Do you include some whole foods in your companion animals’ diets? I hope so. This isn’t a new idea. Until kibble was invented in the 1940s, all pets ate whole foods. They ate what we ate: beans, potatoes, pancakes, bacon. That’s all their families had and they shared it. Their dogs might have even licked the plates clean, because dirty dishwasher wasn’t so easy to replace before indoor plumbing came along. This was BGD, Before Garbage Disposals, too.

When dry kibble was invented, I imagine many families were suspicious of it and didn’t like the additional expense either. But over the decades, dry kibble became the western world standard and today many families are suspicious of feeding whole foods to animals and may be concerned about the expense. Funny how the benefit of convenience can influence our thinking. Clearly the idea of feeding people enriched dry cereal for their entire lives would be considered unhealthy, yet many promote that same diet for pets.

Think about enriching your pet’s diets in the year ahead by adding whole foods. To get a good grounding in feeding whole foods to your dogs, read the renowned “Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats”. Check these lists for foods to avoid for dogs and cats.

To get really inspired, put this cookbook for dogs by Minnesota authors Katie K9 and Renee Sherrill, “Simple Cooking for Dogs 101” on your shelf. Send a check to “Katie K9” for $13.95 each plus $3.00 for shipping to Katie’s Book, P.O. Box 71, Hugo, MN 55038. How about “Have ’em Dancing Tuna” in the Quick Meals section for a start?