DEAR READERS: Please read the following article by Lauren Quinn of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It was originally published on the website for the university’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (aces.illinois.edu) and also appeared at science site phys.org.

ACES News: Feed Fido Fresh, Human-Grade Dog Food To Scoop Less Poop

For decades, kibble has been our go-to diet for dogs. But the dog food marketplace has exploded in recent years, with grain-free, fresh, and now human-grade offerings crowding the shelves. All commercial dog foods must meet standards for complete and balanced nutrition, so how do consumers know what to choose?

A new University of Illinois comparison study shows diets made with human-grade ingredients are not only highly palatable, they’re extremely digestible. And that means less poop to scoop. Up to 66% less.

“Based on past research we’ve conducted, I’m not surprised with the results when feeding human-grade compared to an extruded dry diet,” says Kelly Swanson, the Kraft Heinz Company Endowed Professor in Human Nutrition in the Department of Animal Sciences and the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Illinois, and co-author on the Journal of Animal Science study. “However, I did not expect to see how well the human-grade fresh food performed, even compared to a fresh commercial processed brand.”

Swanson and his team fed beagles four commercially available diets: a standard extruded diet (kibble); a fresh, refrigerated diet; and two fresh diets made using only USDA-certified, human-grade ingredients. These fresh diets include minimally processed ingredients such as beef, chicken, rice, carrots, broccoli and others in small chunks or a sort of casserole. The dogs consumed each diet for four weeks.

The researchers found that dogs fed the extruded diet had to eat more to maintain their body weight, and produced 1.5 to 2.9 times as much poop as any of the fresh diets.

“This is consistent with a 2019 National Institute of Health study in humans that found people eating a fresh, whole-food diet consumed on average 500 less calories per day, and reported being more satisfied, than people eating a more processed diet,” Swanson says.

The researchers also found that the fresh diets uniquely influenced the gut microbial community.

“Because a healthy gut means a healthy mutt, fecal microbial and metabolite profiles are important readouts of diet assessment,” Swanson says. “As we have shown in previous studies, the fecal microbial communities of healthy dogs fed fresh diets were different than those fed kibble. These unique microbial profiles were likely due to differences in diet processing, ingredient source, and the concentration and type of dietary fibers, proteins and fats that are known to influence what is digested by the dog and what reaches the colon for fermentation.”

The article, ”Nutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics, microbiota and metabolites in dogs fed human-grade foods,” is published in the Journal of Animal Science. Authors include Sungho Do, Thunyaporn Phungviwatnikul, Maria de Godoy, and Kelly Swanson. Funding was provided by JustFoodForDogs LLC.

DEAR DR. FOX: As the president of a dog park in my rural town, I find there has been much debate on whether or not it is safe to allow intact male dogs to play with neutered male dogs and spayed female dogs. I have spent a great deal of time asking various professionals for guidance, and none can agree.

I hate to turn away intact males from an opportunity to socialize with other pups if they are well-behaved. I would greatly appreciate your professional opinion. -- M.M., Kinderhook, New York

DEAR M.M.: This question often comes up in my column, in which I have recently urged people to consider not neutering their dogs for various health reasons, as many holistic veterinarians are now also advocating.

In my experience, un-neutered male dogs may be more challenging when meeting other dogs for the first time. Such meetings may trigger mounting behavior by the un-neutered males, possibly because they find the other dogs’ pheromones attractive. This behavior must be appropriately controlled because the mounted dog will protest and a fight might ensue. But mounting can also be a playful action preceding play-fighting, wrestling and chasing, so some understanding of canine behavior is important.

Un-neutered large breeds like the Irish wolfhound and Saint Bernard are generally very easygoing, while terrier breeds are more feisty.

My main concern with dog parks and enclosed communal dog areas -- besides the potential buildup of fecal parasites like hookworms -- are people whose dogs, neutered or not, are bullies. These dogs enjoy body-slamming and playing too rough with smaller dogs, who may get injured. Large dogs play-chasing can also slam into people. In our local dog park enclosure, such dogs caused two people to have leg and arm fractures, and one woman fall onto a small dog and fractured the dog’s foreleg. So all must be alert and not just engage in chatting circles, oblivious to what all the dogs are doing!

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

HEALTH PROBLEMS IN U.K. DOGS MIRROR THOSE IN U.S.

Dental disease is the most common health problem in dogs in the U.K., followed by ear infections and obesity, according to a study published in BMC Veterinary Research. Male dogs are at higher risk than female dogs for these and seven other common health problems. “Owners should work closely with their vet to plan appropriate dental and weight-care programs at each visit,” said veterinarian Dan O’Neill, the study’s lead author. (Full story: VetSurgeon U.K., Feb. 17)

What a pity this study did not determine what these dogs were being fed! There is mounting evidence that popular dog kibble, often recommended and sold by veterinarians, is a major contributing factor to many health issues. Such issues are often quickly resolved -- and can often be prevented in the first place -- by feeding dogs moist, whole-food diets.

DEAR READERS: The COVID-19 pandemic pales before the enormity of the issue of plastic pollution. Plastics are burned in many countries, releasing dioxins and other chemicals into the air, many of which can cause cancer and birth defects and/or damage the lungs and brain. These chemicals eventually settle on the crops we eat and the surface waters we ultimately drink.

Plastics in our oceans break down into microparticles that are then found in the fish we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe, along with toxic chemicals that adhere to these microparticles.

Scientists have linked ocean microplastics with declines in ocean phytoplankton. Phytoplankton, along with zooplankton, which are also harmed by microplastics, are the foundation of the marine food chain (the other end of which is threatened by over-fishing). Plankton are a major source of atmospheric oxygen and also absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide -- ecological services similar to what our declining forests provide.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the socioeconomic recovery that must follow, should not distract us from the urgency of addressing the global crisis of plastic pollution: a petrochemical product whose harmful consequences were never considered, but which we must all face. For documentation, see my report “From Mineral Oil and Multiple Sclerosis to Plastics and Nanoparticles,” posted on drfoxonehealth.com.

BOOK REVIEW: GOLDSTEIN’S ‘SPIRIT OF ANIMAL HEALING’

After reading this book -- full title, “The Spirit of Animal Healing: An Integrative Medicine Guide for a Higher State of Wellbeing” by Dr. Marty Goldstein, published 2021 -- I feel less alone as a veterinarian. Indeed, I have been called “the pariah of the profession,” but this book advocates much of what I have been doing to improve the health and well-being of our animal companions over the past 50 years.

Written in an engaging, personal style that explains complex issues in simple language, this book puts in place the cornerstones of keeping animals healthy: preventing and treating many illnesses with complementary and alternative therapeutic modalities. This book will inspire pet owners, veterinary students and practitioners to join the holistic One Health revolution. This movement challenges the conventional approach of relying on ever-more vaccinations, antibiotics and other pharmaceutical products while ignoring the role of nutrition and nutraceuticals.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I read your answer to the person whose son, who visits occasionally, is allergic to the cat sometimes allowed into their home. About a month ago, I purchased Purina Pro Plan LiveClear, a food that somehow cuts cat allergens, and it works! My granddaughter no longer sneezes when she’s in areas where my cats play, and she can even pet them before she goes to bed at night.

Thought you should know of this great product. I’m NOT an employee of Purina, just a cat lover. -- N.J., Winston-Salem, North Carolina

DEAR N.J.: I am glad to hear that the LiveClear food helped reduce your granddaughter’s sneezing when she is around your cats. My concern is for the cats, who should not be fed exclusively on such dry kibble. For details, see the book “Big Kibble” by Shawn Buckley and Dr. Oscar Chavez.

I would give your cats some wet cat food (canned or freeze-dried, ideally organic) or my home-prepared diet for at least one meal a day.

N.J. REPLIES: Absolutely agree on the wet food! I believe that neither dogs nor cats would eat only dry “stuff” in the wild, so I feed all of them some wet food. I just put the Purina kibble out as a snack, and the cats seem to like it a lot.

DEAR READERS: I know that many of my Animal Doctor columns can be upsetting and alarming, but I hope they are also informative -- and sometimes inspiring. Now for something amusing, if not bemusing: namely, the research study entitled “Not the Cat’s Meow? The Impact of Posing With Cats on Female Perceptions of Male Dateability.”

The study was written by Lori Kogan (of Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) and Shelly Volsche (of Boise State University’s Department of Anthropology), and was published last year in the journal Animals -- though it really gained media traction around Valentine’s Day this year.

The authors summarize the study as follows:

“People use dating sites to look for both long-term and short-term potential partners. Previous research suggests that the presence of a pet may add to women’s perceptions of male attractiveness and dateability. This study sought to understand to what degree, if any, the presence of a cat has on women’s perceptions of men.

“Women responded to an online survey and rated photos of men alone and men holding cats on measures of masculinity and personality. Men holding cats were viewed as less masculine; more neurotic, agreeable, and open; and less dateable. These results varied slightly depending whether the women self-identified as a ‘dog person’ or a ‘cat person.’ This study suggests that a closer look at the effects of different companion species on perceived masculinity and dateability is warranted.”

As a lover of cats and dogs, I would suggest a “closer look” is indeed called for. In my opinion, many dog owners are not so much “masculine” as controlling and domineering, which one cannot do with cats. So I would advise people scrolling through dating apps to beware of making assumptions, good or bad, based on pictures of pets. And remember that anyone pictured embracing a feline companion is doing so on the cat’s terms -- not the human’s!

DEAR DR. FOX: I’ve heard that when dogs eat dirt, it often reflects some kind of mineral deficiency. But then, I’ve also heard and read a variety of different reasons for this behavior. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. -- C.F., Larkspur, California

DEAR C.F.: Geophagia, or the eating of soil, is a self-medicating behavior seen in many species, including humans. I regard the word “dirt” as a derogatory term indicative of our “civilized” ignorance of soil’s life-giving and sustaining nature. Various soils can be a rich source of trace minerals, and also of bacteria that may help keep the gut microbiome healthy.

Often termed “pica” when evidently compulsive, geophagia could be indicative of a dietary deficiency in essential nutrients -- notably iron in cases of anemia. It could also mean intestinal irritation/inflammation or indicate some parasitic infestation or bacterial imbalance, which geophagia may actually rectify. Many species share such nutritional wisdom: For example, elephants visit particular riverbanks to consume soils containing the minerals they need.

Now, our agricultural soils and the foods grown from them are increasingly deficient in various minerals. Contaminants like synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides kill the life in the soil that nurtures the crops that we hope will nurture us. For one, the herbicide glyphosate actually inhibits crops’ uptake of manganese and other essential nutrients. For this reason, part of achieving “Certified Organic” status is regenerating the quality of the soil on land previously used to produce conventional crops.

Until all farming methods are organically certified and our soil quality, health and productivity are restored, I believe in consuming fresh, whole, minimally processed foods, and in taking some synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements. I apply this same principle to feeding my dog. Some minerals are better absorbed than others -- calcium and magnesium citrate are superior to calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide, for example. The same is true for vitamins: Those in fresh fruits and vegetables are more digestible than synthetic vitamins, the overconsumption of which could cause health problems.

Some soils also contain considerable soluble fiber from decayed vegetation, which serves as a prebiotic. This is essential for the growth and sustenance of bacteria in the gut microbiome of animals, including us. This is why a high-fiber diet -- sourced from the soluble fiber in cereals, which the gut bacteria convert into beneficial short-chain fatty acids -- is good for us and our dogs.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)