The Raw Truth About Kibble: Why Your Dog Deserves Better

Have you been feeding your dog kibble?  If so, you need to read this. This information could very well change everything you thought you knew about commercial pet food. And, it could add years to your dog's life!

Hidden dangers in your dog's bowl

Unfortunately, most dog owners don't realize that commercial kibble is the complete opposite of what dogs naturally evolved to eat. Recent studies show that dogs fed kibble diets have homocysteine levels ten times higher than those eating minimally processed diets. What this means for our dogs is chronic metabolic stress and inflammation.  This is silently damaging our dog's body every single day.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t end their either.

Kibble is ultra-heat processed and these processing techniques used to create those convenient little biscuits produce compounds that are genuinely dangerous for your dog. We're talking about acrylamides, heterocyclic amines (HCAs), and Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). Don’t let the big words scare you, all you need to know is that these compounds are causing harm to your animals under the guise of nutrition.

Let’s start with proteins.  When proteins are blasted with extreme heat during production, they transform into heterocyclic amines which are known carcinogens. Next, we have fats.  When fats are exposed to those same high temperatures, they become trans fats, which are also carcinogenic. And those AGEs? They're major contributors to liver disease, kidney failure, diabetes, and premature aging. They create free radicals that trigger inflammation throughout your dog's entire body. 

The ingredient nightmare you never knew about

Think the processing is bad? Wait until you hear about what's actually in that bag of kibble!

Many commercial dog foods contain aflatoxins which is a toxic compound produced by mould growing on grains. But, that’s not the shocking part! FDA regulations actually permit pet food manufacturers to use material from diseased animals. Yes, you heard that correctly!  Carcasses that have shown clear evidence of disease are PERMITTED as ingredients in our dogs food. This includes tissues riddled with tumours.  These ingredients would be condemned and banned immediately from being used for human consumption by the USDA.

So, there is a chance that the kibble in your pantry may contain diseased tissue and cancerous tumours deemed completely unfit for human consumption. That doesn’t sit well with us.  And, this isn't some wild conspiracy theory either.  This is a legal, FDA-approved reality. Your beloved pet could be eating what the food industry literally classifies as waste material.

But enough of the bad news!  We want you to know it's not too late to make a change.

Why kibble fails your dog

Listen, we understand the kibble choice for most pet owners.  It’s easy, it's convenient. Just scoop and serve. But convenience comes at a quite a price when it's compromising your dog's health. Beyond the processing and ingredient concerns, these are the three fundamental problems with feeding your dog a dry food diet:

Problem #1: the hydration crisis

Kibble typically contains just 5-10% water content. Compare that to wet or raw food, which contains 70% or more. Dogs derive significant hydration from their food, just like  their wild ancestors would have, so hydration in their food is vitally important.

Dogs that eat dry food diets are chronically under-hydrated, and this puts strain on their kidneys and bladder. This strain, over time,  can lead to urinary tract infections, bladder stones, and kidney disease. Left untreated these infections can cause irreversible damage to your dog's health.

Problem #2: carbohydrate overload

Dogs are opportunistic carnivores. What that means is that in the wild they hunted prey animals and scavenged for meat dense meals. Their diets were high-protein and high-moisture, packed with organ meat and raw bones. Carbohydrates were a minimal part of the equation.

Now look at your bag of kibble. For something to even qualify as kibble, it needs at least 10% carbohydrates to hold its shape. But most commercial brands contain between 40-80% carbs!  This is far more than our dogs have evolved to handle.

If you’re wondering what happens to all the excess carbohydrates, well, they break down into sugars.  These sugars feed yeast microbes in your dog's system. And the result of that? Itchy skin, chronic ear infections, yeasty odours, hot spots, and a host of inflammatory conditions. On top of this you can add obesity, diabetes, and pancreatitis.  Not a recipe we want to feed our dogs!

Problem #3: protein that doesn't deliver

Let’s be honest, plant-based protein is cheap. Rice, corn, wheat, soy, (often GMO too) cost a fraction of what meat does. So, manufacturers use plant proteins in their kibble and label it "complete nutrition."  But the problem is, not all proteins are created equal.

Dogs are built to derive most of their nutrition from animal sources. Plant and meat proteins have fundamentally different chemical compositions. For example: certain essential amino acids are far more bioavailable in meat. So ask yourself if your dog is getting the right amino acid profile for optimal health, even if the ingredient list shows the required quantities of protein.

Making the switch

So, you’ve decided to make the switch?  That’s great news!  But, it has to be done properly.  Transitioning from kibble to raw food requires patience and strategy. If your dog has been eating kibble their whole life, their digestive system will need time to adapt and it may subsequently have a degree of under-function whereby you may need to use gut repair supplements.  Slippery elm powder or commercial aloe vera juice can help to bring the level of digestive health back to normal. This can’t be done cold-turkey style, it has to be a gradual process.

TWO WEEK transition plan:

Always start by mixing a small amount of raw food in with your dog's current kibble.  Go with a ratio of 1/5 raw to 4/5 kibble. Keep this up for two days. Then, on the third day, shift to 2/5 raw and 3/5 kibble for another two days. Keep going with this pattern, gradually increasing the raw portion while decreasing the kibble, until your dog is eating 100% raw food.

When your dog resists:

Some dogs will make the switch effortlessly. Others turn up their noses up and refuse to eat. If your dog shows signs of resisting the move to raw, try different protein sources.  Try beef, lamb, chicken, turkey or fish. Also, you can add bone broth for extra flavour. Experiment with different textures and temperatures.  Just remember to be patient through the process.

What to expect:

It is common for your dog to have loose stools during the transition. Your dog's digestive system is adapting to a new food source, so some digestive upset is to be expected. If your dog suffers diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, slow down the process to give your dogs tummy more time to adjust.  

MicroMed Probiotics introduce a proprietary blend of commensal micro-organisms consisting of bacteria, fungi and protozoa to provide complete microbiome support.  This helps restore digestive balance during this transition.  Our probiotics help reduce the inflammation through the post-biotics they produce and improve the absorption of the nutrients. This can significantly decrease the diarrhoea by helping your dog's digestive system adapt more quickly to the enzymatic and bacterial demands of raw food digestion.

Once the transition is complete you will see your dog's stools will become firmer and smaller.  These are signs of better digestibility and nutrient absorption and exactly what we want to see.

Building a balanced raw diet

A balance raw diet for dogs includes muscle meat, raw meaty bones, tripe, and organ meat. Make sure the bones are always raw, never cooked, because cooking makes bones brittle and dangerous.

Two raw food options:

DIY/Homemade: Prepare your dog's raw food yourself. Making their food at home gives you complete control over the ingredients and the sourcing.  This can be time-consuming and requires careful attention to nutritional balance, but can be very rewarding for the pet owner.

Pre-Made Raw Food: Source a commercial raw food supplier. They handle the prep work, ensuring the meals are nutritionally balanced meals and meet your dog's needs.

Where to find quality raw food in New Zealand

If you're ready to make the switch, here are our top recommendations for raw food suppliers:

• Brodies Auckland - Premium raw food options in the Auckland region
• Cats and Dogs Dinner Company Wellington - Balanced raw meals for Wellington pet owners
• Best for Pets in Christchurch - Quality raw food sourcing in Christchurch
• Pet Naturals Orewa - Natural raw food options in Orewa
• Otago Petfoods - Serving the Otago region with raw pet food
• Petsmart NZ Invercargill - Raw food supplies in Invercargill
• Pet Direct Auckland and Christchurch

For a comprehensive list of raw food suppliers across New Zealand, check online directories that list pre-prepared raw food options by region.

The stakes are higher than you think

Your dog might seem perfectly healthy on kibble right now, but many dogs are suffering from internal issues that won't become apparent until it's too late to reverse the damage.  Obesity. Diabetes. Inflammatory bowel disease. Pancreatitis. Chronic skin conditions. Heart disease. Kidney failure. These are some of the leading causes of death and diminished quality of life in dogs, and they're all linked to poor nutrition.

Even if your dog isn't showing symptoms today, prevention is always better than treatment. Don’t wait until your dog is sick to make a change.

The choice is yours

You can't unlearn what you've just learned. That kibble sitting in your pantry represents years of industry shortcuts, questionable ingredients, and nutritional compromises, and your dog deserves better.

Raw feeding is a return to the diet dogs evolved to thrive on. It means choosing real nutrition over convenience. It means deciding that your dog's health matters more than saving a few minutes or pennies each day.

Yes, the transition might take effort, but when you see your dog's gleaming coat and boundless energy you'll know you made the right choice.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, treat, or replace consulting a primary veterinarian for individualized care.