- Now, I'm sure you've heard that kibble is bad for dogs.
But is this actually true?
Well, if kibble is all you (chuckling) can afford,
then it really doesn't matter, does it?
But with that said,
there are definitely some things about kibble
that can potentially harm your dog.
So let's look at the top three problems with kibble
and how you can ﬁx them with simple foods.
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Okay, so one of the biggest problems with kibble
is contaminants, especially the ones linked to cancer.
In fact, the biggest issue in kibble today
is a little mold called aflatoxin.
Now, aflatoxin is a mycotoxin
and it's the most carcinogenic or cancer-causing substance
in the natural world,
so obviously you really wanna limit
the amount your dog eats.
Now, mycotoxins grow on crops
like corn, rice, nuts and legumes,
so the more of these starches that are in the food,
the higher the risk of contamination.
Now, the Consumer Council of Hong Kong
tested 40 different pet foods here in the US
and they found aflatoxin was in every sample.
And an animal health and nutrition company, Alltech,
looked at over 900 pet food samples
and found 98% of them were contaminated
with one or more mycotoxins,
and 93% contained two or more.
Now, the problem with aflatoxin in pet food is so widespread
that Purina calls is an unavoidable natural contaminant.
But that's not the only problem
with the grains and legumes in kibble.
Unless the kibble is organic,
grains and especially oats and legumes
are contaminated with a herbicide called Roundup.
Now, the World Health Organization says that glyphosate,
which is the active ingredient in Roundup,
is likely to cause quite a few forms of cancer,
but that's not the biggest problem.
Glyphosate is also an antibiotic.
So if your dog is eating foods with glyphosate
and he probably is,
then he's eating antibiotics every single day.
Now, over time, this can destroy the beneficial bacteria
that live in his gut
and control a big part of his immune system.
Without a healthy gut balance, dogs can develop leaky gut,
digestive issues, skin and joint problems
and even immune diseases.
And this is a real problem for dogs
because dogs have 32 times more glyphosate in them
than we humans and more than any other species in the world.
So you have to do something about this.
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please let me know in the comments
and if have any questions, leave a comment
and our team is always happy to help you out.
Now, there's another reason
why kibble isn't particularly good for dogs,
and that problem is kibble can be antioxidant poor.
Now, antioxidants are little natural compounds
that ﬁght free radicals,
which are a major cause of cell damage.
Healthy organs need to be made from healthy cells,
so antioxidants protect your dog from disease
and premature aging by slowing the buildup of free radicals.
Now a lot of the ingredients that go in a kibble
are rich in antioxidants,
but only in their raw state.
Heating kills about 95% of antioxidants,
leaving your dog at risk for premature aging
from free radical buildup.
In fact, scientists in Belgium analyzed data
from over 500 dogs and found that, statistically,
dogs that eat fresh, whole foods
had a life expectancy of 32 months longer
than dogs eating a processed diet.
Now, 32 months is a long time for animals
that only live 10 to 15 years.
And by the way, if you like this video,
please let me know in the comments
and if have any questions, leave a comment
and we're always happy to help you out.
Okay, so let's recap the three biggest ways
that kibble can harm you dog.
First, it's almost always contaminated
with mycotoxins and glyphosate,
both of which can cause cancer.
Now, glyphosate also messes with your dog's gut health
by killing off the bacteria that are supposed to live there
and support this gut lining and immune system.
And third, there are very few antioxidants in the food
to clean up the damage done by one and two.
It's like pouring gasoline
on an already pro-inflammatory diet.
So what do you do to reduce the potential damage?
Now, if you have the time and budget
to feed a raw food diet, these problems go away.
Raw diets don't contain the starches
that are full of contaminants,
plus the antioxidants in the food will be left intact.
But if raw food isn't in your budget,
then here are five really easy but important tips
to make your dog's kibble healthier.
First, you need to find a kibble
with a relatively small amount of carbohydrate,
which is the grains or legumes.
I'll include a link in the comments to help you find one.
The more carbs in the food,
the more mycotoxin and the more glyphosate,
so you wanna keep it low.
Second, try to find an organic food.
Organic foods won't contain glyphosate
but they can still be really high in mycotoxins,
so it's still important to keep the carbohydrates
to a minimum.
Third, add dark leafy greens and some berries
to your dog's food.
A study in Scottish Terrier
showed that adding greens to the diet
just three times a week or more
reduced the risk of cancer by a whopping 70%.
Greens and berries are a great source of those antioxidants
that are destroyed when kibble is cooked.
They put back in what the heat and processing take out.
Fourth, add mushrooms.
Look, cancer rates are really high in dogs,
so it's important to do all you can to reduce that risk.
And mushrooms are an inexpensive way to do it.
Now, researchers looked at 17 different cancer studies
and found that the more mushrooms in the diet,
the lower the risk of cancer.
And a study on dogs found that turkey tail mushrooms
more than double the life expectancy of dogs
with hemangiosarcoma, which is an aggressive form of cancer.
Now, there is a few mushrooms you can choose from
and aside from turkey tail, look at reishi and shiitake,
'cause these are good choices
with cancer-fighting properties.
And finally, give your dog probiotics.
While glyphosate can destroy gut bacteria,
probiotics and probiotics
can help support healthy bacteria colonies.
Now, one of the best probiotics for this job
is a soil-based probiotic called Bacillus subtilis.
While other probiotics might be damaged by the glyphosate
or by the acids in your dog's stomach,
this hardy little probiotic can form a protective shell
and is much better at surviving
and promoting the growth
of healthy bacteria colonies in the gut.
So the bottom line is, kibble is like fast food.
It might be delicious for your dog
and it's convenient for you,
but that convenience comes at a cost.
But these five simple changes
can help reduce some of the baggage that comes with kibble.
And if you're ready to start making
your own cooked or raw diet,
then check the links here for easy to make recipes
that are complete and balanced.
And if you like this video,
please make sure you like it, share it,
and tell people about it.
Thanks for watching.