How “Balanced” is Your Dog’s Food, Really?

Recently in my public Facebook group there was a post from a member who had noticed how fatty the quail was that she was getting. I commiserated, because I’ve noticed the same increasing trend.

For purposes of comparison, I shared on this post a photo of a defeathered suburban wild bird I found a few years ago. I have no idea what kind of bird this was, but it was similar in size to an adult quail.

This photo alone illustrates one of the big problems with agricultural animals. Namely, FAT. Bear in mind that quail is by far the leanest whole animal we can get on the commercial market.

Also, remember that the wild bird in this photo was extremely active, spending much of the day flying. It also lived in a cold climate that requires insulation of some kind. The problem with birds using FAT for insulation is that too much of it impairs their ability to fly. That’s why nature invented feathers.

An agricultural quail has no need to fly or move at all. They are probably either housed or raised in a warm climate, as well. So, they would require neither stored fuel nor insulation. Then why are their bodies so encumbered by fat? I’ll give you a hint: fatty animals bring higher profits at slaughter time.

Animal agriculture really has turned nature on her head.

While nutritionists and vets are fixating on micronutrients, dogs end up getting too much fat and too little protein. This presents a big macronutrient imbalance to domestic dogs and cats. That causes disease. Why can’t the rest of the raw feeding world recognize this? Dogs and cats evolved eating lean animals, not ones that have been “fattened for market.” It’s so obvious when you’re paying attention.