9 



FEEDING THE DOG 



(never more than 6% by weight, of the 

 meal). 



Bones 



We are gruilty of rank heresy when we 

 say that bones are not desirable food for 

 doers. They have little nutritive value ex- 

 cept for calcium ; they are taken into the 

 stomach in splinters and chips, only to cut, 

 irritate, perhaps impact (stop up) the 

 intestines. 



Their chief value is in cleaning the dog's 

 teeth and srums, siviner exercise to his 

 jaws and contentment to his mind. The 

 best builder of strong jaws and teeth is 

 not bones and chewing but proper whole- 

 some food. 



Bones strengthen the dog's jaws, develop 

 biting power, clean his teeth, preserve the 

 gums and take away bad breath. Let him 

 chew to his heart's content upon a bone ; 

 he should have a large bones with meat on 

 it, preferably a well cooked bone to lessen 

 splintering, at least twice a week, whether 

 he be a toy dog or a large dog. 



Chicken bones, rabbit bones and fish 

 bones should never be fed. The danger 

 arises out of the smallness of the bones 

 and also out of another condition, that 

 these bones, especially chicken bones, break 

 off into sharp points as the dog chews 

 them ; these points tend to catch in the 

 throat or tear the intestines. However 

 large these bones, they should not be fed. 

 This applies with some force to pork bones 

 as they also are somewhat brittle and break 

 into shaBp points. 



Some dogs are utterly unable to eat 

 bones ; vomiting and intestinal disturbance 

 take place about twenty-four hours after 

 the bones have been eaten. 



Carbohydrates and Fats 



Macaroni and spaghetti are excellent 

 starchy foods and seem to be somewhat 

 easily digested. They are most excellent 

 especially in winter, for fattening dogs. 

 A touch of either tomato or celery can be 

 added to it. 



Whole wheat, commeal, and rice are 

 good cereals. Whole wheat is best fed as 

 hard or stale bread, ovendried, just before 

 being fed. It tends also to check diarrhea. 



Oatmeal is rich in nitrogen, fats and 

 mineral. It should be cooked thoroly, else 

 it causes stomach trouble and skin dis- 

 ease, and tends toward excessive urina- 

 tion. 



Tomatoes, spinach, lettuce and carrots 

 are recommended vegetables. They con- 

 tain most of the known vitamins. They 

 can be fed raw or cooked. 



Not a few dog owners complain that 

 their dogs will not eat vegetables. Dogs 

 do not relish vegetables ; they eat them 

 only when they are very hungry or when 

 the vegetables are mixed with meat and 

 the like. Vegetables are to be fed to a dog 

 not so much for nourishment as for vita- 

 mins. They should always be a minor por- 

 tion of the diet. They give little nutri- 

 tion ; they build little ; they are medicinal 

 and corrective. 



Some of their value lies in the mechani- 

 cal action in stimulating intestinal move- 

 ment, particularly as roughage. 



Bear in mind that dogs can be fed 

 without any vegetables whatever and not 

 suffer in health. 



1 KNOW \ 5HOULDNT 

 EAT THIS, 6UT IT TASTES 

 GOOD'' 



Canned Dog Food 



Until about the year 1920, what might 

 be termed manvifactured or commercial 

 dog food consisted entirely of "dog bis- 

 cuit," now known as dry food, biscuit food 

 or cereal food. 



Beginning about the year 1920, canned 

 dog food or meat dog food in cans was 

 offered commercially. It is not to be under- 

 stood that a pound of canned dog food is 

 a pound of meat. The moisture or water 

 content may vary from 40% to 70% in 

 weight. 



The contents of a can consist of 

 meat (either beef or horse), cereals, cod 

 liver oil, perhaps wheat or com ground 

 up, some charcoal, iodized salt and ground 

 bone. On account of the low meat content 

 canned dog food more correctly should be 

 termed canned cooked food. 



The great demand for canned dog food 

 has brought into the field many brands 

 of which some are not nutritive or whole- 

 some. However, the standard brands are 

 wen prepared and are excellent for the dog. 

 A dog can be maintained indefinitely on 

 them. 



Canned meat has many advantages — it is 

 convenient, will not spoil except that it 

 may freeze, can be taken on a trip, and 

 in the matter of price, is very economical. 



In 1937 the B.A.I. (Food & Drug Ad- 

 min.) issued order 211, amending No. 10, 

 prohibiting the phrase "fit for human con- 

 simiption" on labels of canned dog food. 

 Federal ins(pection is of the meat or meat 

 by-product only. 



So great is the popular demand for 

 canned dog food, particularly from owners 

 of pet dogs, that this particular product 

 leads most other canned products of the 

 grocer's in gross sales. Approximately a 

 total of $70,000,000 retail sales were made 

 in 1941. 



NOTE— Effective March 2, 1942, due to 

 war reqmrements, tin was no longer ob- 

 tainable for cans ; and the manufacture 

 of canned dog food ceased immediately. 

 This situation still exists (March, 1945). 



