The Spratt organization is now nationally and internationally known. At Beddington, England, the company has its own “Quarantine Station,” under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, where immigrant dogs may pass the six-month detention period required by English Law. Other services include the supply of collars and all kinds of combs, brushes and appliances for dogs and every kind of animal and livestock; the shipping of dogs, horses, cattle and all types of animals to all parts of the world on an “all-in” service basis embracing shipment, insurance coverage, and other costs in a single transaction; boarding kennels where owners may leave their dog during absence from home; show and exhibition services for all kinds of animals, birds and fish. The major work continues to be, however, the manufacture of foods. The carefully shaped biscuits, branded with the familiar “Spratt’s” and “Trade Mark X,” are baked in great ovens, fifty foot long and twelve feet wide, then carried along with the aid of mechanical devices to drying bins where they remain for forty-eight hours before being packaged for shipment to the trade. Publications regularly prepared by the Spratt company provide full instruction as too feeding and care of every kind of dog and animal, with an account of the peculiarities of each. These booklets even include a catalogue the ailments common to each breed of animal and bird and fish, with special instructions as to treatment and especially handling during treatment. Some of Spratt’s original devices, such a glass tubes for feeding canaries the medicines they need, with instructions as to how to apply these medicines, further facilitate to the maximum degree the care of ill of injured animals. From England come such beautiful publications as “Everybody’s Dog,” “The Friend O’ Man,” and “Game and Gun and the Country Estate” (a shilling quarterly).

     The fact that dog food advertising is incomplete goes a very long way in the maintenance of  consumer confusion concerning purchasing decisions - but it is not the only factor. Like the purchase of a infant/baby product, the purchase of dog food is emotionally based and tied into the profound attachment felt by the owner for the pet. Recognized by marketers, this has led to advertising not based on features, benefits and function but rather on “emotionomics,” a term coined by Dan Hill, author and marketing guru. "Being on-emotion," Hill writes, "means your advertising is more likely to be seen, read, believed, remembered...When emotions get tapped, the ensuing relationship between a company and that customer acts as a barrier to conquest by competitors because loyalty is a feeling" (Emotionomics: Winning Hearts and Minds, Adams Business and Professional, 2007). In short, the appeal is made to the heart and not the head - something, to which, we all fall prey and is all the more effective given the trend toward pet humanization and dog as family member.

     By law, all dog foods in the United States must clearly list their ingredients. Further, and again by law, these ingredients must be listed by weight in descending order. It is this ingredient panel that first gives a clue as to the suitability of a dog food.

     Dogs are carnivores. This means that they require meat protein and the amino acids that make up that protein to be happy and healthy. Always choose a dog food that lists a specified meat protein as the first ingredient followed further down the ingredient panel by other meat protein sources. Multiple meat protein sources guarantee that your pet is receiving all the amino acids that he needs..

     Reject any food that lists a grain as the first ingredient. Grains do not contain and, therefore, can not supply the complete package of amino acids required for the good health of your pet. Additionally, they are difficult to digest which leads to large stool volume and frequency as your pet tries to rid itself of the undigested matter.

     Reject any food who's ingredient panel reflects the practice of "ingredient splitting." Usually done with grains, "ingredient splitting" is the practice of separating an ingredient into its component parts and then listing the component parts by weight rather than the ingredient as a whole. While legal under the labeling laws, it can serve to disguise the aggregate amount of a particular ingredient and cause the grain ingredients to fall below the desired first ingredient named meat protein source.

     Wheat, corn and soy are the grains most predominantly used in dog food. They are readily available and very inexpensive when compared to meat based protein sources. Low in protein composition by comparison to meat based sources and incomplete in the area of the essential amino acids , they also have the dubious distinction of being the top three allergy response causing stimuli for our canine companions. Best to stay clear of these ingredients all together no matter where they show up in the ingredient panel!

     Reject any food that uses non-specified types of meat proteins. Many foods use “Meat Meal” as an ingredient. This non-specified meat can be virtually anything from rendered road kill to euthanized dog and cat. It is unstable in it’s makeup, suspect in it ability to deliver the required amino acids, and changes with the type of animal rendered. It truly is “Mystery Meat Meal.”

     Reject any food that uses any type of by-products. By-products are the castoff and waste derived from manufacturing food for human consumption. When you see that chicken in the grocery store, the portions that are NOT in the package are what is considered the by-products. While these are not strictly bad for dogs, by-products rarely supply a complete amino acid profile. Further, because they are considered waste, they are generally not handled in such a way as to preserve their integrity.

     Reject any food that lists a meat rather than a meat meal as its first ingredient. Most of us are familiar with the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder disclaimer which states that their quarter pound hamburgers weigh in at a quarter of a pound before cooking. This is due to the fact that cooking releases the water out of the burger and it weighs significantly less when presented on the bun. So it is with meat and meat meal.

     The current trend is away from man-made (chemical) preservatives to those that are naturally occurring ...with very good reason! The man-made preservatives, while being excellent at their job of food preservation, also carry a level of toxicity.

     Ethoxoquin, for example, is a Monsanto made preservative. Originally used as a rubber stabilizer for the making of tires, it found its way into the pet food industry . It has a toxicity level of 3 out of 6 - six being so toxic that 7 drops would kill a human - and has been implicated in birth defects, liver failure, cancers and infertility.

     BHA and BHT are also commonly used in pet foods as preservatives. Listed as a poison by the American Poison Control Center, both are known to neurological damage, and kidney and liver dysfunction.

     Propylene Glycol is another preservative/flavor enhancer to steer clear of. A cousin to anti-freeze (ethylene glycol), this sweet tasting preservative is often used in moist treats as it helps retain moisture while preserving the product. According to the SPCA, it is only 3 times less toxic than its insidious cousin.

     The definition of "Natural" first appeared in the 2002 Official Publication and reads:  “A feed or ingredient derived solely from plant, animal or mined sources, either in its unprocessed state or having been subject to physical processing, heat processing, rendering, purification, extraction, hydrolysis, enzymolysis or fermentation, but not having been produced by or subject to a chemically synthetic process and not containing any additives or processing aids that are chemically synthetic except in amounts as might occur unavoidably in good manufacturing practices.” They further go on to say that when using the term “Natural” on a pet food label and in reference to the product as a whole, each ingredient must meet the “Natural” definition with the exception of chemically synthesized vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrients for which a disclaimer is recommended. Even given this consideration, “Natural” fares a lot better than it’s cousins “Holistic” and “Human Grade.”

     “Holistic” pet foods abound. It seems everyone is using this word either descriptively or as part of their brand name. The interesting thing about the word “Holistic” is that the AAFCO neither recognizes it nor do they address it. In feed and pet food circles, the term “Holistic,” due to its lack of definition and standardization, is meaningless and misuse, unenforceable.

     “Human Grade” ingredients from USDA licensed plants. You hear it quite a lot but, like “Holistic,” “Human Grade” isn’t defined by the AAFCO and there is no standardization. Further, all slaughter houses must, by law, be USDA licensed as they are primarily servicing the human food industry. You will never see “Human Grade” on a pet food bag - this because once an ingredient leaves the USDA licensed slaughtering facility and travels to the pet food manufacturer, it is no longer considered fit for human consumption as there are no regulations in place as to shipping and handling.