# Where did "don't by dog food sold in grocery stores" come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183 "2017-11-30T21:03:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/21 "2017-12-01T01:19:16Z")
Now that people think their pets are their children, the same holier-than-thou parenting BS applies to dogs too. It’s the dog version of “formula is poison.” ---
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/22 "2017-12-01T01:24:20Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Now that people think their pets are their children, the same holier-than-thou parenting BS applies to dogs too. It’s the dog version of “formula is poison.” You’ve just put in words what I’ve been feeling for awhile. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/23 "2017-12-01T01:53:37Z")
Anyone remember how dog poop used to turn white when it dried? I think I recall reading that it was because of all the bone meal in the food. We buy the good stuff. It’s the only food he gets. We want it to have everything he needs. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/24 "2017-12-01T06:12:21Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Because dog food in grocery stores are crap. More specifically though, certain brands may be crap. If a bag of Meow Mix is crap at the grocery store, it’s also crap when you buy it from PetSmart. So “Don’t buy from grocery stores” isn’t a useful rule of thumb. Besides, they also sell pricier “no grain” stuff at the grocery store these days. Unless your pet needs prescription food, you can feed them just fine from the store. Hell, if you’re that worried about it, just buy a steak and throw it to your dog. Let’s see the pet store beat that for “grain free” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/25 "2017-12-01T13:13:37Z")
When people approach me and compliment me on how great my dogs look, I mention the brands of food I feed, and where they can get it. It costs more than grocery store brands, so I feed just enough to maintain them at their ideal body weight. Not rocket science. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/26 "2017-12-01T13:15:58Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Hell, if you’re that worried about it, just buy a steak and throw it to your dog. Let’s see the pet store beat that for “grain free” 😃 I buy “family packs” of steak. One for me, one for gf, one divided among the dogs. The same with burgers. Of course, the meat is fed in lieu of their regular diet, not in addition to it. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/27 "2017-12-01T13:53:24Z")
Right. My dog’s coat is smooth and shiny. She has a sparkle in her eye and struts around with her tail in the air. Her poops are small and round and firm. I fed her Come n’ Get It. $7.50 for a 15# bag at Wal-Mart. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/28 "2017-12-01T13:58:32Z")
> [@Brodi](#): > > You’ve just put in words what I’ve been feeling for awhile. Thank you. so basically you just wanted validation for what you already believed? ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/29 "2017-12-01T13:59:55Z")
The quality of pet foods available at grocery stores has definitely gotten much better in the last few years. There’s still the usual inexpensive, well advertised crap for sale, but there’s also some decent foods. I guess grocery stores have figured out that some people will actually pay for dog or cat food with premium ingredients, and the convenience of one stop grocery shopping. My older dog was hard to keep weight on, and I don’t like to feed huge portions, so I fed a high protein kibble only available at pet stores. But I ran out, didn’t have time to go to the store, and grabbed a bag of the store brand. I read ingredient labels. I check the analysis. I was surprised to discover the grain free fish formula was 32/15 protein/fat, no corn, no soy, and while more expensive than most other brands of supermarket dog food, was still a bit cheaper than what I had been feeding. I never thought I’d feed a store brand food, not because I’m a dog food snob, but because the quality just wasn’t good enough. I happily surprised to see that what is available is not just the usual brands of crap food. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/30 "2017-12-01T14:02:12Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > so basically you just wanted validation for what you already believed? I think it’s more like **Brodi** was having trouble verbally expressing what he believed and someone else has now done it for him. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/31 "2017-12-01T14:49:55Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I literally have no dog in this fight, but this is exactly why pronouncements like **Saint Cad** ’s come across to me like snobbery. I noticed that the link **Saint Cad** gave didn’t have the “Analysis”, which is the pet kibble equivalent of “Nutritional Facts” for children’s kibble … Hardly an unconscious oversight, that data was deliberately hidden down in the written text of the page below where the author condemns the use of food coloring … perhaps someone with a bag of Purina Dog Chow handy could verify whether that list of ingredients posted is truthful, I have my doubts … A minor nitpick, dogs are NOT obligate carnivores … they can and do digest vegetable protein without any issues … as long as their _total_ protein intake is adequate, then veggies are fine to give your dog … And finally a warning, table scraps tend to be poisonous to dogs … the T-Bone steak from the store is fine, but many of the spices humans enjoy are just flat deadly to dogs … I’m looking at you, salt, never allow your dog added salt or the brand of dog food won’t matter the least … > [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Yep. When I tried to move my cats to Iams on a vet’s suggestion, my cats’ opinion was along the lines of “I ain’t eatin’ this weird smelling shit. Make with the Fancy Feast, you dumbass hindfoot.” Cats ARE obligate carnivores … and I’m ashamed to say I feed them Purina Cat Chow and that brand has vegetable fillers in it … my only consolation is that them damn blue-jays don’t have vegetable fillers in them, and my cats do enjoy eating them all over my kitchen floor … so everything balances out in a sense … cats aren’t vermin, they eat vermin, there’s a difference … as long as the brand of cat food you use tastes better than human flesh, you’ll be safe as you sleep at night … ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/32 "2017-12-01T14:57:37Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Cats ARE obligate carnivores … and I’m ashamed to say I feed them Purina Cat Chow and that brand has vegetable fillers in it … my only consolation is that them damn blue-jays don’t have vegetable fillers in them, and my cats do enjoy eating them all over my kitchen floor … so everything balances out in a sense … cats aren’t vermin, they eat vermin, there’s a difference … as long as the brand of cat food you use tastes better than human flesh, you’ll be safe as you sleep at night … to be fair, cats do eat vegetable matter too, they just need their prey to start digesting it for them. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/33 "2017-12-01T16:26:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Because dog food in grocery stores are crap. If dog-food commercials are any indicator many dog-owners are not aware that dogs are carnivores and their digestive system is not made to process vegetables and grain. Moreover, the grain used in that food is usually “spent” grain meaning it has been used for a different purpose and has virtually no nutrient value left. Look up Purina Dog Chow. It is only 21% protein and 57% carbs. Did I mention canines are carnivores and don’t process corn and gluten? Blue Buffalo by comparison is 30% protein > > To those who say that grocery store dog food is just as good as a healthier alternative, then I guess a McDonalds diet is just as healthy for you as a well-rounded diet plan. But what does AAFCO (think Consumer Reports for pet food) say is a healthy diet for dogs > What’s the Best Dog Food? > How does Purina fare? Read its [one-star report](https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/purina-dog-chow/). The [national research council](http://www.aafco.org/Portals/0/SiteContent/Regulatory/Committees/Pet-Food/Reports/Pet_Food_Report_2013_Midyear-Proposed_Revisions_to_AAFCO_Nutrient_Profiles.pdf) said adult dogs need 18% percent of their food to be protein. So Purina dog chow is closer to the dog’s needs than Blue Buffalo. Personally I will only buy Blue River for my dog. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/34 "2017-12-01T16:29:24Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Because dog food in grocery stores are crap. Not until my dog gets a hold of it and “processes” it.🙂 > [@](#): > > If dog-food commercials are any indicator many dog-owners are not aware that dogs are carnivores and their digestive system is not made to process vegetables and grain. That’s the line the high-priced dogfood companies try to feed the humans. It’s not true. One of my dog’s favorite of favorite treats is sweet potato. I cut them in french fry-like pieces, blanch them for a minute or so in boiling beef broth, then dehydrate them in a dehydrator. He will turn his nose up at store-bought all-meat treats in favor of the sweet potato. I used to make dehydrated chicken treats (sliced chicken breast) and he would turn away from them in favor of the sweet potato. > [@](#): > > Moreover, the grain used in that food is usually “spent” grain meaning it has been used for a different purpose and has virtually no nutrient value left. Look up Purina Dog Chow. It is only 21% protein and 57% carbs. What, are you saying that Purina Dog Chow uses spent grains, with “virtually no nutrient value left”, but then saying they get 57% carbs out of it? There is a local artisan baker here in town that uses spent grains in his offerings. Does that make his stuff crap? > [@](#): > > Did I mention canines are carnivores and don’t process corn and gluten? You mentioned it, but offered no cite. Purina’s corn-based dog chow has kept generations of dogs alive and healthy for decades. > [@](#): > > Blue Buffalo by comparison is 30% protein > > To those who say that grocery store dog food is just as good as a healthier alternative, then I guess a McDonalds diet is just as healthy for you as a well-rounded diet plan. Nice strawman there, but why do you think a more-expensive boutique dog food is healthier? Because you pay more for it? Is it because it doesn’t have any grain in it? While I’m not suggesting that a pure-grain diet is the best diet for dogs, I’ve never seen any data that indicates that a balanced diet that contains grain is bad. > [@](#): > > But what does AAFCO (think Consumer Reports for pet food) say is a healthy diet for dogs Don’t get me started on Consumer Reports and their quasi-scientific analysis methods and cherry-picking data… > [@](#): > > What’s the Best Dog Food? > How does Purina fare? Read its [one-star report](https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/purina-dog-chow/). Here is what they have to say > [@DogFoodAdvisor](#): > > Bottom line? > > Purina Dog Chow is a plant-based dry dog food using a modest amount of meat and bone meal or chicken by-product meal as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 1 star. > > Not recommended. I’m sorry, but I can’t take them seriously, unless they can show why plant based = bad or why using meat and bone meal or chicken by-product meas for a source for animal protein is also bad (which they don’t do in that article). I’m not saying that any dry dog food is equivalent to the boutique brands, just that most of the arguments against the major brands are based on emotional pleas and misunderstood science. If you like feeding your pet these high-priced foods, great! It makes you happy and it’s good to be happy. But, I’ve not seen any data showing they will lead to a longer life or healthier animal. As a typical lifespan for a dog is about 12 years, and these brands have been around for several (dog) generations. Why aren’t they boasting how much longer dogs that are fed Blue Buffalo live than those fed Purina? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/35 "2017-12-01T17:36:30Z")
I do recall one of the high-end brands of dog food on the supermarket shelf promising, among other things, “firm stools.” I guess I’m just not that much of a perfectionist. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/36 "2017-12-01T17:47:02Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I do recall one of the high-end brands of dog food on the supermarket shelf promising, among other things, “firm stools.” I guess I’m just not that much of a perfectionist. Look, if I’m going to sit on a stool, I don’t want it collapsing… Oh, not that kind. Um. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/37 "2017-12-01T17:48:02Z")
Totally off the wall, but ISTR back in 2011 there was a scare about Chinese wallboard used in American construction having asbestos (?) in it. Around the same time, I started hearing “reports” about supermarkets selling kibble that was manufactured in China and was similarly contaminated (though probably not with asbestos). Make of it what you will. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/38 "2017-12-01T17:52:39Z")
We buy ALL Bentley’s food and treats online at [Chewy.com](http://Chewy.com). Every month his food arrives at our door. It’s the same food you get in the markets, only cheaper and way easier to get the sizes your pet needs. I can’t see why it’s not wise to buy at a grocery store, but it’s way easier to have it delivered to your door. Besides, Bentley knows the sound of the FedEx truck and does a happy dance at the door until we bring it in and show it to him. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/39 "2017-12-01T17:53:11Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Totally off the wall, but ISTR back in 2011 there was a scare about Chinese wallboard used in American construction having asbestos (?) in it. Around the same time, I started hearing “reports” about supermarkets selling kibble that was manufactured in China and was similarly contaminated (though probably not with asbestos). Make of it what you will. [Melamine was found to be the problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_pet_food_recalls). A neighbor’s dog died of kidney failure from that fiasco. Since that situation I’ve tried to boycott products from China (though it’s nearly impossible). ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/40 "2017-12-01T17:56:35Z")
The dog I had while growing up would only eat Jewel (a Chicago- and perhaps elsewhere-based grocery store chain) brand dog food. My parents were concerned that it wasn’t the highest quality and would occasionally get other brands, but the reaction was always the same: she wouldn’t eat it. It would sit in the bowl for days while she scrounged around neighborhood garbage cans for something acceptable So, Jewel brand dog food it was, for eighteen years. She also didn’t like chew toys packaged in plastic. You had to buy it packaged in paper or just loose, or she’d never use it. I often wondered if the dog food thing and the chew toy thing were related, but not enough to investigate. In any case, this was all a while ago. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183.md?page=3)