Let's Talk Kibble

When most people think of dog food, they think of kibble. It’s everywhere — shelves stacked high, brightly colored bags, and marketing phrases like “complete and balanced nutrition.” But in reality, kibble is the equivalent of a low-grade processed cuisine. It contains ingredients most people can’t pronounce, let alone understand. And when those first few ingredients are rendered meats, by-products, and fillers, you truly have no idea what your dog is actually eating.

Manufacturers add salt, preservatives, stabilizers, and synthetic vitamins. Why? Because so much of the nutritional value is cooked out during extreme processing. High heat destroys delicate nutrients, enzymes, and amino acids — which is why companies must “fortify” kibble with synthetic replacements.

I’m not anti-kibble. There are good kibbles out there, and my own dog eats kibble as part of a rotational diet. But I also know kibble is not the best thing you can feed your dog, and finding a good one takes work. The uncomfortable truth is this:

The most popular, most heavily marketed kibble brands are often not the healthiest options — and many of them are owned by even larger parent companies with documented ethical controversies.

How Kibble Came to Be

Kibble was created in the 1950s for one reason: convenience. Companies blended low-cost ingredients, boiled them, mixed them into a starch-heavy dough, and made them into uniform pellets. It was quick. It was cheap. It required no refrigeration. And it allowed companies to profit enormously.

But all of that convenience came at the expense of your dog’s health.

How kibble is made today

The process hasn’t changed much. Manufacturers:

1. Take low-quality ingredients

2. Blend them together

3. Cook them at extremely high temperatures

4. Add synthetic vitamins/minerals to replace destroyed nutrients

By the end, the only nutrition your dog receives is whatever synthetic nutrients are added back in.

That’s not healthy.And ask yourself this:

Pet owners often bring up cost — and I fully understand. That’s where I come in.

I can help you:

• find affordable but higher-quality kibble

• improve your current kibble with supplements, toppers, or fresh add-ins

• transition to a 50/50 diet

• build homemade, fresh, or raw plans

• customize feeding strategies to your budget and comfort level

You don’t need to break the bank to feed your dog better.

How to Choose a Better Kibble

Kibble can be part of a healthy diet — if you choose wisely.

1. Look at the company

Transparency matters. Ingredient sourcing matters. Business ethics matter.

Some companies offer complete traceability, allowing you to see where each ingredient comes from. Others… do not.

Without naming names, many of the most recognizable kibble brands are owned by massive corporations with long histories of questionable practices. If parent companies are doing questionable things, why not question their intentions with your dog's food?

2. Treat every bag like a new product

Formulas change. Companies cut costs. Always re-check ingredients.

The first 2–3 ingredients must be real, identifiable proteins.Not unspecified “meals,” not by-products, not corn, peas, rice, or oats.

3. Look for organ-rich, specific meats

Quality brands list things like:

• beef heart

• beef lung

• chicken liver

Vague terms mean vague sourcing.

A page-long ingredient list is a red flag — it means the company is compensating for poor base ingredients with additives and synthetic replacements.

Kibble Recalls Are More Common Than You Think

Processed kibble has a long history of recalls — contamination, mold toxins, harmful additives, and yes, Salmonella.

People often label raw feeding as “dangerous,” yet raw food companies have had far fewer recalls than many major kibble brands.

If raw were truly the biggest threat, recall lists would reflect that.

It makes you think.

Why Do Vets Support Kibble? Let’s Break It Down.

This is one of the most important — and misunderstood — topics in canine nutrition.

1. Vet students often receive free or discounted kibble in school

When a student feeds and studies with one brand for four years, of course they trust it.

2. Many veterinary nutrition lectures are sponsored by major kibble manufacturers

If a company is both educating vets and supplying the food, their influence is clear.

3. Vet clinics often receive discounts or carry stock from specific brands

This makes it easy for clinics to recommend these foods and easy for clients to buy them on their way out.

4. Nutrition is rarely brought up at vet appointments

Your dog can walk into a clinic with:

• chronic itching

• digestive problems

• recurring ear infections

• skin irritation

• weight issues

• 
  

And many vets will immediately reach for medications like Apoquel, Cytopoint, steroids, or antibiotics — without ever asking what the dog is eating.

This isn’t negligence.It’s simply how the system is built: treat symptoms quickly, don’t investigate nutrition deeply.

But I do investigate nutrition deeply.

That is the foundation of my work — finding the root cause, not masking symptoms.

Your dog should not be on medication after medication when their diet is a major part of the problem.

I’m not anti-medication.Medication saves lives.But if we can fix an issue through nutrition, I will always choose that path first.

Why Vets Rarely Recommend Raw Food

Most vets don’t support raw feeding — but not because raw is inherently bad.

It’s because:

• most pet owners do raw diets incorrectly

• unbalanced homemade diets can cause deficiencies

• vets see the worst-case scenarios

• they are trained to avoid anything perceived as “risky”

• bacteria concerns are emphasized heavily in vet school

• 
  

But here’s the truth:

Bacteria are everywhere.

Dogs lick sidewalks, eat grass, chew on sticks, drink from puddles, and mouth dead animals. Their digestive systems are built to handle bacterial loads far better than ours.

Raw feeding is safe when done correctly.

And that's where I come in. I can help you build a balanced, safe, nourishing raw or homemade diet — step-by-step — using proper ratios, validated resources, and expert oversight.

Need Help Improving Your Dog’s Diet?

Whether you want:

• better kibble

• kibble + fresh

• kibble + raw

• homemade diets

• full raw

• rotating plans

• help with supplements

• nutrition questions

  
  

I can guide you.

If you have kibble questions or want personalized help, you can send me a form through my website: crunchyscaninenutrition.com

Your dog deserves better than convenience.They deserve health — real, whole, inside-out health — one bowl at a time.