higher in cost compared to long-standing commercial brands. How can dog owners change and improve their dog’s diet without incurring a consistent increase in costs? The obvious answer to that is to make homemade food. Not only is fresh food exponentially healthier, it can also be a lot cheaper. Furthermore, you actually know what is going into your dog’s bowl which you never do with commercial products.
Don’t forget, ‘organic’ and ‘gourmet’ are often little more than marketing labels. It’s all very well buying a product because it’s said to be organic, but if organic ingredients are so highly processed that they can sit on your shelf for 18 months without spoiling, just how organic is the finished product?
No, the only way to control both quality and cost, is either to feed raw or home cook for your dog. If that isn’t practical, then adding some fresh food ingredients to a dog’s normal commercial dog food is likely to be healthier and cheaper than organic or gourmet dog food.
What are the key vitamins and nutrients that owners should be looking to implement into their pet’s diet?
Any animal requires six essential nutrients in its diet. These are water, fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. These are involved in every function of a dog’s body. Importantly though, while the balance of these is important, no one knows the optimum dietary requirement for any given animal. Commercial pet food manufacturers have established minimum requirements, but that is for highly processed food made with synthetic ingredients. Besides, every dog is different – who can say what is right for any individual dog? Without any shadow of a doubt, the best way to ensure a dog gets the right balance of nutrients for its own individual needs is to feed a fresh food diet!
The Canine Nutritionist offers consultations and customised dietary plans. How are those developed?
Each consultation begins with the completion of a detailed questionnaire by the client. That helps me to establish whether I need to create a diet for a normal healthy dog or a diet customised to address a particular health condition.
Quite frequently, dogs have underlying and undiagnosed digestive problems that have contributed to their diagnosed health condition. A dog nutritionist is trained to spot and address these, whereas a vet is not. Around 80% of a dog’s immune system is in the gut. It stands to reason that any imbalance in gut bacteria is going to have a major impact on the health of its other organs.
Once I establish a dog’s individual needs, it’s a straightforward matter of devising a dietary plan to cure or at least improve the situation.
How close is the link between a dog’s diet and them suffering health issues such as arthritis and cancer?
As we’re still very much learning, good health starts in the gut. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a dog or a human being, a healthy gut improves nutrient absorption, enhances immune function and helps fight disease.
Just about every canine and human disease, including both arthritis and cancer, very much relate to chronic inflammation. In fact, some scientists currently believe that inflammation is responsible for every single degenerative disease affecting both species.
Since the bulk of the immune system is in the gut, it makes sense that the healthier this is, the healthier your dog is likely to be!
Is there a belief amongst yourself and others in the industry that humans in general don’t consider a dog’s specific needs before they undertake pet ownership? What can be done on a national scale to spread your message?
Sadly, people rarely take into account a dog’s specific needs before undertaking pet ownership. No two dogs are the same, and each one is an individual that needs to be treated as such. For those of us in the industry, the solution is simple. It comes down to education.
Education ensures that prospective pet parents are matched with the right dog for their lifestyle. This would greatly reduce the number of dogs re-homed through no fault of their own because they were not correctly matched to their home environment.
Then there’s training which in my view should be mandatory. And, of course, there’s education about nutrition to encourage pet parents to take responsibility for their dog rather than simply hand that responsibility to a pet food manufacturer or their vet, neither of whom understand the needs of the individual dog.
What are your thoughts on plant-based diets for dogs compared to more traditional meat-led diets?
The subject of plant-based diets for dogs is a controversial one. Dogs are omnivores. They have a digestive system designed to benefit from both plant and animal sources. Even the wolf in the wild derives nutrients from both plants and animals.
That said, it is entirely possible for a dog to thrive on a plant-based diet. In fact, a recent study carried out by a leading research university in Canada found that dogs fed plant-based alternatives were both healthier and lived longer than dogs fed a traditional meat-based diet. So, while it’s not something any pet parent should undertake without the guidance of a canine nutritionist, dogs can do very well without meat. And let’s be honest, in terms of sustainability, it is something many more of us will have to consider in the fullness of time.
Can you tell us more about your upcoming book regarding older dogs?
Yes, Feeding the Senior Dog for Better Health & Longer Life focuses on the nutritional needs of the older dog. There are many books about feeding puppies and adult dogs, but very few books dedicated to feeding the senior dog.
As dogs age, their nutritional needs change. Scientific studies show that successfully managing those changes with dietary adjustments can help protect against chronic illness and increase a dog’s lifespan.
Weight management for example can extend the life of a dog by up to two-and-a-half-years. That’s potentially a 20% longer lifespan for the average dog, simply by feeding it correctly and helping it maintain a healthy weight.
Our dogs are with us for such a short amount of time. Who wouldn’t want a couple of extra years with their best friend, especially when it’s so easy to achieve?
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Pet parents should understand that diet not only affects health problems, it also affects behaviour. Whether your dog has a health problem or behavioural issues, the very first thing you need to address is its diet. Whatever your dog’s problem, think about improving its diet before you permit your vet to prescribe medication!
Website: www.geraldpepin.co.uk