As a conscientious Dog Mom, I read the food and treat labels… I really do.  I am cautious about the contents, as I have witnessed a vivid difference between the effects of “popular” commercial dog food and treats, and a grain-free, natural diet.  I try to stick with one trusted label, to minimize variables, and then add fresh meats and veggies (like BUTCHER’S FEAST) to the dry food for variety. For months, I have used one specific brand of dry food, and my dogs love it.

I have two dogs; a happy little Eskie/Pom cross, and a slightly anxious full American Eskimo.  My Eskie is a rescue who came from a lonely city apartment with little outdoor activity and a cheap commercial food to a home in the country, with walks and runs, a much-improved diet, and new doggie friends galore. It has been an amazing transition.

When Nietzsche arrived, he was so itchy that if you ran your hand down his back, you could feel the skin contracting at your touch. He couldn’t focus, and was in constant nervous motion. His fur was dull and sparse, his skin was bright pink, and he looked like he had a case of acne on his belly. He had the classic “Christmas Tree” of hair loss from mid-back to curly, scrawny tail, and he spun constant circles trying to get at that area. He “wanted” to relax, he really did, but… Anyone other than Mama coming in to his range of vision was suspect, and he would go “out of body”, barking and lurching, careening madly into furniture while backing away or in to my arms. He was miserable. I had to assume that at least “some” of this was food-related.

A visit to the vet confirmed that he had no mange, fleas, or “allergies”, but when I suggested food sensitivity, the vet conceded that “switching his diet couldn’t do any harm”… THANK YOU! So, I began to “detox” this dog. He ate fresh and natural from day one. I supplemented with Coconut oil and I even attended a Yankee Golden Retriever Club membership meeting’s presentation on Canine Nutrition, given by Tammi Martin of Pet Pantry Provisions.  The information I gained there reinforced my beliefs and focused my efforts. (She also explained the cost per calorie concept, which I have found invaluable. Yes, I am on a budget.)

Within six weeks, the difference was obvious. Nietzsche was bouncy and happy, and naturally energetic, but he could focus on training, settled down nicely, and recognized family and friends. His hair had grown back, he was much less nervous and reactive, and his skin was clear and light. All itching had stopped, and even his breath was sweet. (We assume that he is reactive to grains, so I simply avoid them in general.) One behavior that has remained the same is that when he is aware of a bowl coming his way, he will spin, in frantic, skidding circles, ending poised in a drunken left-hand lean, one paw up… waiting.

And so my cautionary tale begins. Again with the budget… a dear friend who lost her awesome little doggy to an accident late last year offered me her remaining food for my guys. It was the same brand and all, and I gratefully accepted, took the half-bag home, and poured it in a sealed plastic food caddy.

Later that week, I came home in the evening to a scene out of “Dogs Gone Wild”. As I drove in, my silly fuzzy boy was racing in crazy laps around the gated deck, spinning, and barking at top volume. I approached, assuming he would calm at least a little, but he continued his wild tirade, bouncing through the door with me, and putting on a great display of the zoomies, while my sleepy Pom gazed up at us, un-phased. At first, we laughed at his antics. She snored, he bounced… and shook and wriggled and panted and ran… and tried to express his, umm, undying affection for my visiting son… so now it was not so funny.

I finally contained him on my lap on the floor and began to brush him, which is his usual cue to peace out. It took over an hour to calm him down. He had already eaten, and was drinking madly every time he passed the water bowl, so I began to think he must have gotten in to Something, Somewhere… but what? The next night, we had a repeat reaction. Less than twenty minutes after his meal, he was panting and spinning and racing around with a goofy grin on his face. He didn’t seem upset at all, but I was puzzled and getting concerned. Again, his “sister” wandered off and took a nap, snoring loudly. We then took a long evening walk, during which he had no control at all, lurching and spinning on the leash, crossing my path and even lifting his leg on his sister! OK… now I had a job to do.

I went home and searched the house for chocolate. I checked the treats to make sure they were made in the USA. I asked my husband if he had any ideas. “Nope”… No new grains, no change in their diet… wait a sec. I hadn’t even considered the “new” dry food. How could it be any different?

So I called my trusted resource, Tammi Martin, asking for advice. I explained the bizarre behavior, said something about “the drunken hijinx”… and Tammi said “Well, hold on, let’s look.” She said that there were actually four minor ingredients in my trusted brand that were naturally fermented in processing… if stored correctly and consumed before their expiration date, they were just fine… but add heat and oxygenation, and you might actually end up with a slightly re-fermented product. My Boy was getting “drunk” on his food! In retrospect, my Pom’s deep sleep was not as surprising, either. Not having the bag from the gifted food, I couldn’t check the dates, but Tammi explained that while most of the dry foods she currently stocks have expiration dates of late 2014, the bag my friend had given me could have been sitting on a shelf for up to a year before its sale! Add that to the bag being opened and stored in a sunny hallway for three months or so… and there you go.

SO, with this new information, it was “out with the old and in with the new”, in an extension of my usual Spring Cleaning. There have been no recent bizarre events of note, but it really was a wake-up call, so I thought I would pass it on. Check your dates, store pet foods as you would your own, in a cool, dry place, in sealed containers. If the food smells strange or stale… well, you know. Time for a visit to Pet Pantry Provisions to restock.

Please post your comments, let me know what you think…

Kim Thomas