Fri, 10/25/2024 - 10:40pm

Editorial: October 25, 2024

That’s what I feed my dog

Years ago, when life was simpler, Ken-L Biskit was the dog food of choice for everyone who was involved in the sport of purebred dogs. Oh, there were other, less popular brands, but none could compete with the dry kibble that came out of those blue 50-pound bags. One remembers fondly the smell of Ken-L Biskit soaking in warm water; it was like the smell of apple pie being baked by your grandmother. While it was the dry food of choice, the options for canned meat or chicken were wider and varied. Kal Kan, Alpo, Pedigree and a host of others were used. Some who had the time and patience would cook their own meat or chicken to be added to the dry mix. Who didn't have a pressure cooker filled with chicken that exploded every now and then? But it was pretty basic for a long time. So influential was the brand that the first awards show dinner, the forerunner of today’s event, was the Ken-L Ration Awards, and there are a few old-timers left who still refer to it by that name. But as with all good things, change comes. For Ken-L Biskit, it was a change in the recipe, and it fell out of favor. Then the search for new dry foods began, and around the same time other dog-food companies had their own new and improved products on the market. Iams, Pedigree, Science Diet, Eukanuba, Purina and others made great inroads into the dog-food market. As the market grew, so did the focus on nutrition and condition. Then the dry-food makers started to market their products by age: puppy food, young active food, adult food, senior food. Somewhere in the middle of this new and varied selection of dry foods was the small but growing fascination with Bil-Jac, a complete frozen food used by breeders and owners of racing Greyhounds. Easy to use and easy to keep, it was a convenient food to use at home or on the road. It was the rage for a long while, but it was only sold in certain states. So you either had friends FedEx you Styrofoam containers that looked like coffins filled with food, or when traveling in a state that sold the food you filled your vehicle to the brim and took it home to a waiting empty freezer. It is still popular with many. Then we were introduced to the next chapter of dog food: As society has changed and become diet and health conscience, our dog-food selection is now available for those who want to feed their dog fresh, frozen or gluten-free dog food, vegetarian dog food, vegan dog food, special allergy-free dog food, sensitive-skin dog food, designer special-order dog food and other boutique brands. The choices are plentiful, and finding the one that is best for your dog takes some research, but at the end of the day when you find that perfect food you can proudly say: That’s what I feed my dog.

 

 

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